Ever wonder how to make a citronella candle? These Bumblebee Citronella Candles are so easy to make, and make a perfect gift!
Ever since I read this post by Positively Splendid about making your own citronella candles, I got this idea in my head to make one that is black and yellow like a bumblebee. So cute, right?
And then I came up with the idea of adding this cute printable! You’re The Bees Knees. Aww, get it?
DOWNLOAD THE PRINTABLE (PDF VERSION) HERE
DOWNLOAD THE SILHOUETTE PRINT AND CUT FILE HERE
Here’s what you need:
- citronella oil
- 1/2 pound soy wax (I used Artsmind brand found at Michaels)
- candle prewaxed wicks and clips (I used Artsmind brand found at Michaels)
- black and yellow crayon (the yellow color “dandelion” actually makes for a better layer)
- dixie cups
- 8 oz mason jar
- chop sticks
- E6000 glue
Step 1: Glue the wick to the bottom of the mason jar. Using two chopsticks that are still connected, keep the wick in place until the glue dries. (See picture under Step 5 below)
Step 2: Fill a dixie cup with wax and half a black crayon. Microwave for two minutes.
Stir, and microwave for another two minutes.*
Step 3: Fill the cup up the rest of the way up with more wax. And microwave another two minutes.
Step 4: Add four drops of citronella oil and stir in. (And ignore the fact that now the wax is yellow.)
Step 5: Pour wax in, being careful to avoid the wick and the side of the jar. Again, use the chopsticks to hold the wick in place. (Forgive the terrible picture . . . I forgot to take this picture when making the first candle.)
Step 6: Wait an hour between each layer.
Note: When you pour the yellow onto the black layer, make sure you wait a good 10 minutes after pulling the wax out of the microwave before you pour, otherwise you will melt some of the lower black layer and it will bleed into your yellow.
Finally, you are going to want to wait a few hours before setting that baby on fire. There are some complaints about using crayons to color candles because it can impact the way it melts. I haven’t had a chance to check this with a buggy back yard yet, but I can tell you it does burn. It doesn’t get a high flame, but it does burn and fills your house with a citronella-ey smell.
*Some posts caution that all the wax melting (because it’s such a small container) can burn out your microwave. I thought that was nuts until I was on the last layer of my second candle . . . my microwave totally overheated. So proceed with caution and keep your microwave door open between layers.
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