Make Your Own Citronella Lamps
Posted on March 1, 2013 by bob in Crafter's Corner
As we get ready to welcome back those warm summer nights, we don’t want to see the mosquitoes that usually accompany them. These wine bottle citronella torches are perfect for any outdoor event. (Special thanks go to Beth Edwards and Donnie Robinson for the idea and design.)
Just one bottle will last a long time, and cover a sizeable area. You can put one on each side of your pool during an event dip, or use them as a centerpiece the next time you entertain outdoors.
Materials:
wine bottles
Tiki Torch wicks
threaded lamp tubing (comes with nuts and washers, which you’ll need)
hack saw
Exacto™ knife or box cutter
small funnel
citronella oil
The wicks and tubing you can buy in individual packages at Lowe’s, Home Depot, etc., and both need altering before they’re ready to use.
Eyeball the center of the tubing and cut with a hacksaw.
Flatten the wick on a cutting surface and cut it down the middle,
Pull out about half the fibers to use in each wick.
Flatten the wick and gently push it through the cut tubing.
About a half-inch should show for the burning end, the rest remaining inside the bottle to soak up the oil.
Take a nut and screw it on at the top of the tubing. Place a washer atop that nut and screw another nut on top of that. Use the funnel to pour the oil in the bottle, filling it up between the top of the label and the neck. Place your completed tubing into the bottle and let it soak for a day or two to absorb the oil. Then, at your next outdoor event, enjoy these attractive, sweet-scented mosquito-repelling torches.
Callie Corley
Callie Corley began crafting when she was old enough to hold a pencil, squeeze a glue bottle, and use a pair of scissors. If you have craft ideas to share, send instructions and photos to primemagdesign@gmail.com.
