Homemade citronella candles are easy to make in patriotic colors.
Experimenting in candle making is a fun and easy craft. For summer fun outdoors DIY Citronella candles are great for camping trips and summer parties. Add a little color for the 4th of July to make patriotic citronella candles. This is a great craft project to make with kids.
Red, White and Blue Patriotic DIY Citronella Candles
You need very basic supplies for candle making. You will need:
- Wax – for these candles I used regular wax, but I much prefer the soy wax I used in the citronella candles.
- Candle wicks – I use the ones with the round metal on the bottom. It just makes it easier to keep it in there.
- Red and blue crayons – this is a great project for using up broken crayons
- Glass jars – You can use any kind of jars. I used canning jars before, but I used jars with hangers. You can also get wire handles for mason jars.
- Empty coffee can or other container for melting the wax
Start by cutting up the crayons in to the smallest pieces you possibly can. It works best to grate the crayons but if you don’t have a grater just cut them up. The crayons really just don’t want to melt. So smaller pieces are better.
If you want brighter more intense colors, use 2 crayons. The wax really lightens the colors. I used disposable bowls to color the wax so I didn’t need to worry about clean up.
Once the crayons are cut up or grated, prep the jars. Twist the wick around a pen or pencil and set it on top of the jar. Don’t forget the wick! You may notice a few photos here of a wick-less candle. Don’t do that!
Next, melt the wax. You can melt the wax using a double boiler or in the microwave. This double boiler was made using an empty coffee can. This way you can just toss the coffee when you are done. No messy wax clean up. If melting in the microwave, use a glass jar or bowl.
To use a double boiler, fill a pot with an inch or two of water and bring it to a simmer. Meanwhile, put the wax in the coffee can. You don’t really have to measure. It takes a little back and forth to figure out how much wax you need. Err on the side of too much rather than too little.
Put the coffee can in the pot and let the wax melt completely. It will turn clear when it’s melted.
Once the wax is melted, work with only one color at a time. Decide which color you want on the bottom of the candle and start with that color.
Pour about a third of the wax in to the bowl with the blue crayon. Use wooden crafts sticks to mix. You will not have to worry about cleaning up. You can just toss them.
Once the crayon is melted, slowly pour the the wax in to the jar. Put the jar in the fridge to let it set. Make sure it completely cooled before you begin the next layer.
Repeat the same process for white and red layers. Obviously you won’t need to color the white wax. Added citronella oil to the middle and top wax layers for a little bug protection. Let the wax cool in the fridge between each layer.
And that’s it! Your red, white and blue candles are ready to decorate your 4th of July tables or help light the night.