Bug Repellent Mason Jar Candles
| Prep time: | 10 minutes |
| Total time: | 10 minutes |
| Yield: | 1 (or more) candles |
I enjoy summer, but I do not love all the bugs that come with summer, especially the mosquitoes, flies, gnats, … I can’t stand them, but boy, do they love my family. So you can imagine how incredibly glad I am that I discovered essential oils a few years ago! Now it’s easy to whip up a homemade, all-natural, chemical-free bug repellent candles. And these homemade “Bug Away” essential oil candles couldn’t be easier. It’s really just placing lemons, limes, and rosemary inside a mason jar, topping with water and essential oils. But wow, are they pretty! The flickering light that they give off at night is so soothing and relaxing. You might want to make up a few of these even if you don’t have a bug problem!
Ingredients for homemade bug repellent mason jar candles:
16 or 20 ounce mason jars (or really, whatever size mason jars you have – they’ll pretty much all work)
water
1 lemon
1 lime
a few sprigs of rosemary
essential oils
floating candles or tea lights with the metal casing removed
How to make mosquito repellent candles:
step 1: slice one lemon and one lime into 1/4 inch slices
step 2: you can either add the essential oils to the water now
or wait to add the essential oils to each mason jar later after you’re poured in the water
either way seems to work fine
You want to add about 10 drops of essential oil to each 16-20 oz mason jar.
bug repellent essential oil blend #1: 20 drops lemon eucalyptus + 10 drops geranium
bug repellent essential oil blend #2: 15 drops lemongrass + 7 drops lavender + 7 drops geranium
bug repellent essential oil blend #3: 15 drops citronella + 7 drops lavender + 7 drops spearmint
bug repellent essential oil blend #4: 12 drops eucalyptus + 12 drops lavender + 6 drops spearmint
step 3: Now you start building your candles – start by placing a sprig or two or rosemary in each mason jar
step 4: then layer in two slices of lime and two slices of lemon, placing some slices flat in the jar and others standing upright
step 5: fill jars with water, leaving about 1 inch at the top of the jars for the candles
step 6: place a candle in each jar and light – that’s it. Super easy, beautiful, and best of all, they keep the bugs away!
How to use mosquito repellent candles?
After 2-3 days when the lemons and limes have wilted, I dump out the jars, wash them up, and make fresh candles. Super simple!
Be sure to use standard candle safety — Place jars on a sturdy surface where they won’t get knocked over, make sure that they’re far enough away from drapes, fabrics and other flammable things, and make sure that young kiddos and pets can’t reach them! Set them outside, light them, replace candles as needed — have extras on hand. Each candle may only last an hour or two. Fruit/rosemary/water should last for a couple days. When using a second night, I refresh the bug repelling power by adding a few more drops of essential oil to each jar.
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