Arizona Outdoor Living Idea: DIY Citronella Candles

Are you always looking for ways to spruce up your Arizona backyard living environment?

Save some money this month with this homemade citronella candle “recipe”. It’s an easy and affordable way to keep the mosquitoes at bay this pool season, and most materials come from what’s already inside the home.

MATERIALS

Coffee can or other suitable, non-flammable container.
Wax – any type, scraps work well.
Wick – #6 square braid.
Square wick tab – The wick is too large to fit in round tabs.
Citronella Scent Oil.
Wax – The wax can be anything you have laying around. Drippings, half burned candles, floor scrapings, and other scraps are ideal.
You can use scraps of scented wax, as this helps offset the offensive odor of the citronella.

DIRECTIONS

1. Paint a coffee can – optional, but this improves the appearance.
2. Crimp a length of wick into a square tab. This is just done to weight thebottom of the wick.
3. Collect together some scrap wax and melt down enough to fill the can.
4. Suspend the wick in center of the can.
5. Stir in a minimum of one ounce of citronella oil for each pound of wax, then fill the can to about 1/2 inch from top. Allow to 
cool fully. Set aside leftover wax.
6. Reheat the wax left from step 5 and make a second pour to fill the shrink void and level the top of candle. 7. Once fully cooled, trim the wick to about 1/2 inch long. This is longer than for most candles as a clean burn is not desirable in 
a citronella candle. 8. Keeping the plastic lid will help keep water and dirt out of the candle when not in use. With this homemade citronella candle, the whole family can enjoy outdoor living all summer long. Stay tuned for more backyard living tips, maintenance how-tos, and other ideas for making the best of your outdoor living.