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–+ 12 ounce candles
citronella candle
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5 from 1 vote

DIY Beeswax Citronella Candles

These easy homemade candles are a great way to ward off pesky bugs. Put a few on the back patio for some summer night ambience!
Prep Time5 minutes
Cook Time15 minutes
Curing Time2 days
Total Time2 days 20 minutes
Servings: 2 12 ounce candles
Author: Katie Wells

Equipment

  • 2 12-ounce Metal buckets (or 3 half-pint mason jars)
  • Metal pitcher (or clean metal coffee can)
  • Large pot
  • Bamboo skewers
  • 60-ply #4 candle wick (cut into 2-3, 6-inch pieces)

Ingredients

  • 1 and ⅓ lb beeswax bar
  • ½ cup coconut oil
  • 3 TBSP coconut oil
  • 1-2 tsp citronella essential oil
  • 1-2 tsp lemon eucalyptus essential oil

Instructions

  • Put the beeswax and coconut oil into the metal pitcher or a coffee can.
  • Place the pitcher in the pot and fill it with several inches of water. Don't fill it so high that the boiling water will bubble over into the pitcher.
  • Bring the water to a boil and gently boil until the beeswax is completely melted. You can grate the beeswax before melting if desired to speed up the process. My bar took about 50 minutes to fully melt.
  • Stir in the essential oils with a chopstick or bamboo skewer.
  • Pour some of the melted wax mixture onto the bottom of each bucket or jar and press the end of a wick into the wax. You can use a skewer to make sure it's placed correctly by pushing the wick down and holding it there for a few seconds.
  • Cool until the wax is solid enough to hold the wick in place (about 5-10 minutes).
  • Wrap the top end of the wick around a bamboo skewer until it's taut with the skewer resting across the top of the bucket. Use a small piece of tape to keep the wick from slipping off of the skewer.
  • Hold onto the skewer and pour the melted wax evenly into both buckets. Leave about an inch of space at the top.
  • Reposition the skewer holding the wick as needed so it's in the center of the jar and let cool completely.
  • After 24 hours trim the wicks to 1/2 inch. Don't trim it any shorter than this or the candle will have a smaller flame and it's more likely to tunnel. After you light the candle, if it's flickering wildly or smoking, simply blow it out, trim the wick a bit more, and re-light.
  • During the first burn keep the candle lit for a few hours, or until the entire surface has melted.

Notes

  • If your candles crack while cooling here's an easy fix. Heat the oven to 300 degrees, place the candles inside, then turn the oven off. Once the candles have completely cooled in the oven, the crack should be filled in. 
  • If you're using the mason jars one wick in the middle works well. I used two wicks for the buckets though since the surface area is a little wider.