Patriotic Bug Repellent
This craft from Brenda Ponnay at Alphamom can serve many purposes. First, it will provide your older kids with a fun task to complete. Second, these cute candles will provide great patriotic decorations for your 4th of July celebration (or other such holidays!). Third, they serve as festive bug repellent. And fourth, if you wish, they make great gifts for your party guests!
Patriotic Citronella Candles
- Visit Ponnay's full post at Alphamom for a list of supplies and tips on where to find them.
- Making sure that your canning jars are well washed and fully dried, place a dab of hot glue inside the jar at the center of the bottom. Carefully, place the wick tip into the glue (pressing down with the end of a pencil), wrap it around a standard pencil when dry, then cut it off any excess and secure the cut end to the pencil with tape.
- Using a knife and cutting board, cut your old Crayola crayons (without the wrappers) into small shavings. Ponnay suggests preparing five to six red crayons and four to five blue crayons for a nice rich color. CAUTION: An adult should complete this task or properly supervise older children when completing this step.
- Divide your wax into thirds, placing the wax into spouted measuring cups.
- Setting the other two measuring cups aside, add the red crayon shavings to the first measuring cup and microwave for 30 second intervals, stirring in between. Once fully melted, add three to four drops of real citronella oil and stir. Pour the melted red wax into your prepared canning jars. Ponnay suggests dividing the jars into four sections therefore the red wax will fill one-fourth of the jar. Let the wax cool completely, then repeat the process with plain wax for a white stripe and blue crayon shavings for the blue stripe.
- When the candle has cooled completely, remove the wick from the pencil and trim it so that it sticks out from the wax about 1/4-inch.
- If you desire, create labels for the canning jar lids and give these patriotic bug repellents out as parting gifts!