I love this time of year. The patriotic holidays are near, and it’s the perfect time to craft in red, white, and blue. I was planning to make citronella candles for the summer, so I decided to combine my patriotic craft urge and candle making into one project. DIY Mason Jar Citronella Candles can be made quickly. There’s plenty of time to have them ready in time for the upcoming Memorial Day and July 4 cookouts. Don’t let the mosquitoes ruin your summer fun!

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Here’s how to make DIY Mason Jar Citronella Candles. Start by making the citronella candles, then paint the cooled jars. Finish the vintage look of these jars by securing wide mouth Mason Jar holders to the neck of each jar. Add lids and rings, if you want (I do until I’m ready to use the candles). I like the Martha Stewart Crafts Vintage Decor paint line. The paint leaves a unique chalk finish with a vintage Americana look—one of my favorite DIY finishes. The 2 pounds of flaked soy wax will make 3 Mason Jar (16-ounce) citronella candles. DIY Mason Jar Citronella Candles can be made in one day.

Tutorial: DIY Mason Jar Citronella Candles

MATERIALS

• 2 pounds flaked soy wax
• candle making pitcher
• 3 wide mouth mason jars, 16 ounce
• citronella oil
• 6-inch pre-waxed candle wicks, 3
• glue gun
• Martha Stewart Crafts Vintage Decor Paint, Linen
• Martha Stewart Crafts Vintage Decor Paint, Red Wagon
• Martha Stewart Crafts Vintage Decor Paint, Sailor Blue
• Clear acrylic sealer, matte
• paint brush
• 100 grain sand paper
• 3 wide mouth wire handles
• paint sticks

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Position the wicks in the center of each Mason Jar and glue into place.
2. Add wax to metal pitcher and heat on low heat until melted or place pitcher in a pot of boiling water. Fill a pot large enough to hold pitcher with a couple of inches of water and bring to a boil. Remove pot from heat and place pitcher in pot. Stir wax to make sure that no clumps remain in the bottom of the pitcher.
3. While the wax is melting, preheat jars in a 170 degree oven for about 5 minutes. The jars need to be hot before filling with hot wax. Please not that if you leave the jars in the oven for longer than 5 or 10 minutes, the glue holding the wicks in place will melt and the wicks will slide around.
4. Add a few drops of citronella oil to each jar then fill the jar with wax leaving about 1/2 inch of wick showing. Let jars cool completely. The wax will become firm over several hours.
5. When candles are set, paint 1 jar each red, white, and blue. Let paint dry and add second coat. When paint is dry, coat with sealer.
6. Rub sandpaper over raised lettering and other raised designs. Rub sandpaper around each rim.
7. Secure wide mouth jar handles around the neck of each finished jar.