Fourth of July Citronella Candles. Jun24 by Brenda Ponnay It turns out citronella candles are pretty easy to make! They are a bit fussy and require a lot of microwaving and some pouring of hot wax but the end result is fun and pretty. This craft is not especially toddler-friendly but I think it would be great for older kids who can be trusted in the kitchen, or for younger kids who have a lot of help from an adult. Here is what you’ll need to to make patriotic tea lights like you see above: • six 1/2-pint regular canning jars (found in grocery stores)• 1 lb. microwaveable soy wax (found in craft stores)• a glass measuring cup for melting and pouring• a spoon for stirring• several old crayons in red and blue• a cutting board and knife• citronella oil (found in health food stores)• braided candle wick (found in craft stores)• scissors• six pencils or dowels• a hot glue gun• a microwave There are a lot of variations you can do with these candles.
Now lets get started! First you’ll need to prepare your jars. DIY Sun Jars. The principle is simple and seductively clever: solar lights that store energy during the day and release light at night. These can be purchased ready-made in a variety of colors (yellow, blue and red) but they can also be built at home. A simple, less-technical approach involves buying a conventional solar-powered yard lamp and then essentially harvesting it for key pieces to put in a jar. This is simply a way of taking an existing solar lamp design and appropriating its parts to make something more attractive for display around a house or home. A more electronically-savvy individual can take the more complex route and built a solar lamp from the ground up using small solar panels – though the aesthetic result may not be as impressive. Whatever route you choose to go, these are fun and sustainable gadgets that make it easy to go green, automate the process of turning on lights at night and can add some color to your porch, patio, garden or windowsill.
A Little Fall Leaf Re-use Project. Ok! This may look a bit familiar. While I sat brushing Mod Podge on dozens of leaves to use on my Fall wreath, I decided to light a little jar candle covered with fall leaves that I made last year to keep me company. I enjoyed the warm glow of the candlelight dancing through the leaves so much that I just had to make a bigger one!
But this time I made it with the intention that it could be used the rest of the year for crafty storage! I used a large, one quart jar with a two piece canning lid. This has worked so well, I am planning to make a full set of four - one for each season to use to store tea bags, Splenda packets etc. on my kitchen shelf - keeping them in rotation as candles as the seasons go by. And since it is so easy to do, I am making some with my two little gingerbread house buddies for their Thanksgiving table! How to make a Fall Leaf Candle! All you need to make one: dried, pressed fall leaves, regular Mod Podge, a jar and a brush. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. Here is a sneak preview! Doily Lamp. Yarn Chandeliers. Jessica of Wednesday Inc shows us how to make those gorgeous twine chandeliers from the inspiration shoot she shared with us this morning.
Using balloons, glue and twine, you can also make these lanterns for your wedding – and then bring it home and use it as your very own mid century lampshade. What you will need are: balloons, glue, yarn, tray for glue, corn starch 1/2 cup of Corn starch, 1/4 cup of Warm water, clear fast drying spray paint, hanging lamp cord or fishing line (depending on your desired final product), and a lighting kit if you’re looking for a fully functional lantern. Jessica recommends using a sharpie to mark on the inflated balloon how much room you need to leave for the lighting cord. She also recommends coating the balloon with vaseline prior to wrapping the yarn coated with glue so it doesn’t stick on the balloon once it’s dry.
You can see all the details on Jessica’s blog. Are you getting excited to try to do this at home as much I am? Instructions: 1. Faux Capiz Shell Chandelier. Bottle cap candles. How make tiny candles using old bottle caps! Fun easy diy tutorial. these tiny candles are a really fun to make and come together quickly. AND you can up-cycle several materials in the process, which makes this a fabulous Earth Day craft :) {Earth Day is April 22} to make these colorful tiny candles, i used several materials that usually end up in a land fill: bottle caps, broken crayons, and empty soup cans. the only thing i bought to make them was the pre-waxed wicks which cost me $1.50 for a set of 12. these make a great kid craft {with supervision, of course!} And would add a fun element to a wedding, romantic dinner, or even a fab conversation piece in your front room!
How to Make Bottle Cap Candlessupplies: bottle caps, crayons {or wax}, pre-waxed wicks, soup cans, wax paper {optional}, small cooking pan, scissors, and water remove paper from crayons. you can also use candle wax if you wanted. put crayons in clean, empty soup cans. take your pre-waxed wicks and… bottle caps. Photo lampshades.
PINTEREST UPDATE: This is a post from 2010. I do not take custom orders, only the tutorial is available. The lamps have held up wonderfully. As many of you requested, Marie is sharing a little tutorial here on how she made her lampshades. When she made them she was not planning on doing a tutorial for this blog, so be sure to thank her for taking the time to write all this out. Also, for those wondering…Kara will be sharing some tutorials for her book art on her blog soon. Marie is happy to do custom orders for those that prefer buying over making! * LAMPSHADE – Hobby Lobby carries self-adhesive shades & nightlights, Target has some smaller lamps for $19 that would be perfect for this project, I’ve found some lamps & shades on Craigslist. . * GLUE – I used a hot glue gun for the first lamp. . * VELLUM – I buy this in packs of 20 (I think) in the scrapbooking section of Hobby Lobby. . * PRINTER – I have a color inkjet printer.
If you are using photos – there are several options. That’s it! DIY Thread LED Tealight Cover. I was messing around with different materials trying to dress up a little LED tealight, and this is one of the versions I ended up liking (plus it’s dirt cheap since it’s just thread!). I love me some textures. This may be useful for those with wedding venues that don’t allow real flames. Finding these* at the dollar store is what started this mess… 1) Get your hands on some thin cardboard that you’ll be recycling anyway. I used the back of a pasta box. 2) Find some wrapping plastic (try to use something you’ll toss anyway!) 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 13. You can make different sizes and shapes.
. … and configure it however you want! * Batteries were included, and they lasted for many hours. Happy crafting! Mrs. Location: Sacramento Occupation: Tea Analyst Wedding Date: August 23, 2008 Venue: Vineyard on the Delta. How to obtain solar panels for free. Make an Oil Lamp with an Orange - Portugal Smallholding. Plastic Cup Lamp. Now that my university is closed for winter holidays, I finally have more free time to do all the crafty things I’ve been wanting to. One of these is a lamp made from plastic cups I’ve seen at taf, the art foundation, in the Monastiraki region in the center of Athens. When I first saw it at taf, I was amazed; I looked closely and I couldn’t believe my eyes! The object itself is so peculiar, modern and alien-like it could be in any design exhibition.
With my best friend’s birthday coming up, I decided to make it myself and give it to her as a gift. It turns out it was the easiest craft I’ve even done, the epitome of DIY objects! Disclaimer: There have been some concerns about the safety of this construction (see the comment of user “when” below for example). I only needed a couple of things: 200-250 large plastic cups (recyclable, at least )600-700 staplesa staplera lamp socket, lamp cord and plug – mine came from a broken IKEA lamp!
That’s all you will need. …to this! You might also like: Water Balloon Luminaries. A fun and easy project with a beautiful payoff. Learn how to make these Balloon Luminaries. You will need: High-Melt Paraffin Wax (IGI 1260)Party BalloonsDouble BoilerCookie Sheet Instructions: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. Here is an example of these luminaries when using dye.