The Fourth of July is behind us and summer is in full force — even here in Seattle! That means plenty of barbecuing, al fresco dinners, and evening spent drinking rosé on the back porch. Aka, total bliss. And, while the vitamin D and warm breezes are a definite perk, the buzzing mosquitoes are more than a minor annoyance. Rather than stocking up on the standard bug-repellant citronella candles, I wanted to make something a little more special. Enter: our essential oil-infused homemade mosquito repellent tabletop torches, crafted from pretty vintage glassware (for that extra-special touch!).
How to Make Homemade Mosquito Repellent Tabletop Torches
Materials
- lemon essential oil
- eucalyptus essential oil
- water
- isopropyl alcohol
- torch kit
- wooden beads
- glass bottles (Make sure to get bottles that have a similar size opening to a wine bottle so the torch kit fits nicely. Ours were vintage, but you can use wine or liquor bottles, too.)
Directions
Start by dumping out a little bit of your isopropyl alcohol. We’re going to mix the torch fuel in this bottle, so we need to free up a little space. Then add 1 tsp of water and 1 tsp of each essential oil. I used a mixture of lemon and eucalyptus essential oils because they have that all-important bug-repelling quality.
Then, give the bottle a good shake so all the parts are mixed well together.
Next, pour the mixture into the glass bottle until it’s about three-fourths full.
Now it’s time to decorate the wick cap with a few wooden beads. Unclasp the end of it and thread a bead or two onto it. If you want to be extra-fancy, use acrylic paint to paint the beads. Then, loop the cap around the neck of the bottle and clasp it back together.
Once you’re happy with the look of it, insert the torch tube thingy (that’s a technical term) into the bottle and thread the wick through it. Trim the wick so about 1/2″ to 3/4″ is showing above the top of the bottle. Don’t leave it too long because it won’t burn nicely.
And that’s all there is to making homemade mosquito repellent! The next time you’re entertaining outdoors, place a few of these around the area and light them. Personally, I love making a grouping of 2-3 of these tabletop torches together for a pretty centerpiece that scares away those pesky bugs — win-win!
If you liked this Homemade Mosquito Repellent Tabletop Torch DIY, you might enjoy these DIY tutorials as well:
