DIY Lemon & Herb Citronella Candles

Simple and easy to make, DIY lemon & herb citronella candles are the perfect way to ward off summer’s unwanted biting insects without the use of harsh chemicals.

It’s officially summer at our house when the sun begins to set and the yard becomes filled with our least favorite insect, mosquitos.

They are a nuisance and force us to head indoors sooner than we are ready. With our property surrounded by wetlands, we will never be able to rid our yard of all mosquitos. However, these lemon & herb citronella candles may provide us a little sanity and a few more minutes outside!

This was my first time making DIY citronella candles. I can assure you, it will not be my last. These candles are unbelievably easy to assemble, smell divine, and repel mosquitos naturally.

Supplies for DIY Citronella Candles

• Mason Jars: Gather mason jars of varying sizes (or use all the same size). I like grouping these candles in 3’s with jars of all varying heights.
• Floating Candles: Round up a few floating candles. I used these.
• Fresh Rosemary: Snip fresh rosemary sprigs from the garden. Fresh sprigs of lavender or basil would also work for this.
• Fresh Lemons and/or Limes: Slice lemons and limes. The amount of lemons & limes you need will depend on the amount of candles you are making & the size of the jar. On average, I used about 2-3 lemon slices and 2-3 lime slices per jar.
• Lemongrass Essential Oil: Purchase an organic lemongrass or citronella essential oil. I used this lemongrass essential oil.

How to Make DIY Lemon & Herb Citronella Candles

Fill the mason jars this way:

• First start by adding the lemon and lime slices. I used about 3 lemon slices and 2 lime slices for the large mason jars and about 1-2 lemon slices and 2 lime slices for the small mason jars.
• Add 1-2 springs of rosemary.
• Fill mason jar with water until an inch below the lid rings.
• Add about 20 drops of the essential oil. Take a butter knife or spoon and mix the ingredients in the jar carefully.
• Place the floating candle on top.

How long will DIY citronella candles last?

These DIY citronella candles will last up to 3 days before the fruit and herbs will start to go bad.

However, you could add the fruit and herbs to a stovetop potpourri for a day or so before tossing! Stovetop potpourri is such a great use of old fruit & herbs. You can find one of my stovetop potpourri recipes here.

DIY Citronella Candles Final Thoughts

Not only do these candles repel bugs naturally, but I cannot get over how beautiful they are too!

How perfect would these be for summer entertaining?! These candles would be so gorgeous lined up down the center of a table for an outdoor dinner party. Or grouped together in odd numbers like I have here!

For a video tutorial on how to make these simple DIY lemon & herb citronella candles, visit my reel highlight on Instagram titled DIY. I would love to know if you make these! Tag me on social media or leave me a comment here and let me know!

View my google web story, All-Natural Mosquito Repellent: DIY Citronella Candles.

You Might Also Enjoy

If you enjoyed this blog post, here are a few more summer DIY ideas that you might be interested in!

• DIY Rosemary Wreath
• Summer Stovetop Potpourri Ideas
• DIY Plant Labels
• Kitchen Window Box Herb Garden

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xoxo, heidi

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