Thursday, July 1, 2010

Wine Bottle Citronella Candle

I had been collecting wine bottles and bugging my friends and neighbors to save them for me so I could try out my previous wine bottle project. Well now I have a ton of wine bottles and not all of them are wine glass worthy. For example these large ones:




are way to big to be a glass. I like to think I'm a Wine Connoisseur not a Wine-O ;) So what to do with them? I had seen a post on Design Sponge I thought I could really use. Our backyard is nice but the Texas mosquitoes are killer. Using a wine bottle as a Tiki Torch is a great idea. I don't have anywhere to hang them like in the tutorial so I thought I would try it out minus the steps that involved actually hanging it on the fence.

I ran over to my favorite store Home Depot (seriously I would love to work here part time if I had the time so I could get discounts on tools and supplies!) and bought the following:

1/2" x 3/8" Copper Coupling
1/2" Copper Cap (Both copper items can be found in the plumbing section and are really cheap!)
Tiki Torch Replacement Wick
Tiki Torch Fuel
Electrical Tape




First I took the Copper Coupling and wrapped the 1/2" end with the electrical tape enough times around so it fit tightly in the bottle opening. This is to keep the coupling from falling in.



Then I slid the wick through the coupling and left a little hanging out the top.



Since my bottle was on the large side the wick didn't reach all the way to the bottom and I didn't want to use that much fuel for one bottle. So I filled the bottom with water first so the oil would sit on top.
Next just fill the wine bottle with the torch fuel. A funnel would be helpful here, if only I had one.



Finally just slide the coupling and wick into place make sure it's tight. Let it sit for a few minutes so it will absorb the fuel. (Can you see where the line of the oil and water meet? Pretty cool.)

Then light and enjoy!



When you are done use the Copper Cap as a lid to help keep the wick dry when your not using it.

So easy! That will teach those pesky mosquitoes to hang around out yard.

I'm Linking this up to

The DIY Show Off






17 comments:

Katie said...

That is a great idea and so easy to do!

Lori E said...

I learned something here. My tiki torches ended up with water in the canisters. I didn't know I could still burn them. Thanks.

Crafty Girls Workshop said...

Hey Rachelle,
Thanks for visiting and following my blog! Whereabouts in Texas are you? I'm in San Antonio. What a cute and crafty blog you have here! Thanks for sharing all these great projects.

Anna

kim west said...

sos sososososo cute! had so much fun looking through your blog!

Amy @ Positively Splendid said...

What a terrific idea!

Life in Rehab said...

I soooooooooo have to do this!

Crafty Girl said...

What a great use for something most people just throw away :)

Tabitha said...

I love this idea! I think I'll borrow it! :o)

Hannah @ TheStoneHouse said...

Brilliant! We have a natural spring in our front yard which is like a mosquito dream home. I was just thinking I'd have to break down and buy tiki torches, but I'm so glad I can make my own now! Thanks for the tutorial!

LesleySW said...

I like it. Thanks for the great tutorial.

Its A Blog Party said...

What a great idea! It looks wonderful!
Thanks for linking up!
~Liz

Jill said...

OH what a BRILLIANT idea! and I love the wine glasses you made from other bottles too!

Scherzo said...

I love the idea! Doesn't the electrical tape melt though?

Anonymous said...

What a great idea. We lost the tiki containers last year in a flood and the replacement ones are kinda ugly. I never would of thought to do something like this. Ty

Jenny @ DIY Newlyweds said...

I must try this! This is such a great idea. I recently shared this project on my blog! http://www.diynewlyweds.com/2012/04/my-favorite-projects-march-2012.html

Unknown said...

OMG I love site! My first visit and I'm already a fan. I'm going to post this on my blog (sugardotsbyd.blogspot.com) and of course give you credit :-)

Unknown said...

Electrical tape is made of plastic....it melts. Did you use your torch for more than 10 minutes? Mine didn't last, but with a few adjustments I'm good to go!