Infuse you room with the scent of orange with these simple tea lights.
In this super easy DIY I’ll show you how to make your own candles with an orange and a bit of olive oil.
Step 1
Cut the orange in half and scoop out the pulp. Make sure you leave the center white part for a wick on the bottom half of the orange. On the top half scoop out the pulp as well and cut a small shape in the center top. (I made a star.)
Step 2
Pour a small amount of olive oil into the bottom half of the orange and you’re ready to light your candle.
I must warn you that lighting this candle takes some patience. It will take awhile for the wick to light but once it does it will burn for quite a long time.
Enjoy!
If you have any suggestions or if you’ve made this and have any tricks please let me know in the comments.
This is SO cool. I’m totally going to do this on a summer picnic!
Cute. But how do you put the wick in it?
The wick is the center white part (rind I guess) of the orange.
my mom used to make them when i was a little girl. Seeing this brought back a lot of happy memories, thank you!
Hi Alex,
I’m so glad you liked it. Thanks!
xoxo
Cathy
I did the instructions and used the ingredients exactly as told and it didn’t work.
Hi Luanne,
It can take a really long time for the wick to light. As I recommended in the instructions try using a long stick match to light it and let the flame from the match sit on the wick for about 30 seconds to a minute, it should light.
Good luck!
xoxo
Cathy
Do you make the wick out of the center white stuff? Or push it through the bottom?? Totally lost on the wick instructions!?
Hi Kaylynn,
Yes, the wick is the center white stuff. You can trim it so it’s not quite so thick. I recommend using long matches to light it, because it can take awhile to get it lit. But once it’s lit it will stay lit and it smells great!
xoxo
Cathy
You can’t tell very well from the first picture, but the white pulp that runs through the center of the orange has NOT been scooped out. If you look carefully at the picture labeled, “cut in half… scoop out pulp,” the white pulp is sticking straight up at you, but it’s there.
I suspect that if you warm the olive oil a little before pouring it into the skin it will penetrate the pith more quickly. It might also be worth while making the light 24 or more hours before you need it (if you can be patient for so lnog as that.)
Thanks Wendy,
That’s a good idea!
xoxo
Cathy
What a wonderful idea! I used a dry piece of spaghetti to light the wick and it worked like a charm. Thank you!
I just love this idea! You get to eat the inside of the orange and instead of just throwing out the rind, you get to upcycle it into a candle! I’ve tried this numerous times and I’ve found that if you let the “wick” soak up some of the olive oil for a little while, it’ll light that much easier. Simply love this idea so much!
Just tried it. It worked!
Question: Does it necessarily need to be the more expensive olive oil? Will a cheaper oil suffice? The reason I ask is that it would be lovely to have several of these all over your porch, or thruout the house, for when Halloween guests arrive.
Good question. I don’t think the type of olive oil matters too much. I just used olive oil from Trader Joes and it worked fine.
xoxo
Cathy
Hi there.. I was wondering if it would work the same if you purchased candle wicks and placed them inside of the orange, and if you could do other citrus fruits like lime and pineapples and get the same effects.
~Thanks~
Hi Lana,
I’ve never tried this with a purchased candle wick. I would just recommend being careful what type of glue or what you use to hold the wick in place. You don’t want any weird fumes from the glue and the heat.
A pineapple could be really cool! I’ve never tried it, but I don’t see why not.
Thanks!
xoxo
Cathy
What a wonderful thing! Thank you for sharing this! Can’t wait to try it.
Happy Holidays to you!
Maybe adding some cloves to the peel would add a great autumn scent!!
Adding cloves is a great idea! I think that would smell wonderful! Thanks Carly!
xoxo
Cathy