How to make easy DIY citronella candles. This DIY water candle is easy to make without using wax! You'll need just a few ingredients, water, oil, and essential oils to learn how to make an oil candle that burns for several hours to naturally repel bugs outdoors.

With summer and warm weather comes bugs and mosquitoes. Living a rural area between corn fields, we have more than our fair share of bugs in the summer.

We enjoy sitting on the patio in the evenings, but the bugs make it almost impossible to be outside without getting eaten alive.

I have several natural mosquito repellent DIYs using essential oils already, but I'm always looking for something new. When I got my Simply Earth box this month. it had DIY citronella candles without wax.

Yes, without wax. It's a floating water candle that's so simple to make. I like it because it lasts for hours, and it also looks pretty on the patio.

Easy DIY Citronella Candles

Before we get to the DIY no wax candles, I want to tell you about the Simply Earth Essential Oil Recipe Box for June 2021. It's a monthly box subscription that helps you learn more about essential oils and how to use them in your home.

With each box, you get four full size bottles of essential oils or blends. The price of the box is less than what you'd pay for each oil separately.

You'll also get supplies to make 6 easy DIY recipes. Each month there are different recipes with a theme. The June box's theme is summer and gardening.

The box includes:

You'll use these oils and supplies to make 6 easy essential recipes. You'll make a garden spray, peppermint infused oil, summer lovin' lip balm, summer diffuser blend, bug repellent roll on, and these homemade mosquito repellent candles.

Use code EVERYTHINGPRETTYFREE when you subscribe to the recipe box and get a free bonus box with more supplies and a $40 gift code for a future purchase!

For more natural ways to repel mosquitos, learn more about the best natural bug repellent products to buy or DIY. Or try one of the following bug repellent recipes:

If you do still get bug bites, try my bug bite relief roller bottle or my bug bite relief stick.

What is a Water Candle?

A floating water candle is a unique type of DIY no wax candles. It's a candle that burns for several hours, but you don't have to melt wax!

You simply put water in a container, top with oil, and set a special wick on top. The wick burns the oil on top of the water for several hours.

How Do Water Candles Work?

A floating water candle works because oil and water don't mix. Therefore, you can fill the container with water and then add some oil to the top. The oil sits on top of the water and doesn't mix with the water.

Then you use a special water candle wick that floats on top of the oil. It will have a wick that goes through the base, so part of the wick is in the oil and part is on top of the oil.

When you light the wick, it will burn the oil and the essential oils. Since I used bug repellent essential oils to make my DIY water candle, the essential oils will burn and repel bugs naturally.

How Do You Make Water Candles at Home?

You will need a glass container, waterproof pretty things to put in the container, water, oil, and essential oils. You'll also need a floating water candle wick.

How Long Do Water Candles Last?

The wick for DIY no wax candles is very efficient. How long your floating water candle burns depends on how much oil you use and how big your container is, but they should last for several hours.

How Do You Make Scented Water Candles?

You can make scented water candles by using herbal infused oil or adding essential oils. I added 15 drops of essential oils for 2 tablespoons of oil.

Which Oil is Used in Water Candles?

I used regular cheap vegetable oil. You can also use olive oil. The floating wicks should work well with any cheap oil.

How Do You Keep a Floating Candle Water Clean?

For best results, you should dump the water in your DIY water candle after each use. Choose items to add that can easily cleaned.

Can You Use Fake Flowers With Floating Candles?

Yes, you can use fake flowers with these DIY no wax candles. I used plastic succulents from Dollar Tree (you can also find them on Etsy).

Just make sure that whatever you add is waterproof and doesn't come in contact with the flame or the floating wick.

Can I Make My Own Citronella Candles?

Yes, you can absolutely make your own homemade mosquito repellent candles with citronella. You can make them using my natural fall candles tutorial; just replace the essential oils with citronella.

Learn how to make an oil candle for easy DIY citronella candles. You don't need to melt and pour wax or worry about wick size, so they are much easier to make.

What Bugs Does Citronella Repel?

Citronella is said to mask your scent, so bugs and mosquitoes won't be attracted to you. Citronella is perhaps the most commonly used essential oil for natural mosquito repellent candles.

Lemongrass essential oil works similar to citronella to cover the scent of people so bugs won't be attacted to you.

I go over more bug repellent essential oils in my homemade bug repellent spray recipe. You can certainly swap the oils for your homemade mosquito repellent candles.

DIY Water Candle Safety

These DIY no wax candles are safe to use outdoors only. Do not use them near children or pets. Place them on a level surfaces where they won't get bumped or knocked over.

Make sure that anything that you add to the jar is fully submerged in water with oil on top of it so it won't catch fire.

Use waterproof items for your DIY water candle and let them dry fully between uses.

DIY citronella candles work for small areas. They will not repel mosquitoes in your entire backyard.

Bug Repellent Candles DIY Supplies

To learn how to make floating oil candles, you will need:

Glass jars
Rocks or sand - I got clear gems from Dollar Tree. There are several kinds available on Etsy.
Plastic succulents - I got mine from Dollar Tree, but you can also find them on Etsy.
Water
Vegetable oil - I use cheap vegetable oil from the store. No need for an expensive oil since it won't touch your skin.
Citronella essential oil
Lemongrass essential oil
Floating wicks

Homemade Bug Repellent Candles Directions

Step #1

Combine the essential oils and vegetable oil in a small bowl. I quadrupled the recipe and put them in a mason jar so I have oil for later.

Step #2

Place the rocks in a jar. Add the plastic succulent and cover with water. My succulent wanted to float, so I ended up using hot glue to attach some gems to it.

Step #3

Add the oil and essential oil mixture. Add 1/2 inch oil to each container. You can make more as needed and store leftover oil for the next use.

Step #4

Assemble the wick for your DIY water candle. Place the wick in the oil. When your candle is where you want to burn it, light the wick and enjoy your bug repellent candles DIY.

Now you know how to make mosquito repellent candles! If you want to make DIY no wax candles like this one, sign up for the June 2021 Simply Earth essential oil recipe box. Use code EVERYTHINGPRETTYFREE for your $40 gift code.

citronella candle, summer, bug repellent, diy, water candle, waxless candle

Yield: 1 candle

Author: Cari @ Everything Pretty

Estimated cost: $5