Make a Mason Jar Oil Candle Lamp Gifts for the Holidays
Every year I make a handmade gift for my friends, family, co-workers, and others we want to thank at Christmas time.
In the past, I’ve made bayberry candles, simmering potpourri and spice mixes. This year I decided to make a mason jar oil candle lamp, that looks pretty and smells nice too.
I noticed that a lot of people were making oil candles for the summer with citronella, and several survivalists using vegetable oils for an extra lighting source when the power goes out. One of the articles specifically talked about using olive oil, as it burns well without an unpleasant odor.
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Mason Jar Oil Candle Lamp materials.
That’s where I started. I wanted the oil candle lamp to smell nice so I used scented pine cones, cinnamon sticks and added some essential oils.
Mason Jar Oil Lamp with cotton wicks
The first few I made were so beautiful. I packed them with botanicals, drilled a hole in the lid and added a cotton wick.
Only they did not work.
The wick would only stay lit for a minute or two, even after letting it soak overnight.
Mason Jar Oil Candle Lamp Floating Wick
So after some research and experimentation, I found floating wicks, often used for Menorah candles at Hanukkah.
They worked!
I was so happy because I had already bought all the materials for many, many gifts.
I did have to replace a few lids, and I no longer needed the cotton rope, but everything else was still viable.
Mason Jar Oil Candle Lamp Supplies
Pint Mason Jars
Olive Oil
Dried Orange Slices
Cinnamon Sticks
Small Pine Cones
Essential Oils (rosemary, sweet orange, cinnamon)
Safety Caution: Candles need to handle properly. According to the National Fire Protection Association, many candles have started home fires. Never leave the candle burning unattended. Make sure the candle is set a sturdy surface away from anything that can catch fire. Keep them out of children’s reach.
See NFPA’s candle safety tips page for more details.
Oil Candle Lamp filled with botanicals
The Process
Start by filling the mason jar with botanicals. You can see I’ve used cranberries, dried orange slices, pine cones, cinnamon sticks and some fresh cedar from the yard. Don’t stuff them too full. You need to leave some room for the floating wick.
Use a Skewer to place items in jar
Using a wooden skewer, an old pencil would work too, position the plant material where it looks best.
Add some essential oils to your oil. I used light olive oil because it is the least scented, and cheaper than extra virgin. For essential oils, I used rosemary, sweet orange, and lemon. Cinnamon oil would be great too. Just remember that cinnamon and rosemary are pretty strong so be careful when adding them to the jar.
Mason Jar Oil Candle Lamp
mason jar oil candles
Fill the jar with oil, then add your floating wick.
Tips:
As the oil burns, you can add some water, which will make the oil will rise, and allow you to burn the candle longer. However, if the candle goes unused the water will turn and bacteria may start to grow making the candle cloudy. It’s best to just add more oil to raise the level above the botanicals.
You can also use a piece of an old candle’s wick when the original one burns up.
