- Liquid Paraffin (Lantern Oil)
- Wicks
- 1/2 Pint Mason Jars
I am always on the look-out for homemade counterparts to store bought preparations. These DIY ’100 hour candles’ definitely fit the bill. In less than 5 minutes you have an inexpensive, refillable ’100 hour candle’ that will light up your home in the darkest of times. And for you ladies – these homemade alternatives are far more aesthetically pleasing than the store bought versions. So let’s get started.
Supplies
The supplies you need are pretty straight forward. Liquid paraffin, lantern wicks and 1/2 pint mason jars. I found my lantern wicks and mason jars at Walmart and the liquid paraffin at a local Hobby Lobby. The cost of each candle ends up being approximately $2.70 per candle. Which is about half the cost (at least) of the store bought versions.
Just as a side note, it took me forever to find the liquid paraffin. Make sure when you’re calling around that you ask for liquid paraffin and not the paraffin wax. The paraffin wax is just a wax block that will melt then solidify when it cools. If you can’t seem to locate liquid paraffin you can replace it with mineral oil and coconut oil with a ratio of 2:1.
Step One: Create Opening For Wick
I used some grass-trimming shears but you can use a knife or any other sharp tool to create your opening. Just make it wide enough to fit in the wick SNUGLY.
Step Two: Insert Wick
Instead of just putting the wick in like a candle, we’re going to place it so that it is doubled over. First, pull the wick through the canning top so the end is sticking out on the side that will face inside of the mason jar. Next you’re going to use your knife (or shears for me) to push the second end through as well. This should make the wick fit in pretty tight.
After having both ends through, pull down so that only a tiny amount of the folded piece of wick remains.
Step Three: Pour Paraffin Into Jar
Fill up your 1/2 pint mason jar with the liquid paraffin.
Step Four: Secure the Top
Separate the two ends of the wick so they are at a v-shape when they are put into the jar. This just helps the wick soak up the oil from both sides when it’s getting low. Place the top on the jar and screw the band on around it.
To Prevent Evaporation
The paraffin will evaporate if the wick is left exposed to the air. This is why the store bought versions will have a plastic cap with each candle. To prevent this from happening, simply get an extra canning lid and put it on top in between the wick and the band.
Comparing to the Store Bought Version
The benefits of making your own DIY emergency candles are substantial. First, they are cheaper. The least expensive place I found the store-bought versions were around $5.00. As I mentioned before, the homemade version comes out to about $2.70 each.
Second, they put out more light. As you can see in the picture above, the flame is significantly larger. This could end up being a liability for you. It is obviously more dangerous, but proper candle safety should prevent any injury.
Third, they are refillable. The store bought versions are made for a one-time use only.
Fourth, they are made out of glass. Once again, this is more of a personal preference but my experience with the plastic store bought versions is that they very easily squirt lantern oil from the top if you hold them too tight. The light plastic also makes me nervous that they will tip. The durable and heavy glass of the mason jars eliminates the possibility of squirting flammable material all over your house and it is definitely more stable to prevent tipping.
Could you put a small hurricane lamp over this to contain the flame some? I’m not familiar with how liquid paraffin burns. I like this idea though.
I haven’t tried that but I don’t see any problem with it. Paraffin is just a variation of lantern oil so I don’t anticipate you having any issues if that’s what you wanted to do.
I too am retired SF. I raised my daughter the same and I know she is safe no matter how far away she is. Thanks for sharing with others and give you dad a hug for me.
Best Regards,Rick
1st SF 5th Grp 1971/1975
Thank you so much for your service Rick! I’ll pass along the kind words to my dad. I know he’ll appreciate it :)
You will need a ring to slightly elevate to glass so air can get under it to feed the flame. If it just sits on the jar lid you will suffocate the flame.
I work at Pier 1 and if you think of hurricanes as different than “globes” you shouldn’t have a problem. A hurricane is essentially any large heat-resistant glass jar and you can set your entire lamp down inside of the jar to protect the flame from drafts and to help keep little fingers (and kittie tails!!) out of the flame.
Can I use the full size mason jars?
I know paraffin oil is aka kerosene. Its sold at Wal Mart in the camping aisle. I also found it at the local dollar store here in Los Angeles. I have found them scented though I dont know if that will have a effect on the burning time.
You could use full size mason jars but you’d want to keep it pretty full with the paraffin. If the paraffin decreases down the jar too far, gravity will keep it from wicking up to the top fast enough and you’ll burn out your wick. And I didn’t know about the paraffin = kerosene. They are marketed differently so I never saw the connection. Thanks for the tip!
Is it kerosene or lantern oil that keeps bugs away??
I have one of these on my patio/porch.
I also have a glass to put out the flame when finished.
Cost?? Not much; I had ball canning jars, lantern oil, and wicks.
Wish now I hadn’t bought 4 lanterns..oh, well, one for every room now.
Just wondering what is the burn time on the homemade versions. It would seem to me that with a larger flame you probably don’t have as long of a burn time before you use up the liquid paraffin.
You’d be exactly right Pat! The wicks I had available for the photos are 5/8″. With that size of a wick the burn time for me was about 15 hours. So hypothetically speaking, if you were to buy 1/8″ wicks (or just trim your 5/8″ wicks) you’d be closer to 75 hours. I prefer the larger flame for visibility and just keep extra paraffin on hand to refill them. The fact that they are refillable gives you the leeway to decide which you prefer: length of burn time or size of flame. Hope that helps!
I’d make some of both. One for brighter light when you need it and some for just a little light always on at night.
Very nice project, thanks for sharing
Both oil lamps and liquid candles, also known as oil candles, can be used indoors. Both use lamp oil, sometimes called paraffin lamp oil, as fuel. Lamp oil is a highly refined kerosene.
Read more: Oil Lamps Versus Liquid Candles | eHow.com http://www.ehow.com/info_12018098_oil-lamps-versus-liquid-candles.html#ixzz1sgBqHGn2
These are really neat. I think it would be smart to have supplies on hand to make these to use for barter if it came to that. These would be in high demand.
I just came back from the store where I purchased the supplies to make these candles. I don’t believe the size jar you are showing in the picture is the half pint. I purchased the half pint and they are obviously bigger and hold 6 ounces. They did have some smaller jars that held 4 ounces that appear to be the ones you are showing. Can I use the six ounce or will that be too big?
Hello Denise! The Jars I used are a Ball signature collection at Walmart that was on sale. They are a lot “squattier” than the standard half pint jars but hold just as much. The 6oz. size will work just fine. :) Feel free to send me pics of your completed candles!
Great information ! Thank you SO MUCH !
Hi Jessica!
I found this article and your site because someone pinned it on Pinterest.
I might suggest you amend the title of this article to remove the “100 hour” portion , because they are not anywhere near that length of time, as you yourself let us know in the comments. Just calling them emergency candles should suffice. I was excited by the prospect of a 100 hour DIY candle – but a little dismayed that as posted, will not achieve anywhere near that.
Thanks!
Maura
Hello Maura! I’m so sorry you felt “baited and switched” by the title. I can see how that could be confusing. Many people associate the plastic store-bought version by the name “100 Hour Candle”. That’s why I put it in quotations in the title. And because this is a DIY project you can adjust it to the burn time you desire. I just made a new batch with much smaller wicks that has a burn time of 50 hours and even then there is leeway to adjust the wick length to let off less paraffin if I wanted to extend it. Once again, so sorry for the confusion!
Really! How nitpicky can you be! Instead of being greatful for her sharing a wonderful money saving technique…you’re gonna call her on the carpet about the length of time they burn…ridiculous! Shame on you!
Yes Maura needs to take that stick outta her ass. How silly! Your information is exceptionally helpful and practical. J
you could also use an old mayo glass jar. considerably larger volume… to prevent evap.of fuel just use saran wrap and a rubber band around the top.. even cheaper. great site btw
I think for a long term storage solution putting the whole wick in the jar and sealing it with a whole lid would be nice. When shtf you could just take a knife, pock a whole in the top, thread the wick through, and voila.
I made one of these yesterday and it really DID take less than 5 minutes! In fact, if pressed, I could now probably do one in less than 60 seconds. The longest part of the process for me was finding an appropriate knife (pointed, not a santoku) and adjusting the size of the opening in the lid so the wick would fit through it.
Couple of notes….I used plain old “lamp oil” from WM for about 2 bucks for a big bottle. And skip the wicks they have right next to it (97 cents each seemed cheap until…). Instead, go over to the camping aisle where they have lanterns etc, and look for the replacement wicks (pkg of 5 for $2.37!) Most expensive part was the dozen little jars, for just under 8 bucks, but hey, they’re reusable just about forever! Just don’t get them mixed in with the jars you use for canning ;) Wonder if warming up the lid (after making the opening, but before placing on the jar…canning style) would help create a better seal?
Amen on the replacement wicks! They are by far cheaper than the regular candle wicks. Glad you liked the project :) And yes, I too am weary that one day I may accidentally use one of these jars for my jam and after all of this emergency preparation end up killing myself with lamp oil poisoning hahaha
Glass doesn’t retain contaminants like plastic does. Once you wash it thoroughly, it’s safe to reuse. Of course I’m probably much older than you and remember when we used our canning jars for everything and washed them with bleach and soap before each use.
Lamp oil is not poisonous to drink. It is harmful to the lungs if inhaled. My son got a hold of and drank one of my candles when he was young. He of course got some into his lungs and we stayed at the hospita for a few days.
FYI if you run out of “Lamp Oil” you can use regular Olive Oil, tha is what the Romans used. Plus it does double duty as a cooking oil (well before you use it in the lamp) Great site. Thanks Jessica
So true, and with olive oil it would smell so much better… but then again I would constantly be hungry.
If you’re going to do this, use the cheaper more highly refined olive oil instead of the better tasting extra virgin oil. You won’t smell it as much, either, and it will last longer before going rancid. Olive oil would only be a good substitute if that’s all you have or if it’s gotten old. EVOO loses its nutrient properties quickly when exposed to air, light, and less-than-optimal temps. It’s just not something that works well for stocking up for the long term. In fact, I only buy small quantities in dark bottles from the back of the shelf and keep them it in the refrigerator. Before learning this, I used to buy it by the gallon. If you have a big bottle sitting in a cabinet for a year, you might as well go ahead and use it for lamp oil.
thank you for this! I blogged about this project here http://www.prepperyogini.com/2012/06/diy-liquid-paraffin-candles.html
Thanks for the link back! Yours turned out so lovely. And I got your picture as well. I’ll be sharing it on this post very soon. (You’ll have to forgive a tired pregnant woman. Not quite on my a-game lately.) Thanks again!
This is an excellent idea, thank you for sharing!
No problem Flora! And thanks for visiting :)
The lid you put the wick in, and the extra lid you need to use to prevent evaporation? Use used canning lids. Can’t use them for canning again but they have lots of other uses.
Instead of using the lamp oil you can use solid shortening. Fill the jar, shove the wick into the shortening and allow the wick to absorb the shortening. Works just fine. Also, if you have some really large, tall heavy floral vases the mason jar can be set down in the bottom. I put small pebbles or an inch of sand on the bottom to keep from having a heat transfer glass to glass. The vase acts as a chimney. i am not a fan of open flames especially when there is little other light. Just thought i would share.
Where did you buy the wicks? No luck for me at Michael’s or AC Moore. Thanks.
Hello Mary, you can buy the wicks at several places. A couple that I’ve found them at: Walmart in the camping section and at Hobby Lobby. I’m sure there are other craft stores that carry them as well. Let me know if you still have trouble finding them.
Thank you for the great idea, I really enjoyed putting one of these together. One question I have is if you have had any issues with too much of the liquid paraffin getting pulled up the wick. I made the hole rather snug, and only had about 1/4″ inch above the top of the lid when I lit it. Shortly after lighting the wick, I began to see the liquid paraffin pooling up on the lid. I tried this a few times and each time I was getting this pooling. Just wondering if there might be a trick to minimize this. Thank you again for the great site!
grtuck I’m having the same problem. Did you find a solution?
@jerry, sorry but I did not find a solution. I would be very interested to learn what others have done.
I think this issues is caused by the heat differental between the lid+wick and the oil stored below. I was having a similar problem.
To solve this, I cut off the bottom of a soda can, and trimmed it down until I just had the small ‘dome’ from the bottom. Punch a whole in this for your wick to go through. Pull the wick through the top of the mason jar lid-hole and then through the hole in the dome. This creates about a 1-2 cm distance between the lid and the flame, and disperses the heat into the dome instead of the lid of the jar. It will stop the oil from pooling on the lid.
The only issue then is you have to remove the dome to ‘seal’ the candle with the extra mason jar lid.
I am unclear on why you doubled the wick. Is is to better soak up the oil? Do you un-double it by pulling one end out before lighting? Thanks!
There is soo much information out there on the dangers of paraffin! PlEASE just google it. I make Soy candles for myself and gifts. I also like the idea of olive oil and or coconut oil.
I just got some wick I ordered online and will be making some of these. This article was what finally got me to order the wick :)
For lantern wick the most economical place I have found is http://www.wickstore.com where you can get lantern wick on a roll, 25 yards for about $9 for 1/4 inch up to about $15 for 1 inch. For $61 I got 25 yards of 1/4, 1/2, 3/4 and 1 inch rolls of wick delivered. They also have round wick, but I bought flat wick since that is what my lanterns use.
Jet-A aviation fuel is basically the same as “ultra pure” liquid paraffin and $6.25 per gallon is a lot better than $25 per gallon for the lamp oil.
I figure each candle will cost me $1.91 – $1 per jar (including cost of extra lids), $0.10 for 6 inches of wick and $0.81 for the fuel.
Great post, Jessica!
Anything you can do for yourself is good advice and one more step toward personal prosperity.
Can you add dye to this, to add a splash of color?
I think this would also make a great science lab…test different variables…size of jar, type of oil, type of wick. This could even become a science fair project.
Would be nice in a big fish bowl filled 10% with colored stones. not just for emergencies but for the patio too.
The smaller wick and place it lower to the rim of lid, so less shows, may help avoid pooling. also, the snug fit hole may need to be a tiny bit looser. or the jar may be too full. I have not tried these yet, as we have oil lamps that work fine.
As an alternative to purchasing a wick, you can also use cotton twine or, in my case, I used a piece of jute twine. They wick the same and burn just as well.
I do have a few concerns as to the safety of this design though, as the lid of the jar gets pretty hot and I’m not sure if it might cause the paraffin to ‘flash’. But the lack of oxygen available to the rest of the paraffin my prevent that.
I also was having the pooling problem.
Another problem I was having, the size of the flame was large. I tried two different sizes of flat wicks, 1/2″ & 1/4″. I have the wicks pulled very low to the lid, so I don’t understand what’s going on. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks for posting this. I made one successfully and plan on making more.
Some tips:
1) Be careful about which lids and jars you buy. I bought extra regular lids but my jars were wide-mouth. Doh!
2) If you get a lot of smoke, your wick is too high. When I set the wick to the height shown above, the flame was very tall and bright, but smoke was excessive. Now it’s about the height of a strand of spaghetti, maybe a touch shorter, and there is no more smoke.
3) For making the hole in the lid, a chisel works perfectly. Set the lid on a piece of scrap wood and give the chisel a solid hit with a heavy hammer. The 1/2″ chisel worked perfectly for the 1/2″ wicks I got in the camping section of Walmart. A phillips-head screwdriver would work well if you choose round wick.
4) Securely tighten the ring or it will leak.
i just got the stuff today and built one. i used the wicks that were in the candle section. This is a fun project. i opted to drill another hole away from the original and threaded a cotton shoe lace thru double and it works great as well smaller.flame and.if i want more, i light the big wick. Thanks for the original.idea!
Thank you for sharing this. I had pinned the page a while back when I came across it on pinterest, but now I have finally collected the materials and shared your link on my blog (over here at: http://plain-jane-remembrances.blogspot.ca/2013/01/more-baby-steps-to-emergency-planning.html). This is sure to come in handy in our next power outage. Thanks again.
Thank you Natalie! I’m always happy seeing fellow bloggers spreading the love! :)
I made one of these candles today, and am seeing fuel leech up the wick and pool up on the jar lid. I am using a 1/4″ wick, and keep it only about 1/4″ or less above the lid, and get a real nice clean 4″ flame, but excess liquid pooling up. Any thoughts on how to prevent this?