DIY Lovely Lemon & Herb Luminaries: Heaven-Scent Mosquito Repellent
Inside: Up the ambiance of summer outdoor meals while helping keep mosquito bites at bay. These DIY insect repellant floating candle jars beautify your table and smell heavenly! Plus, a whole list of options for natural insect fighters including lemon, lime, rosemary, basil, and citronella.! ➡
I’m a sweet person. Or the mosquitos tell me so.
Pure bliss is a relaxed summer evening outdoors lingering and listening to the symphony of crickets and frogs at twilight with good friends and family gathered around the patio table.
Until everyone starts slapping themselves.
Spending time outdoors this time of year is a challenge for this mosquito magnet. I use every weapon in my bug repellent arsenal to fight off the uninvited blood sucking dinner guests— a mosquito service, citronella oil tiki torches, right down to wrapping myself like a baby burrito in a beach towel.
I’m always looking for any additional ammo to add to ward off these tiny vampires (it’s not THAT kind of “twilight”).
So when I ran across this beautiful outdoor table luminary idea that repels mosquitoes in a natural way, I was drawn in.
Like a mosquito to uh, … me.
Because they looked so Ina Garten meets Williams-Sonoma meets coastal grandmother.
And bonus, they do double duty.
With all natural ingredients like citrus fruits, fresh herbs, and essential oils, they’re not only lovely for outdoor entertaining during the summer months, pesky bugs don’t like them. Making these DIY bug repellent mason jar luminaries the perfect addition to the summer patio area!
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The decorative and aromatic solution to blood-sucking dinner guests.
Let’s make these super simple, super useful, super smelling table decorations!
The ingredients you’ll need:
This project will work with any glass jars or vessel you want to use as your candle holder. Just make sure the candle will fit and adjust the amount of filler accordingly. I especially love to make these DIY mosquito repellent candles in my oversize martini glasses vase for a party!
Aren’t we always looking for a use for those glass florist vases we save anyway?
- Floating candles. These come in different sizes. You’ll need the small ones more the size of tea candles for mason jars (around 1.5″) and the larger ones for larger mouth vases (around 3″).
To add even another layer of deterrent, use floating citronella candles!
- Fresh herbs. Fresh rosemary, basil, lavender, mint, eucalyptus, thyme, mint, and bay leaf are all good choices.
- Lemons and/or lime slices. The amount will depend on how large the vessel is – each mason jar will only hold 2-3 slices.
- Water.
- Essential oils. I usually use this mix of lemon eucalyptus oil, and peppermint oil. But any of these add a delicious fragrance and ward off insects:
How to make mosquito repellent candles step by step.
1. Cut slices of lemons or lime into quarter-inch pieces and place 2-3 slices in a quart mason jar.
2. Cut herbs to fit the jar with at least 1 1/2″ to spare from the top. Add a few rosemary sprigs or other herbs like fresh basil to the jar.
3. Drop in essential oil(s) of your choice. For a quart-size mason jar use at least 15-20 drops. You can adjust this recipe ratio for larger containers.
4. Fill the container with water to the bottom of the neck of the mason jar, or about an inch from the top in other glass containers, submerging the citrus slices and herbs.
5. Top it off with a floating candle, taking care not to get the wick wet.
And that’s it! Light the candles and you’re all set to gather around a beautiful table where the focal point is not a can o’ DEET.
A list of herbs and plants that make mosquitos bug off.
Mix and match in your container any of these herbs and plants that are proven to naturally ward off pests without chemicals:
- Basil
- Citronella
- Eucalyptus
- Fennel
- Lantana
- Lavender
- Lemongrass
- Marigold
- Mint
- Rosemary
- Scented Geraniums
- Thyme
Additional tips.
Don’t have fresh herbs? Mix in some faux greenery for the same pretty look.
Having a party? Prep a bunch of these luminaries and place them throughout your outdoor space on the patio, deck, and in the yard to add wonderful ambiance.
Setting a table? Use one large glass container as a centerpiece for a tablescape statement piece.
Want more color? Toss in a few flower blossoms. Bonus points if bugs don’t like them.
DIY mosquito repellent candle FAQ’s.
“If you think you are too small to make a difference, try sleeping with a mosquito.” —Dalai Lama XIV
Let’s be honest…do they work?
Am I saying you will be insect free with these? Not at all. Chemical deterrents are your best bet. Use these luminaries in addition to the proven mosquito repellent tools. And if they do nothing else, they add beautiful ambiance and scent to your dinner al fresco.
How long do they last?
They should last a weekend before the herbs and lemon slices start to go south. The floating candle burn time will vary— I wouldn’t expect the smaller ones to last more than 2-3 hours. Plan accordingly with extra candles.
Mosquitos seem to love me more than the average Joe. Can that be true?
It’s not your imagination. There are factors beyond our control that make us more tempting: our blood type, body temp, and even the amounts of CO2, lactic acid, and uric acid that we produce. But here are a couple of funny things that you do have control over:
Mosquitoes are attracted to dark colors, the most attractive being black, navy, and red. And one study found that drinking beer increased your attractiveness as well. So forget that Friday night by the pool knocking back a cold one in your favorite black concert t-shirt.
With the proper mosquito precautions, you’ll have less of those blood sucking dinner guests to spoil your summer evenings. But with a table full of these lovelies bringing all the Barefoot Contessa ambience, you may have more trouble getting rid of the soul-sucking kind.😉
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Wonderful idea! I love this.
These are GORGEOUS! I would also have a couple Thermacells around depending on large your area is. You can get a butane refillable kind or USB rechargable style. They use chrysanthemum oil so I guess they’re non toxic. They work in Louisiana backyards so that’s a great recommendation. I don’t sell them or anything but I am very impressed with them.
Thank you and thanks for the tip! I’ve never tried the Thermacells but maybe we should.
This is such a great idea. I’m definitely going to try this. I have a small group of ladies that share each other’s posts on Their Saturday morning post. Would you like to join us?
On Thursdays, we send our post links to each other. Each of us do it differently. The only rule is to share the links.
Hugs to you.
Much prettier than the citronella candles that I used last weekend for our family cookout.
Thanks Kate,
Nancy
Thanks Nancy! I do like them mostly for looks but if there’s any chance they keep the bugs away I’m in.