Orange Peel Candle

I've seen people make emergency candles out of all sorts of things including cans of crisco. This- to me- is a little more kitschy-cute and can be made out of reasonably stored and usable items.

Items Needed
sharp knife
orange
olive or canola oil

Directions
Cut the orange in half. Remove the pulp, being extra careful to preserve the white 'stem' of the middle unharmed.  Fill the peel with olive oil until just a little bit of the white part is still sticking out.

Use a lighter to start the white bit burning. It may take a few seconds if it is still moist. The orange will burn for around 30 minutes.

Quick & Dirty Mason Jar Beeswax Candles

We get a lot of hurricanes down here in South Florida, so there's always a need for candles. Once again- cue the allergy gong- I can't deal with most candles. That means I either get pure beeswax or soy. Here's a way to make them yourself in a handy windproof jar.

Ingredients:
beeswax
mason jars
candle wick (craft store)
scissors
masking tape.

Begin by heating up the wax on the stove in a pot to 140°F. You don't want the temperature to exceed 185°F. Pour a small layer into the base of a jar and place a piece of candle wick into the center of the jar. Hold this in place until the wax is dry enough to where the the wick stays in place.

Next, make an X with tape over the top of the jar, poke a hole through the top and pull the wick through. Fill up the jar with melted wax til the desired height. We filled ours 1/2 an inch from the top. After the wax is completely solid, cut the wick so that it's 1/2 inch tall from the top.