DIY: How To Make A Candle From an Orange

By Libbie Summers
Assisted by Candace Brower

It’s winter in Savannah, GA and that means beautiful citrus trees are heavy with fruit. Yellow grapefruit, oranges, lemons and limes ripening all around me. From my window as I write this, I can see two orange trees and one particular clementine tree where a militant orange tabby cat stands guard daily.

I’ve been wanting to try my hand at an orange candle for awhile. Basically, I didn’t believe the flame would burn for 5-6 hours like I had read. And I wanted to see if it had wonderful citrus scent as it burned. So I put on an orange shirt to get in the mood and made 6. I made a little video too.

How To Make a Candle From An Orange
makes 2 candles

Ingredients/stuff you’ll need:
1 orange (preferably with a thick skin)
Knife
Grapefruit spoon (0ptional/you can use your hands just fine)
Olive oil or vegetable oil
Lighter

Directions:

STEP ONE

Pick/Buy/Steal/Borrow An Orange

STEP TWO

Use the knife to cut the orange in half across the middle.

Use your fingers or a grapefruit knife to remove the flesh down to the skin, being sure to leave the middle stem like portion intact. (I was worried about it ripping out, but the worry wasn’t necessary. The “stem” is tough and won’t pull out easily.)

STEP THREE

Pouring over the stem (this is important, you need to get the stem/wick saturated with the oil to help start the flame). Fill to slightly below the top of the wick.

STEP FOUR

Let the oil filled candle sit for a few minutes before lighting with the lighter. Even then, it still takes a couple of minutes to keep the flame from extinguishing. But, once you get it lit, it will stay lit for….wait for it.

FIVE HOURS!!!!! And, as far as the scent goes. Think a homemade orange and olive oil body scrub. Just a slight citrus scent mixed with olive oil and something else you can’t quite put your finger on.
I will never throw away an orange rind again without illuminating it.