Make It Yourself Monday---Easiest Emergency Candles from Stuff Around the House

Want a candle that is easy to make, as creative as you want it to be, 

and will last you up to 100+ hours in an emergency?

Well then, this post is for you. :)

AS Fall has blown into the Minnesota prairies with a chill, and a shiver,
 I have been quickly reminded of the fact that winter,
with its famed Prairie blizzards,
is right around the corner.

We heat with wood, so I am not concerned about losing electricity so much, but when I saw this and posted this link on my Facebook Page, I knew these would be really handy to have around in an emergency. Better yet, they could be made with stuff I already had around the house.

After all, in the Laura Ingalls Wilder series, I am reminded of when Ma made a "button lamp" out of a tin of axle grease, a button, and a square of calico. While searching for the quote for this post, I came across a fun blog that actually made a button lamp just as Ma said. You can check out Craft Fiction's eye-opening post right here:

Button Lamp and picture from Craft Fiction Blog

Turns out that CRISCO, the ever present vegetable shortening that is often used in baking and cooking, is also an amazing candle alternative, just as are some other oils. In fact, it was originally marketed as a lubricant and candle base, then got substituted for a food product after cheaper, easier alternatives became available.

Kinda scary that we eat it, right?

We have been slowly transitioning away from this in baking and cooking for some time now, and I was thankful to find a way to use it up since we bought four huge containers of it at Sam's club a while ago.

Turns out it is easy, fun, and the candles can burn for up to 100 or more hours if you use a Quart jar. In a true emergency if you dont have these made up, you can actually stick a string into the middle of a container of shortening, and have a candle that way too. But as I have said before, why not make it pretty if you can? :)

So here is how easy these are to make.

Take a couple of canning jars, 

or even leftover jars from spaghetti sauce or salsa or whatever, 

that you have purchased at the store.

Take a clean pan...

Fill with as much shortening as you want to use...

Melt shortening until liquid on LOW 

(otherwise it will smoke and make one heck of a mess.)

How do I know this??? 

Dont. Ask. 

Seriously....

Add anything you want, such as scent, color, etc. 

Or go all natural if you want.

Pour melted Crisco into jars.

Insert Candle wicks.

These are easily purchased online, at Walmart, or any craft store.

Admire your handiwork.

Do it again.

Make sure to cover these and set these aside for when you need them. 

Obviously, uncovered, they will collect dust, and while this is not a biggie, 

it can be gross.

I figure that the half pints will last about 25 hours, 

the pints about 50 hours,

and the Quarts will last over 100 hours. 

Frankly, it is good to know I have these on hand in case I run out of lamp oil, or am stuck in the car, on the side of the road here in Minnesota's crazy winters, waiting for the plow truck to find me.

IN an emergency these can be the thing that keeps you alive in a cold, stalled car buried in ice and snow. 
Just make sure you have ventilation when using. 
Wrap yourself in a blanket, and huddle around the candle. 
It will heat the air around you,
 and warn you if you are getting low on oxygen 
as the flame will get lower, and begin to show a blueish hue.

And now, the "being safety conscious speech" is finished, and you may all file out row by row.

Many Blessings to you and yours,

Heather

 

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