How to Make Clementine Candles + Potpourri!

I LOVE me some clementines during the cold season! And it always seemed like a waste to throw away those sweet-smelling rinds. Then, on a recent flight, I found a fun blurb in a magazine about turning clementines into candles! I also did further research on blogs such as this one. Thank you for the guidance!

You only need clementines, olive oil, matches, and a knife.

Here's the trick:

Cut a clementine in half (a paring knife is recommended. I just used a steak knife).  Pull the flesh away from the rind carefully to keep the center "wick" intact.

Ta-DAH!

Fill up the base of clementine with olive oil.  I didn't fill it up completely.  This much worked fine.  The candle has been burning for nearly an hour, and it's still going strong.

While you're allowing the clementine to soak up the oil a bit, you can start working on the candle cover.

Cut out a hole on top.  I did a star shape.  I am obsessed with stars. You can do whatever works for you. A big circle like a jack-o'-lantern top works well if you want to avoid the top getting burned from the flame (which I learned later.)

My lopsided star "ventilation" hole

Lighting the wick took a couple of attempts. Six, to be exact. Apparently, this is expected.  So don't give up on the wick!





Here is the candle without its top. I actually think the topless option is great. You get double the candles that way- top and bottom halves of the clementines.


But the top is pretty darn cute!



In the dark (warning: the flame will burn the area around the star if you choose to make a tiny opening)

I hear these burn for many hours. You can just add more olive oil! You can also reuse the candles until they start drying up and losing their shape.


If you don't feel like going through all the work of the clementine candles, you can simply throw all the peels in a pot and bring to a low simmer.  Just add enough water to cover the peels.  You can also include cinnamon, cloves, or any other spice you want to smell in the air. I chose cinnamon and pumpkin pie spice. SUPER easy! Just don't let the water completely dry up.


ENJOY!