How to Make Citronella Candles

Learn how to create natural soy wax citronella candles that help repel mosquitoes and add cozy ambiance outdoors.

There’s nothing better than spending a warm evening on the porch—until the mosquitoes arrive. Thankfully, learning how to make citronella candles is an easy weekend project that can help make your outdoor space more enjoyable while adding a cozy glow to your patio.

These DIY citronella candles are made with natural soy wax and citronella essential oil, making them simple to customize with your favorite containers and scents. They also make thoughtful handmade gifts for gardeners, campers and anyone who loves spending time outside. Whether you’re new to candle making or looking for a fun seasonal project, this step-by-step tutorial will show you exactly how to make homemade citronella candles from scratch.

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What Are Citronella Candles?

Citronella candles are outdoor candles scented with citronella essential oil, which comes from a variety of lemongrass. When burned outdoors, the fragrance helps mask scents that attract mosquitoes, making your outdoor seating area more comfortable. While citronella candles won’t eliminate mosquitoes completely, they’re most effective when used close to where you’re sitting and alongside other mosquito prevention methods.

Why You’ll Love This DIY Citronella Candle Recipe

• Beginner-friendly project
• Uses natural soy wax
• Great for patios, porches and camping
• Reusable jars make this an eco-friendly craft
• Beautiful handmade gift idea
• Customizable with essential oils and colors
• Better control of ingredients for a lower tox candle

FAQs

Do citronella candles really work?

Citronella candles can help reduce mosquito activity in the immediate area around the candle, especially when there’s little wind. They’re most effective when several candles are placed around a seating area and used with other mosquito-control measures.

What is the best wax for citronella candles?

Soy wax is one of the most popular choices because it burns cleanly, holds fragrance well, and is easy for beginners to work with. That being said, you can utilize other types of waxes that are available to you. One option is buying an unscented candle or candles, melting them down and adding the wax. That gives you the wax and vessel and all you need to add is the citronella oil!

Can I use beeswax?

You can absolutely use beeswax to create homemade citronella candles. Beeswax creates a longer-burning candle, however, the fragrance may not disperse quite as strongly as with soy wax.

How long do homemade citronella candles last?

An 8-ounce soy candle typically burns for 35–45 hours, depending on wick size and burn conditions.

Can I use fresh citronella plants instead?

Citronella plants, also known as mosquito plants, have a much milder scent than the concentrated essential oil. For candle making, citronella essential oil is the preferred option because it provides the characteristic scent used in conventional outdoor candles.

How do I determine the amount of wax and oil I need to make a citronella candle?

You’ll first need to determine the size of the vessel you’re using for the candle. In this post, we are using an 8 ounce mason jar. Then you’ll need to calculate how much wax and fragrance oil will need to be used. I like to use a simple calculator like this one to help with all the calculations. For one 8 ounce candle, you’ll need 6.49 ounces of soy wax pellets and 0.39 ounces of fragrance oil. This ratio of wax to oil will give a nice scent throw. You can add more oil if needed, but check with the wax manufacturer to determine the max amount of oil the wax can hold.

I highly recommend using a kitchen scale to accurately measure the wax and oil for each candle to get the best result. Also, if you’re making more than one candle, you can plug that into the calculator as well.

Tips for the Best Homemade Citronella Candles

• Use soy wax for a cleaner burn.
• Always measure fragrance by weight for consistent results.
• Don’t overheat your wax, as excessive heat can reduce fragrance performance.
• Keep wicks centered to prevent uneven burning.
• Store finished candles in a cool, dry place until ready to use.

Want to customize your candles?

Try blending citronella with:

• Lemongrass
• Lavender
• Peppermint
• Cedarwood
• Rosemary
• Lemon eucalyptus

These scents pair beautifully with citronella while creating a fresh outdoor fragrance.

Safety Tips

• Burn only outdoors or in well-ventilated spaces.
• Never leave a candle unattended.
• Keep candles away from children and pets.
• Place candles on a heat-safe surface.
• Extinguish before leaving the area.

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How to Make Citronella Candles

Tools You May Need

• Large heat-safe jar
• Wooden spoon or silicone spatula
• Pencils
• Hot glue gun
• (1) 8 ounce mason jar or heat proof candle vessel
• Kitchen scale

Materials

• 6.49 oz soy wax pellets
• 0.39 oz citronella essential oil
• Wick stickers or hot glue
• Cotton candle wicks

Directions

Determine how many candles you’ll be making and what size they’ll be. Calculate how much wax and fragrance oil you’ll need using a calculator like this. For this example, we are making a candle in an 8 ounce container, which means we will need 6.49 oz of soy wax pellets and 0.39 oz of citronella essential oil.

Clean and dry your jars thoroughly, then attach a wick securely to the bottom of the jar or vessel using a wick sticker or a small amount of hot glue.

Wind a pencil, or other cylindrical object, around the wick and lay the pencil across the top of the jar to keep the wick centered.

Add soy wax pellets to a heat proof jar and microwave the wax in 30-60 second increments until it’s fully melted. You can also use a double boiler to achieve the same result.

Carefully remove the jar from the microwave and allow the wax to cool slightly before stirring in the citronella essential oil.

Mix the oil in thoroughly, then slowly pour the wax into your prepared jar(s), leaving about 1/2 inch of head space at the top.

Double check that the wick is centered, then allow the candles to cool completely.

Once the wax is fully hardened, trim each wick to about ¼ inch. For the best scent throw, let the candles cure for 24–48 hours before burning. Some soy waxes benefit from an even longer cure time, depending on the manufacturer’s recommendations.

NOTES

• I find melting this specific wax in the microwave to be the easiest, but to be more precise, you can heat the wax in a double boiler until the wax reaches about 180°F. It’s best to check the wax manufacturer’s instructions though.
• It’s recommended to use 0.39 oz of essential oil per 6.49 oz of wax for a 6-8% fragrance load. Check the wax manufacturer to see what the max load is for the particular wax you use.
• It’s important to use a heat proof vessel for candle making. Ceramic is typically not a good fit as it can break easily, as is certain types of glass.
• Add other essential oils to create a custom citronella candle.

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• DIY Clay Garden Markers
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• Reusable Linen Bread Bag

Happy candle making!