What Can I Use As An Emergency Candle?

The problem with power outages is that we don’t always know when they are coming. Even with proper warnings of an approaching storm, we can find ourselves caught off guard if the power goes out. Now that we're in the midst of icy winter storm season, if you can't find a flashlight or candle, or need an extra source of heat on those cold nights, it's worth knowing what you can do to provide some light. Many of the following may also be helpful on your camping trip.

Here are six emergency candle ideas using household items commonly found in most people's pantries, along with a video to show you how to make them. Chances are you have at least one of these, if not all of them, in your home right now. These candles rely on two simple components - the wick and the fat or wax in which the candle is held.

Remember to always keep an eye on burning candles and never leave them unattended in any room.

How to make your own lamp wicks

For homemade wicks, you can use tightly rolled newspaper, twisted toilet paper or paper towels, cardboard, twine, 100% cotton or embroidery floss, cotton balls, toothpicks, popsicle sticks, or any cotton fabric, such as strips from old clothing . Shirt or string on old cotton mop. Even tampons can work in a pinch.

If you're using cotton rope, consider braiding three ropes together to create a thicker wick. To increase the hardness, you can dip it in wax or soak it in a salt water solution and then dry it. This will also help it burn slower and cleaner. Wooden wicks do not need to be soaked in oil or wax before burning; they will burn as is.

How to Make an Emergency Candle

One emergency candle trick you may have seen before is to use oranges and a bit of cooking oil, like canola or olive oil. Slice an orange, remove the top and center pith of the peel, and pour in just a little oil to make a candle. If you use larger oranges, you'll get a candle that burns longer, but smaller tangerines burn more easily. Same goes for stripping and working, although the burn time will be shorter. The light is low, more like a tea light, but you can add more oil as you use it to extend the burning time.

Make a simple butter candle

There couldn't be a simpler candle. Cut off a rectangle of butter or half a stick of butter, insert a wick, light it, and you're done. Make sure the butter is on a glass or metal surface and should get about an hour of light per tablespoon of butter. Make a wick from a square piece of toilet paper cut into quarters; one quarter can be twisted into a small rope and then folded over to create a fishhook shape. Poke a hole in the butter and place the paper fish hook inside. Make sure the wick is about 1/4 inch above the butter.

Choose any container that won’t burn

Just choose a glass bottle or metal vessel as the candle container. Of course, this container cannot be too high, because this step will affect combustion. The fire container needs to be kept in the air with oxygen. It would be better if it can be a wide metal container, which is completely in contact with the air to ensure the burning of the flame.

You can make homemade candles at any time just in case, but one thing is very important. They must be stored in a cool place. Homemade candles have not been professionally tested after all, and high temperatures may cause them to melt completely. Don’t do anything wrong when you need it urgently.