An oil lamp, or oil candle, is one of the oldest form of light source to mankind. According to Wikipedia, there are stone oil lamps dated back 10,000 to 15,000 years ago! Today, we will talk about how oil lamps work, which kind of oil and wick to use, and how to make an easy and beautiful mason jar oil lamp in just minutes!
HOW DO OIL LAMPS WORK?
The earliest oil lamps use vegetable oil as fuel, and later versions of oil lamps burn kerosene or lamp oil drawn up through a wick by capillary action. We will be making the vegetable oil version here.
MATERIALS FOR OUR DIY OIL LAMP:
- Large floating wicks: These floating wicks work beautifully for all vegetable oils and each wick lasts through many uses!
- vegetable oil: 1 tablespoon of oil can last 2 hours. Olive oil, sunflower oil, canola oil and many others all work well.
- mason jars, glass bottles, water, and some decorative elements such as flowers, pine cones, pebbles, etc.
- You can infuse your oil with herbs, spices or essential oils for a lovely fragrance!
STEP 1: GATHER SOME GLASS BOTTLES AND JARS, FILL WITH FLOWERS OR OTHER TREASURES. COVER WITH WATER.
STEP 2: POUR SOME VEGETABLE OIL ON TOP, TILL THE OIL FORM A LAYER OF ABOUT 1/4″ THICK.
The large floating wicks come with discs and small waxed wicks. Insert a piece of the waxed wicks half way through the center hole on the disc, and put it on top of the oil layer.
Now light your oil candle and enjoy the beautiful glow!