Build: Clementine Candle

Yesterday I was browsing through instructables (heaven!) and came across this little beauty of an idea.

It seems that all one needs to create a beautiful and fragrant oil lamp is a knife, a tangerine (clementine), and a small quantity of olive oil (or other type of combustible.)

Here's how you do it:

1.) Get all necessary parts.
2.) Make a nice lateral slice (like a belt) around the tangerine.


3.) Carefully peel, taking care not to tear or rip the peel. It is important to leave that little bit of white stringy stuff at the bottom as it will serve as your wick.


Should look like this.


4.) Fill the "bottom" with olive oil. Can also use lamp oil, vegetable oil, mineral oil, whale oil, mink oil, ferret oil, or banana oil. (I made a few of those up. Any oil will work. Try crude if you can get it. Jokes!)


5.) Trim the "wick" down so it's approximately 1/8th to 1/4 inch above the oil.

6.) Light, put the "hat" on and enjoy!

7.) Most IMPORTANT: Don't leave this deceptively benign candle burning unattended, as the moment you do, it will explode, covering everything nearby with hot, burning oil. Jokes and jokes! Seriously, don't leave it burning and go to the deli for custard. It will burn your situation down and you will cry. And then we will cry when we find out what has happened.

These pictures all come from instructable user bluesky, who got the idea from apartment therapy.com