FAMILY

DIY Pumpkin Candles

Written by Bryce

This will be your coolest crafts project of the year.

Hooray! It’s pumpkin season, and that means it’s time to make all sorts of fun candles from household objects. I’m no Martha Stewart- this one is easy enough to do with friends, kids, or probably even your dog:)

Step one: gather your materials. You’ll need a small pumpkin, wood matches, thread, and cooking oil (corn oil is pretty cheap and works nicely). Make sure you hollow your pumpkin out!

Step two: wrap thread around your match till it’s covered (kind of like one of those little dolls from Mexico). The thread will act as additional fuel to keep the candle slow-burning. By the way, my nailpolish is “Just a Little Dangerous” by OPI for Sephora… the name is so appropriate for my crafting hobbies.

Step three: secure your thread-covered match in the base of the hollowed out pumpkin. Just kind of squish it in there, and then pour your vegetable oil over the top (slowly) so you leave about 1/3 of an inch of match exposed.

Step four: light your little pumpkiny ball of joy, but be careful (don’t let the kiddies do this part, please)!

Step five: Watch out, this little sucker will burn intensely for about 2-3 seconds before simmering down to a slow, gentle burn. Enjoy, you’re now a master of household arts!

photos by Ariana Eskenazi

About the author

Bryce

Bryce Gruber is a New York mom to five growing kids, wife to one great husband and professional shopping editor. You've seen her work in Reader's Digest, Taste of Home, Family Handyman, MSN, Today's Parent, Fashion Magazine, Chatelaine, NBC and so many other beloved brands.