This article has been viewed , times. Learn more An oil lamp is easy to make, and you might already have all of the supplies at home. You can customize them easily using fragrant oils and fun additions, such as pine sprigs. This article will show you a few ways to make an oil lamp. It will also give you a few ideas on how to customize yours.
Then, use a needle or nail to poke a hole all the way through the center of the cork, and pull a wick through the hole. Did this summary help you? Yes No. Log in Social login does not work in incognito and private browsers.
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Method 1. Gather your supplies. This lamp is simple and easy to make. It requires few supplies, making it perfect for emergencies. Find a piece of cork. You can get a cork from a wine bottle or purchase a bag of craft corks from an arts and crafts shop. Cut the cork so that it is flat on the bottom.
Cut your cork horizontally using a craft knife. If you are using a flat, squat cork, you don't need to cut it. The cork will help keep your wick afloat. If you are using a sheet of cork, cut it into a small circle or square.
It needs to be small enough to fit inside your jar, but large enough so that it won't sink under the weight of the wick. Use a needle or a nail to poke a hole through center of cork. The hole needs to be wide enough for the wick to be able to slip through, but not so wide that the cork slides off when you hold the wick upside down.
Pull your wick through the hole in the cork. The wick should be no more than an inch 2. Trim the wick down so that it can fit inside the jar. Hold the cork so that it is about two-thirds to three-fourths of the way up the side of the jar. Trim the wick down until the end touches the bottom of the jar. If you don't have a jar, you can use a pretty glass bowl instead. Fill the jar two-thirds to three-fourths of the way with olive oil. Olive oil is great to use, because it burns clean.
It does not contain harmful chemicals, and it does not leave behind bad smells. If you want to save on oil, use one part water and one part oil. Place the cork on the oil. Try to float it as much in the center as you can. Wait 15 minutes before lighting the lamp. This will give the wick enough time to absorb the oil and make it easier to light.
Method 2. I already use a candle like this. But not because of hurricanes, there are not any in Romania, but for religious purposes. But here, the Eastern Orthodox people use it as votive candle.
Many years ago it was used for practical purposes too. It gives a very warm and mild light and it gives one a very peaceful mind and it is very good for writers and poets, it gives inspiration. If you want to write a poem and you don't find inspiration, turn off the electric light and fire an oil candle. You'll see the effect. I never used olive oil though. But I use sun seed oil instead. Cold pressed oil is better because the light stays long and it doesn't spoil fast.
I use a small floating holder for the wick. It floats at the surface of the oil and it has hole in it where is the lighted wick. I am so glad that I found this article!
I live on the Oregon coast and blackouts are routine. I will definitely be passing this on. Hi there! I was really inspired by this article to make my own oil lamp, so here's the link to some pictures! Would love to hear comments! I've been using olive oil to light our way for years.
I made my lamps using 'mason' jar glasses with handles so we can move the lights without touching anything that may be hot. I've invested in a roll of wicking material from a craft store that has lasted a long time. I put a small shelf in every room to hold the jar-lamp so it would never compete with living space for added security. I take off the ring, leaving the lid and wick in place and cover each jar with a plastic lid that can be purchased during canning season.
Regular and wide mouth are available. This is for safety during the day while my children play and for storage. We have blackouts every year or two when hurricanes roll through, and I think this will be very useful. I bet the mirror trick would work with your olive oil lamps, too. Thanks so much for posting this! Thanks to everyone for their additional comments and help. Mark D. As Daniel mentioned, I don't believe that you can burn olive oil in a regular hurricane lamp due to the wicking issues.
Using the wider hurricane lamp wicks in the canning jar just adjust the wire to fit the larger size would result in a much brighter flame.
I've looked it up, and it seems that olive oil will not burn properly in a regular lamp that is designed to use "lamp oil". The viscosity is too high, and so it will not climb the wick fast enough to maintain the flame. Instead, the wick itself will burn. Lehman's is a retailer that sells a line of lamps designed for olive oil.
I'd think that a standard oil-burning lamp could be modified to work with olive oil, perhaps by inserting an alternate fuel can that is flatter and closer to the end of the wick. I actually bought a box of floating candles years ago and never did anything with them. What a great idea!! Thank You so much!! Color me excited!! Thank you so much for this idea!! Nothing matches the beauty of candle light. But when it is time to light up my courtyard and home it can get pricey!
I love this so much!! My favorite place is an olive oil store. They have the most amazing infused olive oils, and I have a garden. This is the absolute most perfect centerpiece!
It worked perfectly!!! Add Comment. Post Comment. Love this idea! How do you get the pine cones to not float, though? These are beautiful! I absolutely love the creativity and uniqueness of the candles! Amazing work Ananda! This is truly a creative side of yours.
They look stunning beautiful, i will try it out for myself! These are stunning and look so easy to make but where can I get the wicks from thanx. Have you tried silk flowers in these?
If so how long do they last and do they bleed the color? I love all those ideas. Thank you so much for posting them. I really like those. So pretty and so easy.. Just so lovely! And magic! Thanks again. Love these. Once the wick is saturated, light the wick with a match or candle. It will start with only a small flame. The brightness of the flame will increase as the wick draws up oil into the flame.
This may take a minute or two. Trim the wick and pull a clean edge up into the top of the holder, each time you light it. A small amount of oil — about 60mls or 2 fl. To extinguish the flame, snuff with a candle snuffer or a metal lid.
How to Clean an Oil Lamp. How to make a tea light candle. Let me know how yours turns out. You can drop me a note on my Facebook page. I have some old classic oil lamps that are empty and would like to utilize them without using any toxic oils like : kerosene, paraffin, soy, pufa oils… does anyone know if tallow would work in an old oil lamp?
Coconut oil? Does anyone know how to use old classic oil lamps without using toxic oils? Or if I poured beeswax in the base?
For the classic oil lamps, you need a fuel with fumes. You can make a candle with tallow or a combination of tallow and beeswax.
One that can pull up the heavier tallow into the wick. Coconut oil has such a low melting point that it might drown your wick. Lots of great comments and questions here.
I just purchased a replica herodian olive oil lamp and the wick that came with it appears to be wax coated. Will that actually work? In general, the more refined an oil, the higher its smoke point, because refining removes impurities and free fatty acids that can cause the oil to smoke. Does regular olive oil work better than extra virgin olive oil? It could be. Since evo is the first pressing it can contain plant material which might be clogging your wick.
You have to pull more wick up and trim it. I recommend fiberglass wick. I love the idea of using olive oil as lamp oil!! Thanks for this article! Having trouble with my little clay oil lamp. The wick is saturated but the flame quickly consumes the wick only and dies. Is the wick too thin?
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