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Clementine Candles Light Up My Life

Posted byLaura

on December 17, 2011

Laura's Team Pick:

I learned this trick last year at the end of clementine season and didn't get to try it myself. This week, my mum came home with a giant bag of clementines and so I grabbed a knife and some olive oil and got to making a candle.

I was slightly clumsy on my first attempt and spilled oil all over the table, so I found a video of a guy making one so that you can see how to do it. As an added hilarious bonus, he keeps whispering at weird moments and talking about how "gently" you have to do everything. It's kind of like watching a slightly out-of-practice yoga teacher handle some kind of baby animal. Which is really what the holidays are all about. You should try it!

24 responses to “Clementine Candles Light Up My Life”

lia (member)
December 17, 2011 at 1:39 pm Permalink Reply Report user

yay, it’s working.

this comes on my list of ‘things which are fun to do when you are actually suppose to do less fun things’.

also my roommate probs hates you coz I forced her to eat 6 clementines by now

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1. lia (member)
  December 17, 2011 at 2:16 pm Permalink Reply Report user
  
  also if you are like me and messed up the part about the ‘centre pip sticking from the bottom’ a few times …
  take the ‘wick-part’ from a small candle/tealight…works fine:)
  
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  1. Laura (member)
    December 17, 2011 at 9:08 pm Permalink Reply
    
    yes! i messed up the wick part too so i peeled some white part off the fruit and used it as a wick. it involved a little finess to get it to stand up but it burned for half an hour!
    
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Jessie (member)
December 17, 2011 at 1:54 pm Permalink Reply Report user

This is awesome! I have to try it, i’m obsessed with citrus scented things…so if anything at least i’ll get a lot of vitamin C out of it?

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Lindsay
December 17, 2011 at 2:20 pm Permalink Reply

Cool, but seems a bit dangerous.

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1. Alli (member)
  December 17, 2011 at 3:46 pm Permalink Reply Report user
  
  I just tried it and blew it out bc I set the top on fire (slightly) oops
  
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2. Lana (member)
  December 17, 2011 at 7:16 pm Permalink Reply Report user
  
  Yeah this seems like the funnest way to burn down my apt haha.
  
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3. Laura (member)
  December 17, 2011 at 9:08 pm Permalink Reply
  
  if you’re not living on the edge you’re taking up too much space.
  
  jk i had a giant bowl of water on hand in case of emergency.
  
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  1. MommyTime
    December 18, 2011 at 10:58 am Permalink Reply
    
    Noooo! do not use water to put out an oil fire. The oil will spread like a slick on top of the water and disperse the fire further. Always put out an oil flour with baking soda. (Do NOT substitute flour, which also burns fast.)
    
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    1. Emma (member)
      December 18, 2011 at 1:28 pm Permalink Reply Report user
      
      hahahaha your username…
      
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    2. Laura (member)
      December 18, 2011 at 8:04 pm Permalink Reply
      
      ohmygosh you’re so right. have you ever seen the mythbuster about grease fires? terrifying!
      
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taylortot
December 17, 2011 at 3:34 pm Permalink Reply

I tried this and it worked! I got a little snack out of it too. : )

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1. tct
  December 17, 2011 at 4:06 pm Permalink Reply
  
  i think apartment decor + snack is a really good business model actually
  
  it certainly worked for ikea
  
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  1. Dee (member)
    December 17, 2011 at 4:24 pm Permalink Reply Report user
    
    Excellent point. Suddenly I want to eat Swedish fish gummies out of a chic glass dish.
    
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ennn (member)
December 17, 2011 at 7:13 pm Permalink Reply Report user

i just made three of these. i stopped making dinner to make these candles.

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SC
December 17, 2011 at 8:26 pm Permalink Reply

i made these! and people were impressed! i credited you, of course

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Liz W
December 18, 2011 at 12:18 am Permalink Reply

This video feels like a hipster DIY version of “The Joy of Painting.” But with less happy trees and more gentle handling of clementines, obviously.

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1. Liz W
  December 18, 2011 at 12:38 am Permalink Reply
  
  Okay, I had to try it. To those worried about fire safety–they totally float! http://i.imgur.com/2Zgqc.jpg
  
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  1. Cara (member)
    December 18, 2011 at 12:55 pm Permalink Reply Report user
    
    That’s what I was thinking! Floating candles=extra pretty and much less flammable=total win, especially when they’re clementine candles.
    
    …because I’m neurotic I’ll probably have some baking soda on hand as well, but that’s just me. =P
    
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  2. idotry (member)
    December 18, 2011 at 5:19 pm Permalink Reply Report user
    
    Oh my goodness! This is awesome. I am definitely floating mine once I make them.
    
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Maria
December 18, 2011 at 3:45 am Permalink Reply

A bit tricky but the final result is quite nice

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Emily (member)
December 18, 2011 at 1:48 pm Permalink Reply Report user

If anyone needs help with the Eating Clementines part of this project please drop me a line. I will eat all of the clementines.

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Nys (member)
December 18, 2011 at 5:11 pm Permalink Reply Report user

SO apparently a clementine is a type of mandarin. This is what I learned from this project, which I can’t attempt cos I have a contact allergy to citrus.

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Kait (member)
December 19, 2011 at 11:23 pm Permalink Reply Report user

MIND. BLOWN.

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