BlogBug-Repelling Jars for Earth Day

Bug-Repelling Jars for Earth Day

By Sarah Ramberg

There are a lot of ways to honor and celebrate Earth Day. Whether you enjoy turning off extra lights, picking up litter from parks and roadways, or secondhand shopping at one of our Charlotte Region ReStores, celebrating Earth Day is easier than ever. Including this upcycling project using items from a ReStore and all-natural, non-toxic ingredients.
Today, we’re going to make some bug-repelling jars and lanterns to use on your porch and patio as the weather warms up. Not only is this a great Earth Day activity right now, but it’s something you can continue to use throughout our hot Charlotte summers.

What You’ll Need
  • Glass jars (like mason jars) from the Charlotte Region ReStores
  • Citrus fruits like lemons and limes
  • Fresh-cut herbs, such as rosemary and basil
  • Water
  • Floating Candles
  • Essential oils (optional)
How to Make Bug-Repelling Jars
  1. First, head to any of our ReStores and shop for glass mason jars in our housewares department. Depending on the shape, other glassware (such as wide vases or candle holders) may also work.
  2. You’ll also need some fresh produce , such as citrus fruit (lemons, limes) and fresh herbs. Rosemary, basil, mint, and thyme are all excellent for this project- and are readily available at grocery stores and local farmer’s markets.
  3. Assemble all of your ingredients. Carefully slice your lemons and limes any way you like, so long as they fit in your jars. Similarly, snip off sections of herbs that will also fit in your jars.
  4. Layer the herbs and fruit slices in the bottom of your jars- use plenty of each for in order to provide plenty of the all-natural bug-repelling fragrance.
  5. Fill the jars with water, leaving approximately one inch open at the top. Add several drops of essential oils if you’d like. (Oils such as citronella, eucalyptus, and tea tree are great options.) Gently stir the oil drops into the jars and top with a small floating candle, making sure the wick doesn’t touch anything in the jar or the jar itself.
  6. Light your candles and enjoy an evening outdoors, now with fewer pests!

Enjoy Your Anti-Bug Jars All Summer Long!

These jars are a great way to use non-toxic ingredients in an enjoyable and functional way. I recommend looking for wider-mouth jars than the ones I used in order to allow more fragrance to be released. Wide-mouth jars also allow you to use larger, longer-lasting floating candles. You can also purchase citronella-infused floating candles for even greater bug-repelling potency. And please take care when you light your candles and never leave them unattended.
It’s also easy to refresh your jars throughout the season by swapping out the herbs and citrus after a few uses. This way, the bug-repelling scents stay strong and powerful all season long.
Happy Earth Day from the Charlotte Region ReStores!