How to Make Long Burning Emergency Candles | DIY Options That Last

For the full breakdown, see our best Emergency Candles guide.

When the power goes out, making your own long burning emergency candles from pantry staples like shortening or oil is a practical way to prepare ahead. These DIY candles are simple to assemble, cost far less than store-bought options, and can be made in minutes with items you likely have on hand. If you’d rather skip the DIY, our roundup of the best emergency candles can help you choose a tested product.

Why Make Your Own Emergency Candles?

Having a stash of long burning emergency candles means you’re never caught unprepared. Light often gets overlooked during outages until it’s needed. The biggest advantage is burn time: a standard candle lasts a few hours, but a jar of shortening or oil can burn for a day or longer. Using common household items costs very little and requires no special equipment—these are beginner-level projects that work.

How to Make a DIY Emergency Candle With Shortening

A shortening candle is popular because vegetable shortening is dense and burns slowly, giving serious burn time from a small container.

1. Get a glass jar — a mason jar or any clean, heat-safe glass container works well.
2. Place a wick — center a cotton wick or small taper candle in the jar. A wick stand or pencil laid across the top can hold it upright.
3. Pack in the shortening — soften it slightly, press firmly into the jar around the wick, leaving about an inch of headspace.
4. Light and enjoy — trim the wick to about a quarter inch above the shortening and light it.

If the wick is hard to light, letting the top of the shortening melt slightly helps. A proper candle wick is more reliable than twine or cotton string.

Can You Make an Oil Candle That Lasts for Days?

Yes—an oil candle is another effective option, and cooking oil gives a long-burning flame from a simple jar. Some homemade oil candles have been reported to burn for over 40 hours or even 100 hours depending on the oil, wick, and container size.

1. Fill a jar with oil — pour cooking oil (vegetable, canola, or olive) into a jar, leaving a couple inches of space at the top to avoid overflow.
2. Create a wick support — poke a hole in the lid, or use wire or a metal washer to hold the wick. The wick must reach into the oil while staying supported at the top.
3. Light the wick — give it a moment to soak up oil before lighting. Cotton wicks, fiberglass wicks, or a rolled strip of cotton fabric will draw the oil up and burn.

An oil candle burns very long on a small amount of oil because it burns slowly and steadily. Keep the wick trimmed short—a tall wick produces a smoky, uneven flame. A popular variant involves filling a container two-thirds full with salt, adding cooking oil, and using a fiberglass wick; the salt holds the wick in place, making this a breeze-proof design for sheltered spots.

How to Use Your Emergency Candles Safely

As useful as candles are, they are an open flame inside your home. The Utah Be Ready program and fire officials stress that candles should only be used as a last resort—flashlights or battery-powered lanterns are always safer. If you do light a candle, follow these fire-safety rules:

• Never leave a candle unattended — put it out before leaving the room or going to sleep.
• Keep candles at least 12 inches away from anything that can burn — curtains, bedding, papers, and books are obvious hazards.
• Place candles on stable, heat-resistant surfaces — a sturdy holder on an uncluttered counter is ideal. Avoid open windows and keep loose clothing and hair away from the flame.
• Keep candles out of reach of children and pets — a tipped candle starts a fire in seconds.
• Never use candles where oxygen is being used — this is a serious fire risk.
• Don’t burn a candle all the way down — extinguish it before the flame gets too close to the container’s rim.

For emergencies, use plain candles without color or perfume—they burn cleaner and avoid adding unnecessary chemicals to the air in a closed-up room with limited ventilation.