We are continuing with our Be Prepared series, and today’s topic is lighting, more specifically: making your own lighting sources in an emergency!
This is a fun one! Not only can these help in an emergency, but these would be fun projects and experiments to try! Kids would love many of them!
What are we going to share today? The unique, odd and DIY ideas that actually work in making your own lighting options!
Last time, we shared affordable emergency lighting options. But for those of you that are DIY, want to try a project or looking to be as frugal as possible, consider making your own light sources to even start using now, so that they are ready and available easily in an emergency!
First, up….. Soda Bottle Solar Light
Did you know that you can make a light source that is equivalent to a 55-watt lightbulb with just water and a 2-liter soda bottle? Yes, you can and it is really quite cool, would make for an excellent project for kids and be a ton of fun too! I can think of so many ways to utilize this idea, but this is a very practical one, in fact one that is used in underprivileged communities across the globe!
This video is an introduction to it and how it changed a community. Imagine what a help it could be in an emergency!
Then you can head to this link HERE on WikiHow and find 3 easy ways to make your own!
Vaseline Candle
Next, you can make an emergency candle out of a piece of foil and blob of vaseline.
This YouTube video shows how!
Woodshavings Candle
The Prepardeness Mama shows you how to make a long lasting emergency candle with wood shavings and household wax.
Crisco Candle or 100-hour Candle from Crisco
You can make your own candles from an can of Crisco by sticking a wick rope in the middle of the can or even make a 100-hour candle from Crisco and glass jars with the tutorial from this video:
Crayon Candle
You can also burn crayons and each crayon will burn for 15-30 minutes! With a box of 24, you have at least got a night time’s worth!
Butter Candle
Finally, another idea out there is that you can burn a stick of butter. This link on the Instructables site HERE shows you how to make a 4-hour burning candle from butter.
Now although this idea is cool and a fun bit of information to have….. PLEASE find something else to burn in place of a stick of butter for 4 hours. Do you know how much more valuable the calories are from eating the butter in an emergency instead of burning it for light? You NEED those calories in an emergency. But it is a cool experiment during non-emergencies!
What DIY lighting ideas do you have?
Photo Credits:shtfpreparedness.com, instructables.com, chemistry.about.com, , archiresource.com, willowhavenoutdoor.com
See the full Be Prepared Series, Articles and Topics for many tips and ideas in all areas of life!
Adam
Hi! Thank you for these ideas. I think everyone understands that emergencies often arise due to improper operation. Perhaps right now your electrical panel needs to be updated, because this can lead to sad consequences. I advise you to read the article about panel upgrade to clearly understand what you should pay attention to
Elisa
It’s funny how it worked for you. But I would rather install a backup generator, and various smart home solutions that would deal with lighting. For example, this relay as a switch can help you better control your lighting around the house, even from your smartphone.