Cold Weather DIY Heat and Light Sources

Cold Weather DIY Heat and Light Sources

Dual function is something you’ll want to consider as part of your emergency preparation plan. While many people are fully prepared in the event of a cold weather situation and they need heat and light, it can be easy to get caught off-guard.

You might be in a situation where you need heat and light but you don’t have the supplies and you can’t get out to get them. If that’s the case, there are still ways that you can use what you have at home to get through the event until life returns to normal.

If you try to burn your flashlight at night in order to have light in your home, there’s the risk that the batteries might not last as long as you need them to if you don’t have solar power or rechargeable batteries.

You can turn to your pantry to find a solution. One way to have both a heat and a light source is by using your container of Crisco. You can use the shortening to quickly make a candle.

You can place a candle wick in the center of the Crisco if you have one in your supply closet. If you don’t, you can still make this type of candle without a wick. You can use something like twine or string as the wick.

You can also use a small piece of tightly rolled paper towel or even a toothpick as a wick. Once you light it, the wick will burn the Crisco for days on end, giving you both light and heat.

Another option that you can use is something that you probably already have plenty of in your home. You can use Crayola crayons to make candles that will give off both heat and light.

What you have to keep in mind when using these is that when used individually, the crayons tend to burn out within about 15 minutes. But if you mix them with regular wax, it extends the burning life.

You can heat the bottom of the crayon with a flame and the hot wax on the bottom can then be used to stick the crayon in an upright position. Hold a flame over the top of the crayon until it lights, and it’ll burn steadily once it’s lit.

Terra cotta planter heaters - also known as flower pot heaters - are another option to give you both a heat and a light source. You’ll need something like tea light candles. These are inexpensive to purchase.

You can usually find a 100 of them by the bag for less than $5. Place these tea lights on a clay planter base. Secure the planter upside down over the tea lights. Don’t fully cover the lights with the planter.

You want it on a raised platform so you can see the candles. You can create this raised platform by using rocks, bricks or something else that won’t burn. This creates a heater effect.

While it won’t make the room you use it in comfortable enough to wear short sleeves in the cold, it’ll keep the worst of the cold temperature at bay. If the power grid ever goes down and leaves you freezing, you’ll be happy to have a few methods to warm yourself and your food and drinks up.