How to Make a Valentine Oil Lamp

by Jane Lake

Here's an alternative to eating your Valentine dinner by candlelight - why not make a romantic Valentine's Day oil lamp? Oil lamps have a nostalgic look and feel, casting a gentle light from an adjustable flame and, best of all, you can reuse them on other occasions.

Valentine's Day Oil Lamp
What You Need:

• glass oil lamp, preferably with a heart shaped oil reservoir
• lamp oil
• red potpourri, or dried red rose petals
• valentine charms or buttons, glass marbles or seashells

Valentine Oil Lamp - Craft Instructions:

1. Remove the glass lamp and unscrew the lamp mechanism from the glass base. Drop a few seashells, marbles, buttons or Valentine charms into the bottom of the glass base; we used small heart-shaped Valentine erasers.

2. Add red rose petals or assorted pieces of red potpourri. Most flower petals or potpourri will tend to float in the oil; this is normal.

3. Fill the reservoir with lamp oil.

4. Screw the lamp mechanism back on the base, lowering the wick into the oil.

5. Allow time for the wick to fully absorb the lamp oil. Adjust the wick height and light it, readjusting the wick height, if necessary, to obtain a small, steady flame.

6. Cover the lit flame with the glass lamp shade.

7. Place the oil lamp on a flat, non-flammable surface, well away from flammable materials.

Caution:
-- Keep the flame on an oil lamp tamped down to a safe level.
-- Always place a lit oil lamp in an area where there is no danger that it will get knocked over accidentally.
-- Never leave a lit oil lamp unattended!

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