The title is in reference to the readers, not me. Once again, I have received an awesome comment that warrants its own blog post. Many thanks to V, who wrote the following:
"A button light is pretty simple. Take a small amount of oil and pour it into the bottom of a jar or other clear, glass container. Take an old button, preferrably metal or another material that won't melt. Thread a thin piece of cotton material through the button hole so that when left on it's own, the button holds the fabric straight up. It's recommended to not pull the cotton all the way through, just enough to form a lightable wick. Leave material on the other side of the button for both weight and to soak up the oil to the flame. Drop the button carefully into the oil (it helps to pre-soak the end of the wick you intend to light with a bit of oil) and then light the wick when you need to use the lamp. You can use almost any type of oil, I traditionally use olive oil or canola in a pinch. "
I was very excited when I read this comment--thanks again, V!
I have been wondering exactly how to make a button light ever since I fairly recently reread The Long Winter, by Laura Ingalls Wilder. I don't have any metal buttons that I know of, but it looks like it's time to look for some. Interesting that just last night I was talking to someone about preparedness, and she said that the place to look for ideas was in the Little House books. There are a lot of ways to "make do" there, such as the button light, and you gotta love having more detail on exactly how to make use of such resources, such as above. Thanks for making the blog better with your comments--the more people there are that know about more options, the better off we all are...
"A button light is pretty simple. Take a small amount of oil and pour it into the bottom of a jar or other clear, glass container. Take an old button, preferrably metal or another material that won't melt. Thread a thin piece of cotton material through the button hole so that when left on it's own, the button holds the fabric straight up. It's recommended to not pull the cotton all the way through, just enough to form a lightable wick. Leave material on the other side of the button for both weight and to soak up the oil to the flame. Drop the button carefully into the oil (it helps to pre-soak the end of the wick you intend to light with a bit of oil) and then light the wick when you need to use the lamp. You can use almost any type of oil, I traditionally use olive oil or canola in a pinch. "
I was very excited when I read this comment--thanks again, V!
I have been wondering exactly how to make a button light ever since I fairly recently reread The Long Winter, by Laura Ingalls Wilder. I don't have any metal buttons that I know of, but it looks like it's time to look for some. Interesting that just last night I was talking to someone about preparedness, and she said that the place to look for ideas was in the Little House books. There are a lot of ways to "make do" there, such as the button light, and you gotta love having more detail on exactly how to make use of such resources, such as above. Thanks for making the blog better with your comments--the more people there are that know about more options, the better off we all are...
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