It's mosquito season, but I refuse to let those little buggers win the battle for the back porch. Thanks to these Pinterest-inspired homemade torches, I've been able to hold my ground!

Ready to get started?

Step 1: Enjoy a bottle of wine . . . preferably with friends . . . and preferably on the back porch. Then, every time you light your torch, you'll have a fond memory of when you popped the cork.

Step 2: Gather your other supplies.

I was able to find my Tiki torch fuel, electrical tape, brass coupling, and replacement Tiki torch wicks all at my local Home Depot. The only other supplies needed were a funnel and some gravel.

To find the brass coupling, head to the plumbing section. It's a 1/2"x3/8" reducing coupling.

Step 3: Fill your bottle with gravel. I filled mine up to about the top of the label. If you do not live on a recent construction site with a gravel pile out back, you could also use aquarium rocks. The idea here is to keep from wasting torch fuel (the wick won't reach to the bottom of the bottle anyway) and to weight the torch so that even though kept outside they will remain upright.

Step 4: Thread your wick through the coupling.

Step 5: Wrap the larger end of the coupling with the electrical tape. I actually used a friction tape that helped provide some grip. How much tape to use depends on how large an opening your bottle has (corked bottles tend to have a smaller opening than twist-topped bottles). Just wrap the coupling a time or two then test out the fit in the bottle. You want it to be snug enough that it won't fall through but loose enough that it can be easily removed to refill the fuel.

Sunny was obviously super into this whole process. :)

Step 6: Using your funnel, fill your bottle with fuel. Give it a shake once you've got it nearly full to allow the air down in your gravel to bubble out.

Step 7: Insert wick and allow to soak up the oil for at least 30 minutes.

Step 8: Light up your torch(es) and enjoy a mosquito-free evening!