DIY Tabletop S’mores Maker

The crisp cool air of Autumn makes the perfect setting for some outdoor #MiniFamilyTime.  Create this DIY tabletop s’mores maker using upcycled Coca-Cola® Mini glass bottles and use it to enjoy the great outdoors with your family this Fall. If you like this post you may also like this Coke® Can Succulent Planter project.  In Kentucky the summers are hot and humid.  If you’re outside it’s usually in a pool, on a boat, or running through a sprinkler because it’s honestly too hot to do anything else outdoors.  Okay, maybe I’m a bit of a wimp… you can go outside it’s not THAT bad, but it’s definitely not the best time to be spending great stretches of your day outside. My favorite time of the year BY FAR in Kentucky is the Fall.  The hot humid days of summer give way to the crisp cool evenings of Fall.  The humidity drops as do the temperatures.   Rainfall is present but not overwhelming and it’s still warm enough outside to enjoy an evening out on the deck.   As my family grows and kids begin to leave for college, having time together just as a family becomes a bigger deal to me.  My youngest just started high school and I can now count on one hand how many years we still have all living under the same roof. While my days when my kids were younger were spent arranging play dates and visiting friends, I find myself spending the teenage years with my kids “circling the wagons” and coming together more as a family. We have a tradition in our family it’s called “Sundaes on Sunday”…It started because my son thought that you could only eat Sundaes on Sunday. He was only 5 at the time and used to ask for his Sundae after dinner on Sunday on a regular basis. We usually got a good giggle out of it. Over the years the desserts have expanded to include more than just Sundaes and we always try to have some sort of treat on Sunday after dinner. With fall on its way and the outdoors beckoning I thought it would be fun to create a table top s’mores cooker. Something small and portable but great for roasting marshmallows on. I am so happy with how it turned out!!  Today I’m going to share with you how you can make your own tabletop s’mores roaster, but first we have to talk about a few things. This project involves fire (duh)… Do not do this if you don’t think your kids are old enough to be safe around said fire.  Also make sure you read ALL OF the directions and cautions on the box of torch oil and torch wicks before you begin.  Be smart about it and be safe about how and when you use it. Also make sure that your pipe fittings are secure in the tops of the Coke® bottles, if they are loose it won’t “seal” up enough and can create a hazard. Don’t over fill the bottles and don’t place the lit bottles in a spot that they can easily be knocked over. Like I said be smart. Okay, to make the s’mores roaster you’re going to need: 6 Coca-Cola® Mini 8oz glass bottles with case 6 tiki torch replacement wicks Tiki Torch oil – don’t buy the bug repellant variety, it’s full of chemicals you don’t want around your food. Buy all natural torch oil. Copper Pipe fittings: 1/2″ tube caps, 6 3/8″ couplings with stop, 6  1/2″ x 3/8″ coupling-reducing pieces, 6 Step one: Fill a glass with ice Step two: Remove the bottle cap and pour the Coca-Cola® over the ice. Step three: Drink. Yep, pretty hard. This step of the project is a great one to have your teens help you with, the 8oz mini size is just the right serving size for them. After you’ve finished wash out the bottle and let them DRY COMPLETELY. Next, take one of your replacement wicks and cut it about 1″ taller than the bottle. Wear gloves for this step as the wicks are made from fiberglass. Feed one of the reducing pipe fittings over the wick with the larger end of the fitting facing up. Feed the 3/8″ coupling onto the top of the wick. Slide the two pieces into each other. Make sure it’s snug. The wick will expand when filled with oil and the pipe fittings help “pinch” off the wick allowing only a specific amount to burn at a time. Test fit it into a bottle. Next, use a funnel to pour the tiki torch oil into the bottle. I only filled mine about 1/2 way. Re-insert the wick, press down to make sure it’s secure.  Give the wick a few minutes to draw up the oil then light. Since the bottles individually seemed like a bit of hazard to me (I didn’t want anyone to knock one over on accident) I placed them back into the cardboard box they came in. I simply cut off the top of the box so the cardboard was out-of-the-way of the flames. Now you’re ready to roast your marshmallows.  We found that it worked best after the flame had burned down a bit (kinda like a campfire) and the marshmallows toasted best when not directly in the flame.   My son likes his marshmallows crispy and just put his right in the flame… boys… After you’ve made yourself enough s’mores you can leave the torches lit for a little bit of extra ambience in the evening or you can use the 1/2″ pipe caps to put the flames out. I used a pair of tongs to put the caps on the top, watch out it will all be hot!   I love how portable the cooker is and I love that I don’t have to light a bonfire in the backyard to cook s’mores. Now that I’ve told you how I create #MiniFamilyTime, tell me, what special traditions do you have in your family?  I’m always on the look out for new ideas!