DIY // Re-use Your Candle Jars

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I had a collection of burnt-out candles hibernating in my cupboards and random places around my house, taking up precious space and rendering themselves useless, literally. The wicks wouldn’t burn anymore, the jars and glass were to pretty to get rid of, and yet the wax and soot left in them made it hard to use the vessels for any other purpose.

If you’ve got a few old candles laying around as well, here’s a simple trick to get them cleaned up and useable in no time! Well, it does take a little bit of time, but mostly it’s just learning to be patient.

Gather your used candles together.
Heat up a pot or tea kettle of water.
Pour hot water into candle vessels until the water line reaches the highest line of wax on the glass.
Now, play the waiting game. Leave the candle jars alone and let the water cool, completely! Go clean the kitchen, paint your nails, go for a walk… whatever it takes. You could even pour the hot water in before you go to bed and let it sit overnight.
Once the water has completely cooled, the wax will be reformed together on top of the water. Use a spoon to scoop it out, dump the water and wash the jar. Out of all the candles I’ve cleaned out, one had quite a bit of wax on the bottom and I had to repeat the process a second time to get the remaining wax out of it.
Enjoy your fun new containers!