Recycling Candle Jars

Bathroom Epsom salts storage jar.

 
Thrifty folks like me just hate to throw away those lovely candle jars when the candle is burned away to nothing but a puddle of candle wax, a little metal square and the black smoky residue on the sides. These things make nice canisters for all sorts of things like canisters for dry ingredients like Epsom salts, coffee creamer, sugar, salt, and even flour and dried beans. You can also refill the jar with wax and string and make another candle.  Here's how:
 
CANISTER:

Coffee creamer jar ready for label.

My Sweet Baboo wanted something decorative to go with her driftwood and rock collection on the bathroom cabinet. We had a small candle that was burned down all the way. Here's how we did the glass container shown in the photo above.

Materials:

• Burned out glass candle jar and lid
• Boiling water
• Bottle brush
• Microwave
• WD-40
• Decorative stickers
• Label

Direction:

1. Heat the candle jar in the microwave until the candle wax is liquified.
2. Pour off the wax. Pour boiling water in the candle jar while the jar is still very warm from the microwave. Add a little dish soap.
3. Scrub the inside of the jar with the bottle brush.
4. If there is any wax residue left inside the jar, spray the inside of the jar with WD-40. Wipe it out with a rag or paper towel and the wash again with a brush, soap and water.
5. Repeat until the jar is clean.
6. Our bathroom decorative scheme is nautical. Sheila planned to put Epsom Salts in the jar, so I made a clear label on my computer that had a border and put "Sea Salt" on the label.
7. Next we put shells and starfish stickers strategically on the outside of the jar as shown.
8. Position attractively in your bathroom or kitchen or whatever spot you have in mind for your new sealed container.

NEW CANDLE:

Materials:

• Old candle jar
• Candle string
• Small washer
• Candle wax or paraffin
• Scented oil 
• Pencil
• Old pan

Directions:

1. Melt the old wax and remove the stub of string and metal weight.
2. Clean out the jar as shown above. 
3. Melt the wax slowly in the pan on the stove. Stop when it liquifies. Don't boil.
4. Add scented oil till it smells as strong as you like and stir it in.
5. Tie one end of the candle string to the small washer. Cut the string so it is a few inches longer than you need to reach the top.
6. With the washer on the bottom of jar, lay the pencil on top of the open jar across the center and tie the string to the center of the pencil to hold the string vertical.
7. Gently pour the hot wax into the jar and fill to a half inch or so from the top of the jar. 
8. Allow to sit and cool and when hardened, trim the the string level with the top of the jar. 
9. Your new candle is ready to go. 

Uses:
 
The nice thing about old candle jars is that they have a seal so that the jars can be made relatively airtight.  They're handy for a lot of things and you get that lovely smell when you burn the candle the first time before you reuse the jar.

REFERENCES:

Swan Creek Candle Company - (wax, scent and supplies)

Alternate Jar Cleaning Method (Youtube)

Three More Ways To Clean Candle Jars


© 2017 by Tom King