Upcycling 101: How To Get Wax Out of Candle Jars

1. Look for a large bowl, and put it in the sink. 
2. Place the glass candle jar inside the bowl, and pour hot water into it. Be careful not to put water inside the candle jar. 
3. Leave it for a couple of minutes until the candle wax softens.
4. Use a butter knife to loosen the wax.
5. Take out the jar from the bowl and pop out the wax.
6. Clean and wash with dish soap and water.

Leftover Candle Wax: Reuse or Discard?

Now, what about the leftover candle wax? Should you just throw it away? You may, but it would be a waste to discard it as it can still be reused. Some candles still smell fragrant even after three wax melts, so why not try and make a homemade wax melt out of it? It’s easy as you only need to melt the wax using the double boiler method, store the melted wax in an ice cube mold, and freeze it until it hardens. You can even add some essential oils to make the wax melts more fragrant! The last step is to put them in small linen pouches to turn them into fragrance pouches for closets and drawers.

You can also use leftover candle wax to create wax fire starters! This would be useful during outdoor camping activities. All you need is an empty egg carton, dryer lint, and old candle wax. Consider also adding a few cinnamon sticks as their scent could help ward off mosquitos while camping outside.

Why Upcycling Candle Jars is Important

Throwing away your old, almost empty candle jars is the easier option, but this can potentially destroy the environment. Keep in mind that modern glass jars do not decompose or break down fast, unlike paper and other wood products. Glass is even worse than plastics as the latter biodegrades for just half a millennium. Meanwhile, a single glass jar takes millions of years before it naturally decomposes.

Recycling glass could be an option, but many recycling facilities do not accept candle jars that are not clean, so they will still end up in landfills. Although landfills are convenient, they are a large contributor to greenhouse gases because of methane gas, carbon dioxide, and other toxic gasses they release.

Therefore, it is worth the effort to take the time to clean and upcycle your old candle jars. Doing this will not just help the environment, but it may benefit you as well. You can use the glass candle jars for personal, creative projects. This could be a great activity for you to kill time and be productive at home.

Ways to Upcycle Your Empty Candle Jars

After knowing the importance of reusing old glass candle jars, you are probably wondering right now what to do with them. Here’s an idea: decorate and turn them into ornamental accent pieces to display at home. You can also use them as functional mini vessels to hold different kinds of stuff.

Here are many other ways to upcycle your empty glass candle jars:

Make a Vase for Flowers, Succulents, and Herbs

Candle jars can be alternative containers for houseplants. You could paint the jar and embellish it with jute twine to make an exquisite vase for flowers. Use this to add natural, organic touches to the living room or bedroom.

Another idea is to repot succulents into these glass jar vessels. This could be an advantage if the succulents were to be kept indoors. They are less likely to leave water stains on the table as glass containers don’t have drainage holes, unlike regular clay pots. Just make sure to use fast-draining soil to avoid overwatering.

Some herbs can also grow in old candle jars, including parsley, rosemary, oregano, and many more! Now, you can have your indoor windowsill garden and use fresh herbs for cooking! Herbs are not only healthy, but they also bring extra spice to simple homemade dishes.

Store Food, Jewelries, Office Supplies & More

Another brilliant idea is to use old candle jars as storage containers and place them on the table to hold and organize pens and pencils. This way, you don’t have to rummage through a drawer, looking for a writing tool during emergencies.

You can also use these glass vessels to store dry, pantry food such as flour, sugar, salt, pepper, cereals, and rice! After all, glass doesn’t have a porous surface, unlike plastics, so it won’t absorb the smell or taste of food. Moreover, you can see what’s inside as glass has a transparent appearance.

Lastly, empty candle jars can be repurposed into small bins for holding jewelry and cosmetics. This will help organize the vanity area in your walk-in closet or bathroom, so you can do your beauty rituals stress-free!

Add to Your Liquor/ Cocktail Glass Collection

Love to host dinner parties with cocktails and hard liquors? Start collecting votive candles and repurpose them as drinking glasses. Votive candles have small, round glass containers about 2 inches tall, which be turned into eclectic shot glasses after the wax has been consumed. You just have to remove the wax first and deep clean them with dish soap and water before use.

Create a New DIY Candle

Since it’s a candle jar, it makes sense to use it again to hold candles. You can drop in a tealight candle and light it up in the bathroom to create a spa-like ambiance while relaxing in the bathtub. Another option is to create a DIY homemade candle! There are many ways you can do this, but it would be great to start with TikTok-inspired candles since they are the trend nowadays. Don’t worry, candle DIY videos on TikTok are easy to follow as they showcase short, simple tutorials.

Start Repurposing Your Old Candle Jars!

Instead of tossing out old candle jars in the trash, repurpose them by turning them into new functional items. These glass vessels can be useful in many different ways; they could be turned into a vase, makeup holder, or even a jar to store and preserve food. You just have to know how to get the wax out of candle jars before repurposing them, of course. Start with our foolproof hacks above to safely and easily remove stubborn candle wax from their glass vessels!