July 08, 2020

HOW TO REUSE YOUR CANDLE JARS

For our candle addicts with a slight nack for hoarding or a soft spot for the environment, we have compiled the ultimate guide on how to reuse and repurpose your candle containers!

HOW TO CLEAN A CANDLE CONTAINER?

First things first, you will want to remove the existing wax from your container. You can check out our blog How to Remove Candle Wax for a more in-depth guide but you can start to do this by using one of three methods: freezing, washing, or boiling.

FREEZING CANDLE WAX:

Place your candle jars in the freezer for a few hours. This allows the wax to harden and should make it easier to use a knife to pick out the contents. You can clean any remaining wax or residue with a warm, wet paper towel. Although this is probably the simplest method, it works better for harder waxes like paraffin or beeswax.

WASHING YOUR CANDLE CONTAINER:

First, clean as much of the wax out of the container as you can with a knife. Next, you should use hot water and soap to clean the residue. This works best for softer and more natural waxes like ours with coconut and soy. We recommend using paper towels for easy cleanup. This method probably takes the most time, and you want to be careful not to get too much of the wax down your pipes.

DOUBLE BROILER METHOD:

The doubler boiler method works well for hard waxes that are stuck on your candle jar. You will simply place your candle container in a pot of boiling water to soften the wax from all sides. Once the wax has softened, carefully take the jar out and pour out the remaining liquid wax.

WARNINGS:

Don't overheat the glass
Do not put any solid or liquid wax down the sink as this will clog your drains
Do not use a microwave as many wicks are set with a metal clip at the bottom and can cause a fire
Careful not to break the glass

REUSING THE CANDLE CONTAINER

Now that you have that pesky old wax out, it is time to reuse your container. There are several creative ways to repurpose your jar. Candle containers can be quite nifty for storage and DIY projects. Here a few ways below:

REUSE CANDLE JAR WITH Q-TIPS FOR BEAUTY VANITY

BEAUTY STORAGE:

We love using our vessels to hold makeup brushes! The lidded jars are a cute way to use your containers to hide beauty tools like Q-tips too. You can also put perfume samples or small beauty related items like hair ties in here to help keep your vanity tidy.

REUSE YOUR CANDLE JAR FOR JEWELRY STORAGE

JEWELRY STORAGE:

Not enough space on your jewelry holder? Use your old candles as the perfect place to store your jewelry!

Repurposing a candle vessel for matches and as a flower vase on a coffee table

MATCH MANIA:

Fit all of your matches in one place. For your shorter ones, use our mini matte candles or a votive and your long cigar matches will match up nicely with a larger jar.

REUSING A CANDLE CONTAINER AS A FLOWER VASE - UPCYCLING

FLOWER VASE:

Freshly cut flowers will love candle containers small or large - great to use as a smaller vase for a workspace.

SUCCULENT PLANTER:

The perfect size for succulents, candle containers work well to upcycle as a succulent planter.

Reusing candle container in hot pink with makeup brushes on black marble bathroom counter by Malibu Apothecary

PENCIL PLACEHOLDER:

Keep all of your pens and pencils in one place with your old candle jars. The larger containers work best here.

Iridescent Pink Candle container repurposed with roses on a coffee table next to art

BASICALLY ANYTHING YOU THROW IN THAT JUNK DRAWER

Your junk drawer just got a little bit cuter. Throw all of your loose ends, paperclips, extra keys to who knows where, and all those dead batteries in your new cute recyclable container!

And there you have it. Your ultimate guide on how to upcycle your candle containers! Have any ideas we missed? Snap a shot and tag us @malibuapothecary, and we will feature how you used yours!