Large ones, small ones, blue ones, and clear ones, candle jars come in all sizes and colors. When your candle is finished, you have a lot of options that will allow it to have a second life.
Why you should reuse your candle jars
Recycling is good. But breaking glass that has only been used once to melt it again at 1500°C is wasteful. It’s much more environmentally friendly to wash the candle jars and reuse them. You can also save money and reduce waste by cleaning and reusing your finished candle jars.
Whether you are in need of a catch-all for your bathroom or a new planter, an old candle jar can do it. But you’ll first need to get the containers clean.
How to clean candle jars
The best way to clean glass candle jars is to freeze them for a few hours. The leftover wax will solidify and harden so you can remove it without crumbling. Then go in with a butter knife, crack the wax to remove it, and wash it well.
Once you have a beautiful glass jar ready for a new life, you can use it in the following ways.
1. Store your beauty products
The clean and elegant appearance of the glass candle jars will blend perfectly with the aesthetics of your beauty products.
Use larger candle jars to hold makeup brushes and smaller ones to hold things like Q-tips and bobby pins.
2. A flower vase
If you have a larger candle jar, one of the easiest ways to reuse it is to turn it into a vase. Then, fill it with water and cut the flowers according to the size of your pot.
You can always remove the tag if you don’t want your candle tag to ruin the floral aesthetic – use warm soapy water to remove it, but if it’s stubborn, you can wipe it off with baking soda.
3. Cotton swabs
You can also use the candle jar to store your cotton swabs. The cotton balls will look so much better in a pretty jar than in their original packaging.
You can personalize the jars by repainting them and decorating them with ribbons.
4. Place a tea light candle in the jar
Give your tealights an elevated look by placing them in an empty candle jar to create a chic visual effect, indoors or outdoors.
Paint your clear candle jar with a color that you like before to produce a beautiful glow. The twinkling shimmer of filtered candlelight will instantly make any decor more intimate.
5. A planter
Candle jars are the perfect size to hold spring bulbs or small succulents. Scatter a layer of small stones at the very bottom to allow some drainage, add your soil and plant your seed.
Your little plant pots will add just the right amount of greenery to your windowsill.
6. Make a new candle
Perhaps the best use for an old candle is DIY-ing a new one. Microwave the wax in a microwave-safe bowl to melt it. Once the wax has liquefied, stick the wick to the bottom of your container, hold the wick with one hand and slowly pour the wax into the jar with the other hand.
Place the candle in the refrigerator for 10 minutes to solidify your wax and voila! You’ll get yourself a brand new spark plug for much less than what a specialty store would typically cost.
7. Spices
If the candle jars have lids, you can use them to store sweets, spices, herbs, or any other ingredients for cooking.
You can label them to help organize your kitchen.
8. Sweets and chocolates
Put some candy in the jar and use it as a centerpiece for the coffee table or place it on a shelf!
Let’s live sustainably!
If you continue breathing new life into your empty candle jars, you will be able to live more sustainably.
You’ll also be surprised at the wonderful things you can do with old candle jars. You just have to keep trying!
