I love candles. They make me relax and elevate my mood especially when the days are short and the weather is cold and dreary. You can read about the beginning of my love affair with candles here. However, what I dislike about candles are the remnants significant unused portion that gets discarded.
However, desperation inspired me to find a way to use the meaningful remnants that remain. You see, I had purchased a Citrus Vanilla candle by Essential Elements. When the candle could no longer burn, I was disappointed that this scent had been discontinued from their line:(
I decided to use the candle wax remnants to make a new candle, a little version of it’s former self.
It’s so easy to do. Here’s what you need for this project.
Small jar
Purchased wicks (available in different lengths)
Cheese cloth or guaze
1. Decide what jar you are going to use for your new mini candle. I re-purposed a small food jar for the one above and used a small mason jar for this tutorial. Adhere the wick to the bottom of the jar using a dab of hot glue.
2. Scoop out the remnants from the jar. Using a dinner knife, cut it into sections, then run it around the perimeter. Most of the time, it will pop out very easily.
3. Separate the wick base from the wax using the knife. Don’t worry if your wax is charred or contains soot. It will be filtered out in step 5.
4. Place the chunks into a jar and place in a pot of water. Bring water to a slow simmer and wait for wax to melt.
5. Place the cheesecloth or guaze over the jar
and pour wax into the jar.
This will filter out all the soot residue.
It will set up in minutes.
I had enough to make a second one using one of the original jars.
That’s it! Wasn’t that easy? A brand new candle made from candle remnants that would, otherwise, have been thrown away. I like that!
What do you think? Doable project? Do you have a favorite candle scent?
Final Notes: I would stay away from mixing scents or at least be careful when doing so. You don’t want to end up with a “not so great” smelling candle. I am a vanilla person so I was able to combine all my vanilla candle remnants together.
And I dislike having to end on a frightening note but I have to include candle safety suggestions taken from the UL’s website because I care about your safety.
“Keep an eye on burning candles.
Place candles out of the reach of children and pets.
Extinguish candles when leaving the room or going to sleep.
Don’t place candles near curtains, bedding, paper, walls or any combustible materials.
Use a sturdy, non-combustible candleholder that can collect drippings and won’t tip over.
Extinguish a candle when 2 inches of wax remains or a half-inch if the candle is in a container. This prevents heat damage to the surface and stops glass containers from breaking.
Always keep candles – as well as matches and lighters – out of the reach of children.”
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