Candles are our favourite way to enhance the atmosphere of a space. If we’re going to be truly honest with you, when selecting a candle for our homes or for a gift, the beauty of the jar is going to be nearly as important as the scent inside. We swoon over intricate designs, beautiful colours, patterns, unique finishes and imagery. Finding the perfect piece to match your decor is just so satisfying. It is the icing on the cake.
So when, after 100 hours of burn time bliss, we reach an inescapable moment where we find the wick burned out, the wax all gone. Our beautiful artful candle jar has no more purpose sitting on our side table, accenting our treasured knick knacks. Yet, we still can’t bring ourselves to throw it away. It’s just too pretty. Right now, we find ourselves in the midst of many empty candles, memories of celebrations and holiday moments from a month ago.
So today, we are going to show you how to clean up, care for and creatively reuse these gorgeous vessels so we can enjoy their beauty forever!
There are two methods for cleaning out that last bit of wax from your candle jar; hot or cold. The material of the container will be the best indicator for which method is preferable. Glass and ceramic jars will respond best to the hot method, while aluminum tins will respond best to the cold method.
To go hot, fill a larger bowl with near boiling water and set your candle jar inside. After a few minutes, you’ll notice the wax is melting from the bottom up. Once the wax is mostly melted, carefully lift out the jar (it’ll be hot) and dispose of the wax in the garbage. Wipe down with a paper towel to remove the leftover residue.
To go cold, simply place your candle tins in the freezer for about 30-60 minutes. Once sufficiently chilled, remove from the freezer and, using a butter knife, gently pry the wax up. It should shatter and be easily removable. If the wax is still soft, put back in the freezer for another 30 minutes.
Once they are all cleaned out and shiny, they are ready to be put to use in new and creative ways.
1. Home Organization
Tall glass jars are perfect for sprucing up any space in your home while also remaining functional. Use these beauties to sort and store make-up brushes, hair brushes, cotton balls, and cosmetics on your bathroom vanity, store pencils and pens on your work desk, or use as a vase for fresh flowers in your living room.
2. Creative gift wrap
Bored of boxes and ribbons? Tuck a special gift inside an empty jar or tin for a one-of-a-kind gift-giving experience. You’ll be sure to make an impression with this two-in-one gift they can re-use in their home.
3. Pretty Storage
Keep small items in their place with travel tins and smaller jars to hold jewelry, bobby pins or hair elastics, or keep it by the door as a special place for your keys so you never forget them!
4. Succulent Planters
Indoor plants are simply elevated when planted in beautiful pots- so why not use your old candle jars to add that special touch. Succulents are especially great candidates for this as they don't need drainage. Imagine a collection of mini cacti and succulents in the travel Voluspa tins? Adorable.
These are just a few of the endless possibilities for your candle jars. One LUX girl is even saving them for her wedding centrepieces! We’d love to see your uses for empty candles, so tag us in your Instagrams @LUXbeautybtqYEG.