What To Do With Old Candle Wax? 10 Common Candle Making Questions

Got some almost-finished Homesick candles lying around? Don’t get rid of the wax, please. Reuse and repurpose your favorite candle’s leftover wax instead of throwing it away!

Reusing candle jars is easy if you know how, but what do you do with the wax that remains at the bottom? The following are some creative suggestions for repurposing stubby candles.

What To Do With Old Candle Wax

#1 Loosen Stuck Zippers

Has the zipper on your go-to pair of jeans become stuck? Do you have a dress that has a back zipper that’s become stuck? Move the pull tab up and down while rubbing a small amount of wax on either side of the zipper teeth, and presto! Stuck zippers are a thing of the past! Even clothes, pillow covers, tents, and sleeping bags all benefit from this simple method! To avoid stains, use a non-colored candle.

#2 Silence Squeaky Hinges

Squeaky doors and cabinets are inevitable, no matter how well-maintained they are. Put some wax on the hinges and work it into the components instead of disturbing a sleeping infant or driving you crazy. It creates a more serene atmosphere in your home if you silence your doors.

#3 Make DIY Firestarters

During the colder months, how about a campfire or a cozy fire in the fireplace? Make fire starters out of the wax left over from your old candles. Using a repurposed egg carton, fill each cup with dryer lint, and carefully pour molten wax into each one. DIY fire starters can be tossed into a bundle of wood for a roaring fire when the wax sets and hardens overnight. Simple as that!

#4 Plug Leaky Gaps in Windows and Doors

You’ve got a leaking window or door, but you can’t go to the hardware shop until later. Use any candle wax you have left over to temporarily seal it. When it comes to caulking, old wax may be repurposed and reused to keep your property sealed up tight.

#5 Seal Letters with a Kiss (and Wax Stamp)

A emotional note for Grandma or an elegant wedding card for newlywed friends: which one are you planning to send this year? Make a seal out of old wax! Then, after adding a little amount of melted wax to the envelope, use a wax seal stamp of your choice to press it shut. Online or in a craft store, you’ll find a wide variety of seals. If you want to change the color of your candles, you can simply add a few drops of dye.

Is there a better option? Our customised candles make the perfect gift for someone you care about.

#6 Polish Your Shoes and Furniture

Use a quarter-cup of melted candle wax and a teaspoon of canola oil to polish scuffed-up leather shoes and scarred wood furniture. Allow the polish solution to cool before using a rag to buff your leather shoes or pocketbook. To finish the polish, keep it liquified by heating it slowly. Even scratched furniture can benefit from this method!

#7 Get Crafty with Batik Fabrics

Create a traditional batik cloth method as a new creative project to try your hand at. To begin, spread melted wax across a tablecloth, linen napkins, or pillows in a grid design. Afterward, put the fabric in a colored dye and let it to dry. It’s time to remove the wax from the surface by melting it with a hot iron. You should be left with a lovely pattern as a result of the process.

#8 Make Reusable Food Wraps

Using a natural soy or beeswax candle? For manufacturing reusable food packaging, these food-safe waxes are ideal. Grate the remaining wax into smaller pieces and melt it over a fabric square trimmed to your desired size. One way to limit your consumption of single-use plastic baggies and plastic wrap is to make your own eco-friendly versions.

This list of creative ways to reuse or recycle leftover candle wax is sure to inspire you. Discover more candle tips and ways to lengthen the life of your Homesick candle.

15 Creative Ideas On What To Do With Your Old Candle Jars and Wax

1. New candle from old candle pieces

What do you think of these ingenious ways to reuse and recycle old candle wax? Find out how to extend the life of your Homesick candle with these helpful recommendations.

2. Old candle ends into layered candles

Were you aware that you may combine your old candles in a slightly more intriguing aesthetic style than simply making a single, individually coloured candle? That’s all well and good, but every now and then it’s enjoyable to do something a little more radical. To produce a color fade, melt and pour the wax from old candles one at a time in layers. Do It and How tells you how to melt and pour your old candles.

3. Cleaned and refilled coffee bean candle jars

Almost everything you need to build a new type of tea light show is already in those little tea light jars that you’ve burnt from small candles in the past. Instead of wax, you might use coffee beans and a tea light encased in a metal holder to decorate the glass cups, like Ms. Taylor Elyse done.

4. DIY block candles

Candles in a jar or a circle aren’t the only shapes you can build from the wax scraps left behind after burning an old candle. A more difficult project would be to make shaped candles like Sparkles in The Everyday did here, which resulted in the amazing block candles in square form. It’s much easier than you think!

5. Re-jarred stripe candles

When you melt and re-pour old wax, would you choose to make distinguishing stripes on purpose or just make solid or ombre effect candles? That means you’ll have no trouble following along with this wonderful (and surprisingly simple) tutorial from Sandpaper and Glue! This task needs more effort and perseverance, but the results are well worth the effort.

6. Letter wax from old candles

Are you also a huge enthusiast of old-fashioned and vintage items in addition to your love of DIY? If so, these excellent DIY letter sealing wax sticks are a must-try for you! With Bob Vila’s step-by-step instructions, you can make your own from the wick and the wax end of your old candles.

7. Seashell tea light candles

A small amount of wax is left after a few jobs. What if your goal is to use up all of it? Then why not make a few fresh little tea light candles for yourself! Take a look at how Yes, that’s exactly what Missy did, but she added a coastal flair to the candles by pouring the wax into a seashell.

8. DIY Easter egg candles

We know Easter isn’t here yet, but we’re the kind of crafters that like to locate crafts for all kinds of holidays and themes, no matter the season, and bookmark them until we need them! They were manufactured from leftover wax and candle ends by Happy Happy Nester, and we decided to use them in this way.

9. Re-moulded and re-wicked candles

So what if your candles genuinely have a lot of their own wax remaining, but the wick has broken down too low to burn, and you don’t think it’s safe to light them any more because of the deterioration of their shape? If that’s the case, we think you’ll love The Gardening Cook’s explanation of how to reshape and re-wick their candles so that they’re like new and ready to be burnt again.

10. Grubby candles

Has the concept of hand-pouring old wax intrigued you, but you can’t help but wonder if you could use that opportunity to create new textures because of how rapidly wax dries? This tutorial from Eyeballs By Day, Crafts By Night teaches you how to pour melted wax in purposefully rough and textured layers to create filthy candles. We think you’ll find it much easier to follow.

11. Jar lanterns from old candles

What if you could add fresh life and flair to those empty candle jars instead of just reusing and refilling the ones that already have candles in them? Check out Howcast’s clever use of crafting wire to construct handles and change their jars into lanterns before they were filled!

12. Scented wax melts from old candles

When it comes to repurposing leftover candle wax, you’d be surprised to learn that candles aren’t the only thing you can produce for smell and burning! StefyTalks teaches you how to make your own scented wax melts, which you can buy from most supermarkets and use with novelty burners. As they melt, they give out a pleasant aroma thanks to the essential oils you use in your cooking.

13. Candle wax on stubborn wooden drawers

It’s possible that you’ve acquired a small amount of unused candle wax that you’d like to put to good use. Instead, you can use it as a tool for your own benefit around the house! If you’ve ever struggled to open and close wooden drawers, Almanac has some advice for you: use dried candle wax.

14. Acorn top tea light candles

The idea of constructing novelty tea light candles in seashells caught your attention, but you’re not sure if the shells themselves are right for you. Please let us know if this is the case. if that’s the case, you might enjoy this Hew & Sew project a little more Tea light candles can be made from the dried acorn tips, as demonstrated in the video.

15. Bottle cap candles

Instead of making novelty tea light candles, would you prefer to upcycle something other than simply the candle wax and produce even smaller candles? Craftaholics Anonymous’s bottle cap candles are charming, and we think you’ll enjoy them too! The techniques for making them are the same whether you use melted crayon wax or the wax from burned candles.

10 Common Candle Making Questions

Candle making and all other forms of self-improvement hinge on the process of asking questions. To help you get started, we’ve compiled a list of 10 frequently asked questions about the candlemaking industry.

How do you pick the right wick size?

Wicks exist in a wide range of sizes and varieties, and true novices may not even know this when they start making candles. Why? Waxes, aroma oils, and containers all have an effect on the wick’s behavior.

The stability of the candle’s combustion in particular.

A candle’s wick is important to its success. You can ensure that your wax combination is safe and smells nice by picking the proper size! There is no single measurement, wax type, or container that can account for the wide range of effects the wick has.

You’ve got to start somewhere. And only after you burn the finished candle do you know which direction to proceed.

Experience is the best way to choose a wick, but the wick chart is the second best. CandleScience maintains a simple wick chart that asks for a wax type and container diameter before providing a wick type and size.

The question is whether or not it will work. It all depends on the results of the burn test! There are some solid assumptions behind those charts, but they don’t (and can’t) take into consideration all of the variables involved in the candle-making process as a whole.

Start with wick charts and see if you can make more than one candle at a time out of a single batch of wick. Make sure you use the recommended wick size before experimenting with a larger and smaller one. Each size of candle can be evaluated after a burn test to see how well it performs with your specific candle!

Where do you buy candle making supplies?

One of the Ten Commandments of Candle Making is to have a wide variety of suppliers. Why?

To begin with, to reduce the risk. Having a wide range of fuel sources, on the other hand, gives you a wider range of choices. It’s a completely different matter to figure out from whom to purchase.

Because you’re hauling a lot of wax, shipping costs can be prohibitive for new candle-making businesses. Outside of a few companies, weight is a measure of value. You can save money if you have the time and personal resources to travel to the store to acquire supplies, even if you prefer to shop online. You are responsible for your own expenses.

There are several places where you can get candle supplies, including Amazon. Is there a nearby hobby shop? There’s no doubt about it, but you’ll pay more for a less commercialized wax. If you’re making them for fun, it’s not a big deal.

In addition to these, there are a few further options:

• CandleScience
• Supply of Candles from Lone Star
• Candlewic
• Scents of the Old West
• Candles from Pro Candles
• Supply Aztec Candles and Soaps
• The Exploding Tealight
• Co. of Wooden Wicks
• Supplies & Candles
• Toys “R” Us
• Michaels

Which wick type should you pair with that wax and jar?

Responses made simpler by using a graph. Even though your results may vary, they are generally accepted industry standards for most main wax and wick kinds.

These are just a few ideas to get you started. A wick’s performance can be influenced by a wide range of elements, which can either be a boon or a bane for your process.

How do you prevent soy wax imperfections?

The tiny layer of soy wax is polymorphic, which means it interacts in a variety of ways. We’ve put together a tutorial on how to deal with these issues, which include cosmetic and performance issues:

• Fixing a bumpy surface
• For icing, there are several options.

When it comes to soy wax, temperature management plays a large role in a number of issues, including icing. Pour temperature, even scent mixing, and curing in the right conditions and for the right amount of time all play an important role.

How many candles should you make to sell starting out?

Many people begin by offering a modest number of options, but they are unsure of how many of each option they should offer. Depending on the wax, candles can last up to a year or longer, but you don’t want to waste money on a large inventory that will go unused.

Inventory management relies on data to work its magic.

To make a decision, you need information. Keeping a steady supply of popular candles on hand is a necessity if your business is to remain profitable. On the other hand, candles that aren’t very popular don’t require as much shelf space.

These strategies can help you get started with inventory management until you have a clearer grasp of which products are your best sellers.

• Don’t be afraid to spend money or supplies that you won’t be able to get back (financial risk management)
• Develop a product line of no more than four or five different candle blends, all of which have undergone safety testing before being released (sanity management)
• Keep a supply of approximately 20 candles in stock, and adjust that number as sales increase or drop.

It’s a game of numbers when it comes to inventory management. Be careful not to overexert yourself with a vast variety of candles, and study how your clients respond to your product range.

Always conduct product safety testing before selling candles to anyone, and be patient during the product development process.

How do you improve hot throw?

Perfume intensity is measured in terms of how far a hot throw can travel. Despite the fact that it is difficult to quantify how “excellent” or “strong” a smell is, there are parameters by which it can be evaluated.

Multi-Room Test

For the first test, light a fully cured candle for four hours in a restroom. A random scale, such 1 to 5, or 1 to 10, can be used to give your personal opinion on it every hour.

More perspectives can be helpful if you have access to them.

There’s a good chance you won’t have much luck in other rooms if you have bad luck in the bathroom, but you can still try. A living room-sized room should be used for this test. After cooling the candle down, run a second test.

Burn the candle for four hours, but every hour move it about the room significantly. Different air currents, which are known to have a key role in hot throw, can be created by moving the candle.

Give Candles Away

Once the candle has been safety checked and found to be safe, manufacture a few extra and give them away to everyone you know.

Well, it’s not free exactly. So long as the recipient promises to burn it in the manner that best reflects the random nature of people’s candle-burning behaviors, you’ll give it to them. A group’s collective impression of the aroma is preferable to an individual’s.

This information helps you determine whether or not you need to improve or tone down your hot throw. There are a number of ways you can use this information:

If your best throw is…
Recommendations

If the fragrance oil is too strong, dilute it.

Intensify the wick’s size

Perfect – Let’s Party!

Reduce the size of the wick

– Boost the amount of fragrance oil used

– Reduce the amount of fragrance oil used

– Modify the shape of the container

The key assumption is that you’ve already passed a safety test, which is not always the case. Sadly, some wick/wax/fragrance oil combos are just not designed to work.

Then there are several fragrance oils on the market that will not mix with specific waxes. Add this to the mix.

How do you choose a fragrance oil?

Every major fragrance family might be covered by a decent product line:

• Woody
• Floral
• Fresh
• Oriental

This isn’t always necessary, of course; if you’re working on a topic where this isn’t relevant, don’t bother. Everybody can find something they like here!

Essential oils and fragrance oils come in a wide range of strengths and flaws. Most flavors fail if they’re too outlandish or wacky. That isn’t always the case, but it can be.

Making a candle and testing it is the only way to find out how well an oil performs in your specific wax, wick, temperature, and container combination. As with hot throw, you can only tell if an aromatic property has the necessary complexity and strength if you have real data.

Essential oils and fragrance oils are available in a wide variety of venues, both online and off. It’s possible to smell the candles before you buy them at a neighboring candle supply store. Hobby shops also carry some of these, but they’re usually of lower quality than those found in the larger stores.

In order for a candle to work properly, it doesn’t need a significant amount of fragrance oil, which is the case with high-quality fragrance oils. To get a good scent throw from a candle, you’ll need to use a lot of high-quality oils and a lot of high-quality additives.

Should you buy a candle making kit?

In some cases, candle-making kits are an excellent purchase. If you want to:

• It is not my intention in the coming year to make more than four candles
• Want to get a taste of the craft before committing to a more substantial investment?
• Have a hard time picking out what to buy for your first project?

Do you need insurance to sell candles?

In the United States, you do not need insurance to sell candles, although most candle makers have Product Liability insurance to cover any damages caused by the product. A safety sticker isn’t enough protection in most towns when it comes to candles, which pose a serious fire hazard.

It’s like drinking from a pond: you might get away with it for a long, but you’re always taking a chance.

It’s a business expense, and if you’re serious about starting a candle business, you should buy insurance. The price may be prohibitive, but remember that it’s only part of doing business.

Why does my candle smell bad?

It takes an in-depth knowledge of scent notes to create a candle that both smells great and burns properly.

The notes of a fragrance are as follows:

• On a high note, to be sure. Vaporizes in a flash! Volatility is high.
• The key signature is in the middle. The distinctive aroma of the combination.
• To begin, the note “bass” is played. Top and middle notes are supported and the scent’s duration is extended.

Because notes are heat-sensitive, a high-heat candle flame will physically evaporate them before they can be released into the air, beginning at the top. It’s fairly uncommon for the fragrance to smell awful after the top and middle notes have been eliminated from it.

What’s the answer? The fragrance oil should be changed out for one that is more resistant to high temperatures, or the candle should be reconstructed so that it burns at a lower temperature. Start with a smaller wick and work your way up from there after a test to get the best results with the lower temperature system.

FAQs

What can you do with leftover candle wax?

Here’s our how-to tutorial for reusing candle wax scraps: Make a totally new candle from scratch! A squeaky drawer or door hinge can be made to stop squeaking by applying lubricant. Start a fire. Make use of any remaining smells in your home. You can use it as a low-cost skating wax. Shoelace frays need to be repaired. Adding a personal touch to your messages is a great way to seal the deal.

How do you burn candle wax without a wick?

A short candle wick can be used for what? Melt some wax in a microwave and pour it onto a paper plate to extend the wick’s life. You can also use a butter knife to scrape out room-temperature wax so that the wick can be exposed.

How do you warm up leftover candle wax?

Put hot water on the wax and you’re done. The wax will melt and rise to the surface of the water, where it will solidify due to the action of heat. Applying pressure once it’s cooled will allow you to remove it.

Can you use leftover wax in a warmer?

Wax is a liquid that can be melted. Scentsy warmers and other similar warmers are popular in homes across the country. You may make your own wax cubes for use in these gadgets by melting down your old candles. The guarantee on your Scentsy warmer may be void if you use it to melt anything other than Scentsy bars.

What can I use to make a wick for a candle?

Cotton string is all you need to make your own candle wicks. Homemade candle wicks can be treated with oil or salt, but cotton thread works just as well. Using cotton string candle wicks, you get a long-lasting burn with no soot.

Can you use spaghetti as a candle wick?

As long as the candle wick isn’t too low, you can still enjoy the aroma of your favorite scent. Light a piece of uncooked spaghetti instead of risking your fingers being burned by the flames. Long enough to light the candles on Grandpa’s birthday cake using this candle! Date of last update: September 24th, 2018.

Can you microwave old candle wax?

The microwave can also be used to melt wax. Because they can melt the wax more quickly than with a double boiler, some individuals prefer this method. You can use a microwavable jar to store your wax. Melt your wax in two-minute intervals until it’s completely dissolved.

Can leftover candle wax be used in a wax melt?

Yes, in a nutshell. Once the leftover wax has been melted and poured into a smaller votive, you have a brand new candle in your hands. Make sure that all of the waxes you use are of the same type (beeswax, paraffin, or soy).

How do you get leftover wax out of a candle jar?

What Is the Best Way to Remove Wax from Candle Jars? Boiling water can be accomplished in a pan or a kettle. Hot pads or towels can be used to place your container on. Add the boiling water to the jar and seal it. The wax should be allowed to melt and rise to the jar’s apex before using. Let it sit for a few hours to cool. Remove the cap to release the wax. Remove the drain plug.

Can you reuse wax after waxing?

Never. The only wax that hairdressers can reuse is hard wax. Afterward, the wax is re-melted, the hair removed from the wax, and the process repeated. The way wax is disposed of during a waxing procedure can be an indication that the salon is reusing its wax.

How many times can you reuse a wax melt?

Remove spent wax from your warmer before adding a fresh cube because it does not evaporate; only the aroma does. Using Happy Wax melts, a fragrance lasts for around 8 hours with 2-3 melts. Until the aroma fades, you can use the wax again and again.

Do wax melts lose their scent if not used?

As the wax melts in the warmer, it releases its fragrance and fills your room with a delicious scent. Unlike candles, the aroma is what fades away, not the wax. Toss out your old wax and start over with a new aroma when you can no longer detect the perfume.

What does a candle with no wick mean?

Every day’s highs and lows are shown by a shadow, or wick, at the top or bottom of each candle. No shadow indicates that the open and close prices are the same as the high and low prices for the session.

Can you add a wick to a candle?

With post-pour wicks, use this approach (wick placed into a pilot hole of the wax after it has already hardened). With a pair of pliers, go as close to the wick as you can. Extend the wick tab and pull straight out of the candle. Cut a fresh wick to 1/4″ and insert it through the hole.

How do you make a homemade candle wick?

How to Build a Wick for a Candle To begin, you’ll need scissors. -wax. The second step is to melt the wax. The first step is to cut the string to the appropriate length. Soak a piece of string in a pot of melted wax after that. Finally, using the pliers, remove the string from the wick and let it to cool. Step 3 is complete. You can use the string in a candle once it has cooled.

Conclusion on What to Do with Old Candle Wax

There is no longer a need to toss out your old wax. Candle wax can be used in a variety of innovative ways. If you’re going to use candle wax, think outside the box and be practical. On our website, you can find more articles about candles.