One of my favorite #BallinOnABudget decor hacks is reusing candle jars! I use them to hold makeup brushes, q-tips, sample-size beauty products, small tube skincare products, rolled up face towels, short-stem flower vase, succulent plant holder, the list goes on and on. I love candles and I’m always a little sad when the wick burns out, but then I just reuse them and happiness is gained back quickly. So here is how to reuse candle jars for storage or for decor!
Step 1: When the wick burns out, let the candle wax cool and solidify again. Don’t try to pour out the wax because it will get messy and it won’t all come out.
Step 2: When the wax is solid again, place the candle in the freezer. The whole thing; candle jar, wax, wick, everything.
Step 3: Leave the candle in the freezer overnight.
Step 4: When the candle is nice and frozen (the glass will have frost on it), remove the candle from the freezer and place on a solid surface on top of a towel upside down. Don’t let the candle defrost!
Step 5: Either lightly bang the candle onto the towel/surface or grab a heavy book and lightly bang the bottom (wax-side) of the candle until the wax is separated from the sides and bottom of the jar. Be careful not to slam the candle or it can break!
Step 6: The wax and metal wick should come out of the candle by lightly banging it onto the surface or banging the bottom with a book. But if it does not all come out, grab a metal spoon or knife and gently work it in between the wax and the sides or you can crack the wax to make it come out in pieces. I have experienced some very stubborn candles in my day, but you got this!
Step 7: If the metal wick is stuck to the bottom by a sticky adhesive, just pry out with a metal spoon. Don’t worry, we’re going to clean the candle 😉
Step 8: Once the metal wick and wax are (mostly) gone, spray a couple squirts of Windex (or another glass-cleaning product) into the jar. I typically will spray it 4-6 times depending on how dirty it is and what I’m going to be using it for. If I’m planning on using it for face towels or q-tips, I’ll make sure to get it really really clean, but if I’m just using it to hold lip gloss or sample-size lotion in the guest bathroom then I won’t bother too much with it being perfectly clean!
Step 9: Now fill up the candle jar with water until it is so full that it is about to spill over. And turn the faucet all the way up so that the water will mix with the cleaning product to make bubbles and really activate the cleaner.
Step 10: Let the candle jar full of the Windex and water mixture sit for at least a few hours. I’ll usually let it sit while I’m at work or out running errands to give it enough time to loosen all of the wax and stickies.
Step 11: After a few hours of letting the mixture sit, pour the mixture out and wipe with a paper towel to dry and try to rub off all of the leftover residue.
Step 12: And finally, wipe the inside of the candle jar (and outside too if you want) with a Clorox Wipe or some other kind of anti-bacterial or bleach wipe to really sanitize it and remove any leftover smoke marks or stubborn wax.
You can either immediately use the candle jar or you can just store it away until you find something to do with it. I have empty candle jars all over the house either being used for something or they are just sitting in our linen closet patiently waiting for their time to shine. I like to clean out the wax right after the candle burns out or else it will just sit there being useless for a while.
Here is a list of some creative ways to reuse candle jars:
- Short-stem flower vase
- Eating utensil holder during parties or cookouts
- Napkin holder on a bar cart or during a party
- Hand towel holder in guest bathroom (must be a larger candle and roll up the towels first to look like flowers)
- Pen holder on a desk
- Battery holder in junk drawer
- Paper clip holder
- Spare key holder
- Small junk holder in junk drawers
- Change from pockets in the laundry room
- Condiment packet holder in pantry or kitchen
- Succulent plant holder
- Put a smaller, plain candle into a different, cuter candle jar
- Jewelry holder
- Bobby Pin holder
- Hair Tie holder
- Q-tip holder
- Cotton ball holder
- Lipgloss holder
- Makeup brush holder
- Sample-size beauty product holder
- Tube skincare product holder (I have my NeuLash tube, Tula eye-renewing serum tube, and my Go Smile teeth whitening pen in a small candle jar with my other skincare products)
I hope this tutorial on how to reuse candle jars is helpful and can help save you some moola on home decor or home storage solutions! I’m obsessed with having candles in my house and making rooms smell nice, but the fun shouldn’t be over once the candles burn out. Especially the candles that come in really cute jars! Here are some really cute candle jars that I found (and probably will be purchasing soon)!
