Using Leftover Candle Wax

I love candles. My favorite are Yankee jar candles. I do have other regular candles and I hate to get rid of the wax when the wick are burned out to the bottom in the regular candles. There doesn't seem to be anything else I can do with it. Any ideas?

Answers:

Using Leftover Candle Wax

Make new candles out of the wax. Break up the leftover wax and place in the top of a double boiler. Tie a wick around a pencil and place in a mold or container of your choice. Pour the melted wax into mold and let cool.
(03/01/2005)

By Chase

Using Leftover Candle Wax

The way that we make new candles from old ones is to put all the leftover wax from several candles into one jar and put it on one of those candle warmers. It melts the wax, then we put a taper candle in the middle of the wax. Use string to hold the taper in place as the wax hardens. Then you just light the taper and it will burn the wax around it as well. We had to play with it a little to get it to do just right, but eventually it worked. (07/18/2007)

By Jessica Fortenberry

Using Leftover Candle Wax

I usually keep any leftover scented chunks and use them in a tart warmer. Also, I put them in little snack size zipper baggies and poke a few pinholes in the bag to let out the scent. These can be stashed in the dresser or linen closet and the coat closet as well. (09/07/2007)

By Patricia Cronin

Using Leftover Candle Wax

I melt all my leftover candle bits in a jar on my candle warmer. I then take cardboard egg cartons and fill the empty spaces with dryer lint. When the wax is liquid I pour it over the lint. The egg carton can then be broken into pieces and used to start bonfires. These fire starters smell great as they burn and seem to keep the fire going better if the wood is a bit damp. (10/06/2008)

By Melissa

Using Leftover Candle Wax

I love candles, and it seemed like such a waste to throw candles out once their wick was spent. I decided to try to use the old wax to make new candles and was surprised at how easy it was.

I bought jars for my finished candle and jars to melt wax in (you can use one for both if you don't care to do anything fancy), and wicks (available at any craft store). I cut up the wax using a knife and put the pieces into the jar and put them into a pot of boiling water, just high enough to melt the wax (don't submerge it). The wax melts fairly quickly. I centered my wick and wrapped the top around a chopstick, positioning the chopstick to lay across the rim of the jar, in order to hold it in place. I stuck it in the freezer and let it cool. Now I have three new lovely candles. (12/01/2008)

By karen

Using Leftover Candle Wax

If you have a fireplace, you can make great fire starters by dipping pine cones in melted wax. Smells good, works great. (01/13/2009)

By Shirley F.

Using Leftover Candle Wax

You can make your own wicks the colonial way by soaking heavy cotton yarn for 12 hours in a solution of 1T salt + 2 T boric acid in a cup of water. (A mixture of turpentine, lime water, and vinegar will also serve.) After the yarn is dry, braid three strands together to form the wick. Careful, too large a wick will cause a smoky candle; too small a wick and the flame will be doused in melted wax.

If you do buy them, these are their uses:

• flat braided wick 15 ply = 1" - 2 1/2" candle diameter
• square braided wick 24 ply = 3" - 4"
• 30 ply = more than 4"

By Angel H