Make new candles out of old ones

by Jen (April 7, 2007)

You know those ends of old candles that you throw away because they rarely burn down evenly all the way? When you get enough of them, all you need is a storebought wick (there’s probably a way to make one, but I haven’t investigated - ETA: here’s a way to make your own wicks) and a jar or something to hold the candle in, and you can make a new one.

I store the odd candle ends in the jar until it’s full. Then:

• Take the old wicks out of the candle ends. Some will pop right out, others will be really difficult. Generally, you can insert something like the flat end of a screwdriver under the metal tab at the bottom of the candle and pop it out. If that doesn’t work, use your screwdriver to break off chunks of the wax and then throw away the wick at the end. Note: this works best if you break the wax into little chunks, anyway.
• Put your wick in the bottom of the jar. Hold it upright and pour the chunks in around it. Try to pack it tightly.
• Once it’s all in there, you can just burn it as is. There’s probably a way to melt the wax into a solid candle, but I’ve never tried to because this works just as well as those granular candles (”candle sand”) they sell.

Subscribe to feed updates or email updates
Save it: Stumble it! | Del.icio.us | Digg
Posted in Crafts
Want your tip featured on Bohemian Revolution? Click here!