HOW TO REPURPOSE CANDLE JARS
I was listening to a podcast with two former female cast members from Saturday Night Live.
Both are Ivy League grads.
They shared their unique experience of not wanting to exclude inanimate objects from each other.
I knew exactly what they meant.
Because that is how I feel about empty candle jars.
I don’t want to toss them just because their wick has expired.
I want all those candle jars to live their best repurposed life.
love to light candles on rainy mornings and a snow-filled weekend.
I don’t want candles to be lonely in a cabinet or drawer.
WINTER SOLSTICE WITH CANDLES
Just a forecast of snow or a three-day weekend is reason enough to strike a match.
But all these candles meant I had to find a way to repurpose candle jars.
Sadly, their life span is determined by the length of their wicks.
Sound familiar? You may be thinking of this book.
That does not seem fair: these glass vessels should have up to 30 hours to shine, and then poof! Their job is done.
In an age (no pun intended) when we want to live our best and fullest lives, this is how I feel about glass candle jars.
I store my empty glass candle jars in the bottom drawer of this repurposed hutch.
I have an assortment of the jewel-tone candle jars from Anthropologie.
And the collection of woodland-themed jars that once held pine tree-scented candles.
I sort my glass jars by holiday because there is always a shelf or a “catchall” jar to repurpose.
Before we begin, if you are new to the repurpose habit, make sure to read this cleaning tutorial to remove the wax and wick (and not break the jar while trying to remove the tight wick seal at the bottom of every candle jar.
My favorite candles are the Bath & Body Works, Anthropologie candles, and, I can’t walk into a HomeGoods without taking a peek down the candle aisle.
All of these candles have one thing in common: great packaging!
The glass makes them perfect for a repurposing project.
For me, candles are the closest thing to a wood-burning fireplace.
Candles give many of us a feeling of warmth, home, comfort, and peace.
So with empty glass jars piling up I figured out how to upcycle candle jars.
HOW TO REPURPOSE CANDLE JARS
- DIY BIRD FEEDER
- CANDY DISHES
KITCHEN SINK CADDY
Use a candle jar for a sponge or the SOS brillo pad
TIERED TRAY DECOR
Tiered trays look great with mini candle jars.
The results were awesome, and all of a sudden, these beautiful candle jars can be repurposed for new uses.
What’s the lesson?
Maybe I should have studied harder for the SAT. :o)
Thank you for stopping by today. If you just found Everyday Edits, start here.
Hi Laura, so pleased to come across your blog for the first time today and find another Denver-area home blogger :)! Hope you are staying warm this week – it’s so pretty and sunny out today but the temps are still too low for my liking!
I hadn’t heard of this freezing and THEN adding hot water method – this sure seems a lot less messy than the method I’ve been using! I’ll have to try it your way next time. I’ve been heating up my candles on the stove (a few at a time set inside a pot) to get the wax in liquid form and them pouring them into moulds so I can use them in a wax warmer, which gets me some extra mileage from my favorite scented candles – but it sure is MESSY!
I agree with you that the candles at Home Goods, TJ Maxx, etc. have the prettiest packaging! There’s also the Patriot Candles I’ve been buying for years at Denver-area Walgreens (not sure if they have them in other areas or states) in pretty amber (Whiskey & Tobacco) and bottle green (Absinthe & Black Fig) glass apothecary-style jars – those two are my FAVORITE scents for fall and winter! If you go looking for them just make sure I haven’t been to your local store first because I’ll have bought them all up :)!
http://www.paperandvine.com
I’ve always upcycled my candle jars! They hold my cotton swabs, cotton balls, bandaids, everything!!!! Thanks for a pretty post!!! As always, you take great pictures! Blessings!
Thank you Barbara for the sweet comment! laura
I have saved a few candle jars. Those are all my favorite candle places too.