CrAFtY SchTuF: Recycled Candles
♻ Recycled Candles ♻
For a year or so now, I've been saving the excess candle wax that almost always inevitably remains after burning down a scented candle (sticking the jars in the freezer does the trick...once the wax freezes, you can use a butterknife to break them into a few pieces and it pops right out). It's annoying how often half the candle is left behind once the wick has burned down to nothing, what a waste! My plan was to save enough of each scent to melt down into 'new' (recycled) candles, which I finally did after buying some wicks off of eBay for a steal ($2.77 total inc. S&H, for 50 wicks!).
I used an old coffee can that I crimped with pliers to create a spout (I'm so proud of my makeshift spout, lol) and a sauce pan filled with water to create a 'double boiler' to melt the wax. It was fun and super easy, I can see how candlemaking could become an addictive hobby! ;) I only made a few for now (my next ones I'll probably get a little more creative with and make stripes with multiple waxes) and maybe one day I'll make my own molds and create groovy candles (lol, maybe I'll put Keller!Doll into plaster of paris and make 'Killer Keller Kandles™', haha). The kids keep asking me when I'm going to actually *use* the candles I made, but for now I'm happy to just look at the final product. I have so many candles, I still have plenty to use for extra wax for future 'recycled' candle projects. The dollar store is the best place to get the scented candles...they always have a great selection like pumpkin spice, vanilla, blueberry, even cupcake (it smells so good!), they have all sorts! nomnomnom
The wicks...
The wax...
nomnomnom Pumpkin & Pumpkin Spice chunks
Melting the wax in the coffee can...
Old candle jar, new wick!
Pouring the melted wax...dig my 'Ove Glove'!
The pumpkin candle before it has cooled...
I had a little bit of some left-over blueberry candle wax, but not enough to fill this jar...
...so I melted some 'vanilla cupcake' chunks and white candle bits to make another layer once the blueberry cooled...the white kind of blended with the residual blue left in the can.
Final product...2 pumpkin candles, one spice candle,
and a double-layer blueberry & vanilla cupcake candle. ♥