What To Do With Candles You Don T Want Anymore?

Candles are a popular household item that provide ambiance and fragrance. However, it’s common to accumulate unwanted candles over time that are unfinished, burned down, or no longer wanted. This results in the problem of what to do with the excess candles taking up space. Landfilling candles is wasteful since they are made of reusable wax. The goal then becomes finding creative ways to reuse or recycle the candles, rather than throwing them away.

Donate Unburnt Candles

Many charities accept partly used candles in good condition as donations. According to Spread The Light Candles, over $1,500 has been donated to local charities from their candle donations. When candles still have plenty of wax left, consider donating them to a charity thrift shop like Goodwill or the Salvation Army. Call ahead to check if they accept candle donations. You can also look for women’s shelters, homeless shelters, and domestic violence prevention organizations that may welcome candle donations.

For local options, search for “donate used candles charity near me”. Many non-profits appreciate getting new or gently used candles to give to the people they serve or to sell in their thrift stores. With some research, you can find a worthwhile charity that accepts partly used candles in your community.

Gift Unwanted Candles

One option for dealing with unused candles is to repackage and regift them. According to experts, candles are among the most commonly regifted items, especially around the holidays (https://www.rd.com/article/regift/). As long as the candle is still new and unused, regifting it can be perfectly acceptable. Just be sure to consider the recipient and choose someone who will appreciate the specific scent and style of the candle.

When regifting a candle, it’s best to repackage it nicely to make it look new again. Remove any price tags or branding indicating where it was purchased. Place the candle in a gift bag or box and wrap with tissue paper. You may also want to include something small like a candle snuffer, matches, or candle holder to make it a complete gift set. This thoughtful presentation will make the regifted candle seem brand new.

Regifting candles can be a great way to find new homes for nice candles you don’t need. Just be selective about who you gift them to in order to match their scent preferences. With some creative repackaging, your unwanted candle can become a wonderful gift for someone else.

Make Melted Wax Crafts

Candle wax can be remelted and used for wax crafts. Instead of throwing away leftover wax or candles you no longer want, you can melt them down and use the wax to make decorative items. The melted wax is perfect for making wax melts, wax embeds, candles, or wax sculptures.

To make melted wax crafts, start by removing any wicks and trimmings from the candles. Chop candles into smaller pieces so they melt faster. Place the wax pieces in a heat-safe glass or metal container. Melt the wax over low heat on the stove or in a double boiler, stirring occasionally, until completely liquid. Let the wax cool slightly and pour into silicone molds or containers to make melts, embeds, or votives. Cast cool wax in plastic molds to make shapes. The remelted wax can also be colored and scented to make customized crafts.

Making your own wax melts and embeds allows you to create homemade products in any scent you desire. You can mix and match pieces of old candles to invent new fragrance blends. Melted wax crafts also make great gifts for friends and family. Repurposing candle wax reduces waste and provides hours of creative fun.

Create Fire Starters

One easy way to repurpose your old candles is by turning them into homemade fire starters. This requires just a few simple materials – wax, cardboard, and sawdust or wood shavings. To make wax fire starters, start by melting down old candle wax either in the microwave or a double boiler on the stove. Melt just enough to coat the cardboard and sawdust/shavings mixture. Allow the wax to fully melt and combine, but be careful not to overheat it.

Then, take cardboard egg cartons, toilet paper tubes, or other small cardboard containers. Cut or tear them into small pieces if needed. Dip the cardboard pieces into the melted wax until coated. Next, pour sawdust or fine wood shavings into the wax-coated cardboard containers, pressing down lightly to compress. Dip again in the wax to fully saturate the sawdust/shavings. Allow the homemade fire starters to fully cool and harden before using. Store in a waterproof container or bag.

These homemade wax fire starters will burn long and hot, helping you start a campfire, fireplace, or outdoor grill. They are inexpensive to make and reuse recycled materials that would otherwise be thrown out. Follow safety precautions and always supervise open flames. For detailed instructions see: https://www.candlescience.com/learning/how-to-make-wax-fire-starters/

Melt for Container Candles

One great way to reuse old candle jars and remaining wax is to melt it down and create new container candles. Here’s how:

Start by removing any wicks and extraneous items from the jar. Make sure the jar is clean. Then place the old candle jar with wax still in it into a pot or makeshift double boiler on the stove over low heat. The wax will begin to melt into liquid form.

Once melted, carefully pour the wax into a new clean empty jar or tin container of your choice. You can reuse the old candle jar as well. Make sure to center a new wick into the melted wax. Allow to fully cool and solidify before lighting.

This lets you repurpose remaining wax into a new candle in a reused or new vessel. It cuts down on waste and saves money. You can get creative with scents, layers, colors and more (Source).

Use for Outdoor Candles

Unwanted candles can be repurposed for outdoor use by placing them in paper bags or glasses. The bags or glasses will protect the candles from wind and rain while allowing the light to shine through. This creates a simple yet beautiful way to illuminate gardens, patios, walkways, and other outdoor areas at night.

Tealights and votive candles work particularly well for outdoor lighting as they are small and fit nicely into bags and glasses. Their size also makes them economical, as a box of tealights can provide hours of outdoor ambiance for just a few dollars. Place the bagged or glass-enclosed candles along paths, in flower beds, or on tables to create a magical glow after dusk.

For stability, set each candle-filled bag or glass in a small mound of sand or rocks, or nestle them into the ground. This will prevent the wind from tipping them over while allowing for drainage if it rains. Citronella candles can help repel mosquitos and other insects when used outdoors. Just place them in bags or glasses as you would regular candles.

The paper bags will slowly burn away as the candles melt down, adding to the flickering light. Make sure to place the candles safely away from anything flammable. And never leave outdoor candles unattended or burning if the weather is windy. With these precautions, repurposed candles can illuminate outdoor spaces in an eco-friendly and thrifty way.

(Sources: https://www.pinterest.com/edmundsonr/outdoor-candle-holders/,
https://www.pinterest.com/pin/791366965761950141/)

Make Candle Oil Lamps

One creative way to reuse old candles is to turn them into oil lamps. To make a candle oil lamp, start by cleaning and drying a glass container like a mason jar. Next, add a few inches of oil, such as vegetable, olive or coconut oil. Then add chunks of leftover candle wax to the oil. The wax will melt into the oil over low heat. This helps the oil burn longer without getting too hot. You can make basic wicks by twisting cotton string or dipping wooden skewers in the wax mixture. Adjust the wick height so it burns cleanly without producing too much smoke. Decorate the glass jar if desired. The candle wax helps thicken the oil so it burns more slowly and evenly in the lamp wick. This allows the oil lamp to provide gentle lighting for hours. Oil lamps made from leftover candles are inexpensive to make and provide a sustainable light source.[1]

Repurpose as Crayons

One creative way to reuse old candles is to melt them down and turn them into new crayons. This lets you give the wax a second life in a fun DIY craft project. According to The Shabby Creek Cottage, all you need to do is chop up old candle wax into small pieces and melt it in a double boiler. Then you can add a few drops of crayon wax or food coloring to color the wax. Pour the melted wax into candy molds or silicone crayon molds to create new crayons in fun shapes. Let cool completely before removing from the molds. Now you have handmade crayons to use for crafts or gift-giving.

To make colorful crayons using this melted candle wax method, The Shabby Creek Cottage recommends having a variety of crayon bits on hand. Just sort crayon pieces by color before melting so you can mix and match colors as desired. They also suggest adding essential oils or fragrance oils to the melted wax while warm to create scented crayons.

Conclusion

In summary, there are many creative ways to reuse old candles rather than throwing them away. Donating or gifting unused candles is a great option if they are still in good condition. For melted wax or candle ends, you can make fire starters, wax melts, container candles, crayons, candle oil lamps, and more. With a little creativity, you can give your unwanted candles new life and keep them out of landfills. The best approach is always to try to reuse and repurpose items when possible, rather than discarding them. Candle wax is a very durable and malleable material that lends itself well to DIY crafts and utilitarian items. I hope these ideas inspire you to look at those old candles in a new light next time you are decluttering and cleaning. With a simple internet search, you can find many more innovative ideas for reusing wax.