We’ve shown you how to clean out your old candle jars, so now we want to share some ideas on how to use those empty containers. Many of these uses could be used with candle jars that came with lids, but if you don’t have one then simply cover where necessary with plastic wrap or tin foil.
#1 DIY Body Scrub Jars
Make your own body scrub by mixing 1 part granulated sugar with 2 parts coconut oil and adding in some lavender essential oil and pure vanilla extract or any other essential oils that you like. Then scrub it on in the shower!
#2 Make A New Candle From Old Wax
We showed you how to remove old wax in our last candle video, so you can simply take all that wax and add it to one jar, insert a wick and you have a whole new candle.
#3 Add New Wax For A New Candle
You can purchase wax at any craft store and just melt it down and add it to an empty jar, insert a wick and you have a brand new candle for much less than a one would cost at a specialty store.
#4 Add A Tea Light
Drop a tea light into the candle jar to create a nice visual effect to be used indoor or out. And if you want to get really creative, you can even take a clear jar and paint the glass before dropping in the light.
#5 Liquor Glasses
Candle jars are often made of thick, beautiful glass which in turn makes an excellent glass for liquor or otherwise. Start collecting these jars and you will soon have an eclectic collection that will look great at your next dinner party.
#6 Tea & Coffee Holders
Store your tea or coffee in a jar and leave it on your counter for easy access that is visually appealing.
#7 Get the Last of the Smell Out
Don’t take the wax out and simply place your nice smelling candle on the stove (but not the element), in the window on a warm sunny day or even on a mug warmer to get the last of the fragrance out
#8 Pens & Pencils
Empty candle jars make excellent pen and pencil holders. Just place it on your desk and fill with your favorite writing utensils.
#9 Spare Change
Leave an empty jar by the front door or on your dresser to drop your spare change into without losing it. Then once a month count your change, roll it and take it to the bank or buy yourself a little treat!
#10 Candy Jars!
Take a few jars and fill them with your favorite candies to be left out on the counter for regular snacking or store nicely in the cupboard.
#11 Toothbrush & Toothpaste Holder
Taller jars make excellent holders for your toothbrush and toothpaste, plus you can fill it with a mix of water and vinegar every once in a while to give your toothbrush a good cleaning!
#12 Planter
Use a jar as a planter for a small cactus or succulent. It will create a nice home for it and look great on a window sill or table.
#13 Hold Lip Balms
Are you a lip-balm-aholic? Do you have more than you know what to do with and yet you seem to never be able to find one when you need it? Then use a jar to store all those balms in your bathroom or make-up table.
#14 Hot Chocolate Gift
We’ve all seen those mason jar gift ideas but there is no reason that empty candle jars should be left out. Use it to give hot chocolate powder with mini marshmallows or cookie dough ingredients. If you don’t have a lid for your jar then take a nice piece of cloth and tie it on with twine or pretty string.
#15 Hair Elastics
What woman or hair-bun touting man doesn’t have a million hair elastics lying around? These jars make excellent containers for all the elastics you have in every drawer of your house! Keep them in one or two jars and you will never be searching for an elastic again.
#16 Toiletries
Is your medicine cabinet or bathroom counter a disaster zone? Quickly organize it and make it look really officials by designating a jar for cotton swabs, one for cotton pads or cotton balls and one for your manicuring items like scissors, nail clippers and tweezers.
#17 Air Freshener
Make your own air freshener to your specifications by filling an empty candle jar about three-quarters of the way with baking soda then add 5-10 drops of your favorite essential oil(s). This combination will freshen any room for about a week, after which time you can simply shake it up to loosen the baking soda and add more essential oil.
#18 DIY Bath Bombs
Making your own bath bombs is easy to do and lots of fun, but they aren’t the easiest thing to store. Create a home for them in an empty candle jar and leave them by your bathtub to brighten your bathroom.
#19 Bobby Pins
Along the same line as elastic bands, bobby pins seem to end up everywhere, so keep them contained in a jar.
#20 Pet Treats
Your pets deserve a nice container for their treats as much as you do. Fill a jar with a lid with your furry friend’s favorite treats so they are easily accessible and they will keep well.
There you have it! 20 fun and neat ways to give your empty candle jars new life! Let us know in the comments below if there is a way you have reused your candle jars that we haven’t included.
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Please, please, PLEASE do not just reuse candle jars by making a “new” candle in it! Glass can only take so much heating and cooling before it shatters and you run the risk of having your “new” candle burst while it’s lit.
I recommend reusing them in ways that don’t involve repetitive bursts of heat (anything that uses it as a storing jar should mostly be okay, but be very wary when using it to store foodstuffs as some jars may have contaminants in them that could leach into the food).
Just pop the nearly empty jar in the freezer for over night. Wax pops right out. Then use the wax left over disc in a candle warmer. Nothing wasted!
This is an amazing idea! I’ll have to try it out! Thank you 🙂
Great idea!!! Thank you!!!
Another way to remove the scent from a candle jar is to fill it with hot water and baking soda. let it sit until it cools. If I’m using it for food products, like candy, etc.., I then run the jar through the dishwasher with my regular dishes, to make sure it’s chemical free.
You might want to add a disclaimer on #5 (and several of the others for that matter). Many glass candle jars are made with lead (and other heavy metals like cadmium) to make the glass more resistant to heat. Unfortunately, these heavy metals are toxic, and they can contaminate any food or drink held in the glass.
I have a candle holder with a marble design on the outside. I emptied it using the freezer method (recommend a toothpick instead of a knife), put fairy lights inside and it looks AMAZING! Thanks for the inspiration Melissa.
Easy way to the candle out is put it in the freezer then it should come out. Then put washing up liquid in the jar pour boiling water leave for a little then clean out. I’ve used mine to put ear buds in. And then for the next one.
How do you clean them out? I missed that part and I cannot find on the website.
Yes! Where is the ‘how to clean them’ video….?!
I put the used candle in a warmer and when the scent is gone and it’s just liquid wax, I use a paper towel and soak up the wax. Then I soak the jar in hot water to get the labels off and use goo gone to get any extra stickiness off.
All I did was put the jars in my kitchen sink, and fill with hot water and boiled a pot of water and added that to the water in the sink. Left it for about 5 minutes and then took a plastic grocery bag and and used it like a glove to pull out the wax. After the wax was taken out and all of the wax was gone, I washed with an old kitchen sponge with soap and then put them in my dishwasher. Make sure there is no wax pieces left in the jar when you do that. I’ve been doing this way for years. Takes about 10 minutes and I do it with multiple jars at a time.
I did not out hot water in the jars, just the outside. The boiled water also softens the lamps which are easy to peel off. Any sticky residue that may still be on there, Goo gone will help.
https://cleanmyspace.com/diy-candle-jar-organizers/
Here’s the article about cleaning out the candle holders.
I love these tips! i hate throwing out candle jars so I started repurposing them and I love it.
Great ideas. I have a scrapbooking/craft room so I save all my Talenti gelato tubs and my glass candle jars and any other cute see through jars or tubs for organizing my crafts, buttons, and more. Recently I took my glue sticks out of the store bought clamshell and put them in a Yankee Candle jar and it looks great cause the glue sticks have those colorful labels in pink and yellow! Wish I could share a photo.
How do you make bath bimbs?