Posted on September 15th, 2022

Burning a candle down to nearly nothing may be the end for that particular scent, but it also signifies a new beginning for the empty jar left behind. You can repurpose a particularly pretty glass or ceramic candle jar in plenty of functional, decorative ways—as long as you can get it clean.

Clearing out candle scraps can seem like a messy, daunting task—one that involves drippy wax and dangerously hot jars. And if you don’t have a plan for the container once it’s empty, it runs the risk of collecting dust at the back of a cabinet. But with the proper technique and some inspiration, giving an empty candle jar a second life can be quite simple. Matthew Herman, co-founder of candlemaker Boy Smells, gave us some great tips on just how to do it.

Boy Smells, a queer-owned small business based in Los Angeles, makes Wirecutter-recommended candles (including the earthy, elegant Hinoki Fantôme) that come in sleek glass vessels. Co-founded in 2016 by Matthew Herman and David Kien, the company focuses on gender-neutral scents. “We decided to make scents that we loved that combined traditionally masculine and feminine scent notes together,” Herman said in an interview.

Although most spent candle containers are recyclable, you can also reuse them in plenty of ways instead. Here’s how Herman thinks you can put your favorite candle container to good use once you’ve burned through the wax.

The Hinoki Fantôme Candle pairs a main course of cypress smoke with sides of warm amber, sweet vanilla, florals, and fresh moss.

“You should always stop burning a candle when there’s about a quarter inch of wax left,” Herman says. The nubby wax at the bottom of a candle won’t produce a quality scent—but more important, burning any further could cause the vessel to overheat, posing a safety issue.

Once you’ve burned your candle down to that ¼ inch, pop the container into the freezer overnight. (You can also pull the candle out after a few hours, but leaving it overnight ensures the wax freezes through.) After your candle remnants are fully frozen, flip the jar upside down in the air and forcefully bang the bottom with an open palm—the wax should fall out cleanly in one large piece. If it doesn’t, use a butter knife to break apart the clump of wax and remove it in pieces.

There are other methods of removing wax, but Herman says you make less of a mess this way—and you remove heat from the equation, making the freezer an overall safer candle-cleaning method.

Hand-wash the jar with dish soap and water once you’re done. To remove stubborn black scorch stains, try soaking the jar in soapy warm water. And if you remove the label and are left with a sticky adhesive residue, using a cotton pad soaked in a little isopropyl alcohol or Goo Gone can help wipe the jar clean.

Avoid using a dishwasher to clean out candle jars—Herman says this could strip away the color coating and decorations from glass containers, effectively ruining the design you were trying to preserve.

Save your spare change

Keep an empty jar near the front door—or wherever you’re most likely to dump out your pockets or tote once you’ve made it home—and drop in your spare change. This can be especially helpful for folks who use a laundromat or coin-operated parking meters and need a stash of quarters at the ready.

Sip on a cocktail

Pour yourself and your guests a flight of fancy drinks—and serve them up in your favorite candle jars. (The glass jars that Boy Smells uses are food safe as long as you clean them out well, but check with your candle’s manufacturer if you’re unsure whether the jar you have from another company is food safe.) Herman repurposes his favorite empty Boy Smells jars, like the colorful metallic ones from the Hypernature collection, as tumblers. “It’s a really cool way to serve drinks at a party,” he says.

Empty candle jars can also easily take the place of snack bowls. Whether you’re munching on something salty at the end of a long day or entertaining a group of friends with an array of treats, clean candle jars can be a delightful way to serve up your favorites.

Organize chaotic spaces

Use empty candle jars to contain clutter around your home. They’re a great size for toiletries: makeup brushes, cotton swabs or cotton balls, hair ties and clips. If you’re grappling with a messy desk, use empty jars to categorize your home-office supplies. And depending on the depth of your junk drawer, you can even use empty jars in a similar way to create a storage system within an often-chaotic catchall space.

Propagate your favorite plant

Clippings from plenty of houseplants (including pothos, philodendron, and monstera) can form new roots in water—and a candle jar can serve as a great home for the beginnings of a brand-new plant. Once the roots grow out, you’ll need to pot your clippings in soil (we recommend checking out this episode of Plant Daddy Podcast for an in-depth tutorial), but until then, they make beautiful decor.

Empty candle containers with drainage holes, like those from Paddywax, can function as planters for small houseplants or succulents. You can also try using glass and ceramic containers without drainage to plant your greenery, but just keep in mind that most plants need some form of irrigation to thrive.

Paddywax’s Tobacco Flower Form Candle comes in an eye-catching ceramic vessel that includes a drainage hole in the bottom, making it the perfect planter once you’re done enjoying the fragrance.

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