8 tips for reusing old candle wax

Don’t you hate it when you burn a candle but there is still a lot of wax left at the bottom? It seems a waste to just throw it away. With these tips, you don’t have to. You won’t believe all the things you can do with your leftover wax.

First off, you will need to remove the wax from the candle-holders. If the wax is easy to remove, you can use a knife to cut around the edge. For hard-to-budge wax, you can boil a saucepan full of water and place the glass or metal jar in the water until the wax begins to melt, making it easier to dislodge. Be careful with glass jars and don’t leave them in the water long.

Make new candles

Buy a pack of candle wicks and melt your old, unused candle wax in a saucepan. Pour the melted wax into your leftover candle holders, making sure the wicks are placed inside. Voila! You now have a brand-new set of candles. When you melt the wax, you can add food colouring, herbs and other scents to create your own unique candle.

Make fire starters

If you have a fireplace, go camping or have a fire-pit, you can make your own fire-starters from leftover wax. There are a few different ways to do this but the easiest is to dip cardboard or cotton pads into the melted wax and save them for your next fire.

Wax your shoelaces

If the end of your shoelaces begin to fray, leftover candle wax is perfect for solidifying them again. All you need to do is drip a small amount of hot wax onto the end of your shoelaces and roll this back and forth between your fingers. 

Seal your letters

Seal your letters the old-fashioned way with your leftover wax. Simply pour a small amount of melted wax onto the back of your letter and use a stamp to imprint a cute design.

Get creative and make wax art

If you make a few pots of hot wax and add food colouring, you can create your very own wax art. You can smear the wax on a canvas with a paintbrush and watch as your image solidifies or you can even create stunning wax sculptures to display or give out as gifts.

Melt down for skateboarding

If you have a grandchild who loves skateboarding you can melt down the wax and save it in containers. Avid skateboarders can use the wax to wax up curbs before they do their tricks.

Childproof your table and draw edges

Melt the wax down enough so that it is warm to the touch and flexible. Push the wax around the edges of anything sharp and build on the wax as it cools.

Make aromatic wax melts

Collect your old, unused candle wax. When you have enough, melt your wax in a saucepan. Add food colouring, herbs, essential oils, or special candle scent oils. Just make sure you check that none of your materials are highly flammable. Pour the melted wax into small cupcake liners to give them shape. You can save them if you have a diffuser or place them around the house to keep your rooms smelling nice and fresh.

Can you think of any other possible uses for leftover wax? Tell us which one of our tips you would like to try!