How to Recycle Old Candles and Wax

Recycling Candles

Recycling candles, in a nutshell, is melting down old candles and wax chunks to make new, beautiful candles. It's great if you have some old candles lying around, or even some that are mostly burned but still have a lot of leftover wax. You can make lots of different things with recycled candles, such as votives or tea lights, or even layered jar candles! The possibilities are endless. The only trick is to combine candles whose colors/fragrances are compatible. For instance, you don't want to melt a green and a red candle together, then you will just get brown. And you don't want to blend your rose scented wax with the banana nut bread wax! Another thing to remember is to make sure you have enough wax for the candle size you wish to make from recycled wax.

Things you will need:

- Old candles, scrap wax, etc.

- Double boiler with pouring pot

- Thermometer

- Extra fragrance or color (optional - only if needed)

- A clean wicked container (tea light cups, votive molds, or a clean jar)

- A protective cover for your work space (newspaper works well)

- Oven mitts for handling hot objects

- Clothespin to center wick (if making a jar candle)

- Paper towels for any spills or mess

Getting Started:

Grab a few old candles or some scrap wax with similar colors or fragrances. If they are taper or pillar candles, you can try to pull the wicks out, but if you can't, that is okay. Just trim off any burned wick or wax from the end and throw into your melting pot. For jar candles, scrape out any dirty wax and burned wick. After that is completed, you can set the whole jar inside a pot of hot water, close to boiling until the candle liquifies. Once it is liquid, you can pour it right out of the jar and into your double boiler. (Use oven mitts, jar will be HOT!)

*Note: If there are any wicks or tabs you cannot remove, not to worry! These can go into the melting pot as well. They will sink to the bottom, and after you are finished pouring your new candles, they can just be thrown away. Easy!

After you have your wax scraps in your double boiler, let them melt to about 160*F then remove from heat. Depending on what you wish to do with your wax, the following directions are broken into sections: Tea Light candles, Jar Candles, and Votive candles.

Tea Lights:

Once your wax is melted to your desired temperature, add any extra color and fragrance to freshen it up (only if needed). Slowly pour hot wax into wicked tea light cups, and allow to cool. Tea light candles do not need a second pour.

*Hint: If making tea lights, a pouring pot with a good spout is the best. Since they are so small, it can be easy to overpour and spill wax. Take care to pour slowly and steadily.

Votive Candles:

Once your wax is melted to your desired temperature, add any extra color and fragrance to freshen it up (only if needed). Slowly but steadily pour wax into your votive mold to the very top, and after a few minutes, insert wick in the center. This will give the wax on the bottom a chance to cool a bit so the wick will stick to the bottom. You can press the wick into the bottom with a wick pin or a wooden skewer. As the votives cool, periodically check on them to be sure the wick is centered. If the cooling wax pulls is off center, lightly pull it back where it should go, taking care not to pull it from the bottom of the mold. After your votives are completely cooled, you will notice sink holes on top that will need to be repoured. Simply reheat your wax, and pour until it is even with the first pour level. Pouring higher or lower can result in unsightly lines in your votive candle. When the votive is completely cool, it should slip out of the mold easily. If not, try putting it in the freezer for a few minutes and try again. Never try to force the candle out of the mold, it should come out easily if you do those things.

Jar Candles:

There are a few ways to make the recycled jar candles, and they are the nicest if you have different colors/fragrances of wax. Heat and prepare your wax according to above instructions. If you need more detailed instructions, please refer to the beginner tutorials, Melting Wax, and Container Candles. If you are not making a layered candle, follow normal directions for container candles. If making a layered candle, here is how:

If you are using scented wax, be sure to use fragrances that compliment each other. For instance, different florals may go well together, such as Rose and Lily, or different "food" fragrances can blend well, such as Apple Pie and Vanilla. Take one color/fragrance of wax, and melt according to usual instructions. When cooled to your desired pouring temperature, pour slowly and steadily into your prepared and wicked jar until it is filled halfway. (For layered candles, you can use as few or as many layers as you wish. This tutorial will cover two layers, but with proper planning and correct wax measurement, any amount of layers can be achieved!) As your jar candle cools, poke relief holes close to the wick to allow air to escape. When wax is completely cool, you can start melting your second batch of wax for your to layer. Follow above instructions for pouring, only this time, fill up your jar.

*Note: Be sure to leave a small amount of leftover wax for the last repour.

Once your second batch of wax has been poured, poke relief holes as needed, and allow to cool completely. Once candle is cool, heat up the last of the wax and pour slowly on top of the candle to eliminate any poke holes and sink holes. This will make the top of your candle smooth when it cools. After pouring the last of the wax, allow to cool completely. After it cools, you can trim the wick to a quarter inch, light your candle, and enjoy!