If you’re anything like me, then you know I am always looking for a quick and easy DIY project. I also want to be able to repurpose something when I can as well. That’s why when I saw these beautiful amber candle jars, I knew I needed to repurpose them after I had finished burning them.
Again, these pretty candles are from Modern Forestry and I shared more about them in my last post here as well. I just love not only the scent of the candles, but also the jars to them as well.
Here you can see I already cleaned one jar out, but still had one more to go! 
Here is the inside of the jars. One full of wax, and one completely cleaned out!
Getting Wax out of the Candle Jar
You may be wondering, well how do I get out the leftover wax in the jar after I’ve burned through the candle?? I am here to tell you it is a super easy process! All you have to do once you burn it down, is place it in the freezer (after it’s completely cooled of course) and let it sit there overnight.
Then, the next day, take a butter knife and simply pop out the remaining wax! Usually, placing it in the freezer makes it crack a little so you can easily stick your butter knife in there to start popping the wax out! And also, when it’s frozen it will usually come out in chucks. Although, I recommend doing this over your trashcan so the little pieces don’t fly everywhere. If you don’t, you may have to sweep everything up!
After I got all the wax and the wick (I was able to pop that out easily with the butter knife too), I peeled off the labels to the jar. Now, I was left with some sticky residue from the labels so then I needed to get that off.
Cleaning the Candle Jar
To get off the sticky residue, I washed the jar in hot soapy water. This got most of the residue off, but I still had some left on my lid. I was able to use a magic eraser to get the rest of it off. I had to scrub a little harder, but it finally came off!
After giving them a good wash and scrub, they were nice and clean! Then, I dried them off really well with a towel. And now, the candle jars are completely done and ready to be displayed!
Repurposing Old Candle Jars
So now that the jars are pretty and clean with no sticky residue, I was ready to decorate with them! Which I always think is the most fun part about any DIY project. If you’re wondering what exactly can I do with an old candle jar and how can I display them?? I have some ideas for you!
- Display them on a tiered tray
- Or display them on some open shelving
- Use them for storage
- Place q-tips, cotton balls, or bobby pins in them for the bathroom
- If the jars are larger, use them as a pencil/pen holder in your office
- Use them to store your knick-nacks and little treasures
- Such as vintage buttons from your grandmother
- Or any other small sentimental pieces to you
Above, you can see I chose to place them on my bathroom open shelves. I love the amber color to them because I already have an amber bottle on there. So I thought it all tied in nicely together.
And yes, that’s an old vintage bottle of denture powder sitting there too! I am a dental hygienist, and I thought it would be fun to display some old dental goodies on my bathroom shelf. That’s what got me inspired to put them on the bathroom shelves to begin with.
I also decided to play around with them while decorating to see where I could put them. I like the way they looked on my tiered tray too so I took a picture of it to show yall. Ultimately, I will leave them on my bathroom shelves but I wanted to give you options as to what you can do with the jars once you are done cleaning them!
I hope this inspires you to repurpose some of your old candle jars too in the future. It is such a super simple DIY and it can be used for so many fun things!
I hate throwing away old candle jars – especially when you pay so much for the damn candle! These are some great tips! xxx
Exactly! Candles are so expensive!
I love repurposing my candles! I usually burn them down, and then fill up a small pot of water, not much and bring to a boil and I will drop the candle down in there and once it’s liquid wax, I pour it into a silicone mold. I then freeze the candle and scoop out the rest! Then I have wax melts and a new holder for something ?
Oh that’s a great idea too! I did not think of doing that. Thanks for sharing!
Oh that’s a great idea too! I did not think of doing that. Thanks for sharing.
Great post! I never knew freezing helped get rid of left over wax, such a great tip! I have a candle that I’ve nearly finished and I love the jar so have been looking for a early to reuse it! Although I love the label so I think I may leave it on there.
Thank you so much! That sounds like a great idea! I think leaving the labels on is a great way to reuse it as well!
This is such a good idea. I haven’t heard of putting a used candle in the freezer before but I’m going to try it. I usually fill them with boiling water and wait as the wax drifts to the top. The wax usually then pops out as a disc which I burn on my oil burner to use up the last of the scent.
Oh that is a good idea idea too! I haven’t thought of doing that before either! I think any option to get the wax out is just fine, as long as you can repurpose the candle jar in the end!
Ooh, I had no idea that putting the jar in the freezer helps get the wax out of jars, but most candle jars are so pretty, I always hated wasting them. Thanks for sharing this!
No problem! I always hate to waste the jars too so when I can reuse them, I do!
Love this idea. I have always wondered how to get all of the wax out, I didn’t realise putting it in the freezer would help get it out. I’ve also heard that placing a bit of oil on the sticky residue gets it off as well.
Thanks for the inspiration!
Aimsy xoxo
Aimsy’s Antics
No problem! I haven’t tried the oil before, but I am sure that would work too!
I never know how to get the old leftover wax out of candle jars so this is perfect, I would never have thought of putting them in the freezer, that’s genius! I’ll have some jars to clean in a little while so I’ll definitely give this a go, you can never have too many pots for bits and bobs, can you? Thank you for these tips 🙂 Lisa x
No problem Lisa! Glad you can try it out! And yes, since they all come in different shapes and sizes, it’s perfect to use to store random items.
I love repurposing items and these candle holders are so pretty. They look great on your open shelves.
Thank you so much Brooke! I love having them on my open shelves too.
These are some really super cute ideas, my mother in law has loads of old pretty candle jars, I’ll have to chat to her about repurposing them. I partiularly would like to have some of them and use them for storage.
Yes! That would be perfect! They are great for storage!
I usually melt down the wax in the microwave and then scoop out the remaining with a tissue and it works for me! Never thought the freezer. Also I mainly use my candle pots for storage or a little decor xx
Yes they are prefect for both storage and decor!
What a nice idea! Thanks for the tips!
No problem Alyssa. Thanks for stopping by!
This hands down is my favorite article of the day. I have so many pretty candle jars and I hate tossing them (and their covers) You just gave me some great ideas on how to repurpose them!
Oh good! I am glad I was able to give you a few ideas then!