Hiya Guys!
I hope you have all had an amazing start to 2020.
After posting on Instagram quite a few times about how I recycle and reuse old candles and wax melts, I decided to make a YouTube video and blog post all about how I do it as I've had quite a few requests to do so.
I started doing this around 6 months ago when I noticed with certain candles how much wax was was left once it had burnt out. I found that it would burn out and the wick was no longer useable however there was loads of wax left inside the jar - so I decided to recycle them and make my own candles! Please note that I am not a professional and this method is what works best for me.
I have also uploaded a step by step tutorial on YouTube, if you'd prefer to watch me carry out this process
WHAT YOU'LL NEED -
Candle Wicks - I bought mine from eBay
Empty Jar - I use old glass jars that I've recycled - one of my favourites to use are empty Gu jars (those incredible little cheesecakes)
Wick Stabiliser - I have only recently just one of these with my recent wick delivery, I previously used my stainless steel chopsticks to hold the wicks in place however I have also seen many people use pegs
Boiling Water
Pan
Tweezers
Scissors
INSTRUCTIONS -
You firstly want to boil some water and pop this into a pan on the hob, fill the pan around 2 inches deep with water - you don't want it to be full as it can risk water getting into the wax.
Then carefully place your empty candle into the water and allow the wax to melt. If you are melting wax melts, place them in an empty jar - I use an old candle jar that has no wax left inside.
Whilst the wax is melting I like to prepare my jars that I will be using for my new candles, I take the base of my wick and dip it into a melting candle and then pop them into my jar - this way the melted wax dries and secures your wick in place. I have seen many others using glue dots to secure their wicks, which may be a quicker and easier process!
Once the wax is melted completely, carefully take the jar out of the pan using a tea towel or oven glove to avoid burning your fingers and allow to cool for a couple of minutes. If you have been melting an old candle, this is when you use your tweezers to remove the old wick.
After you've allowed the wax to cool, it's as simple as pouring it into your new jar which has already been prepared and stabilising the wick using either the stabiliser, chopsticks or a peg!
Allow the wax to set and there you have a brand new candle, made from recycled wax that was going to end up in the landfill! You've saved yourself money and reduced waste at the same time.
I hope you all found this useful and if you decide to recycle your old candles and wax, please tag me on Instagram with your results as I would love to see them!
If you have any other DIY projects and eco friendly hacks, you'd like to see from me then please let me know.
Thanks for reading, as always.
Amber xxx
