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Don’t throw away those old, partially used candles! Use them to make these DIY Recycled Candles! Transform your old candles into eco-friendly DIY Recycled Candles with this simple guide. Perfect for both beginners and seasoned crafters! Plus, they’re easy to make and perfect to give as gifts!
I love a good DIY candle project! Whether it’s a DIY candle gift for teachers, a Thanksgiving gratitude candle, or a classic homemade pumpkin spice latte candle… I love them all! This project is so much fun because you can get really cheap used candles from the thrift store to use and it will only cost a few dollars at most!
DIY Recycled Candles
These DIY Recycled Candles are so simple to make because there are only a few steps! I’m gonna give you quite a few pictures so that even the most DIY-challenged can do this simple project!
You will need:
- Old candles (tapered, unscented work best – you can even use ones that are partially burnt)
- New Wick
- New Wick Holders
- Jar (any small, old jar will work – baby food jar, old candle jar, a small mason jar)
- Hot Glue Gun
- Essential Oils (we love this little set, and it’s organic!)
- Large Pot
- Large Stainless Steel Bowl
- Water
- Hot Pads
- Silicone Tongs
- Silicone Spatula
- Needle Nose Pliers
These are the candles I used, which is part of what I love about this project! You can usually find these at yard sales for a quarter per bundle, or even at a local thrift store for 50% off. Fifty cents a bundle isn’t bad!
For reference, about 4 of these tapered candles will fill an 8-10 oz jar. So depending on how many candles you find, you’ll know how many jars you need!
Instructions
To melt the candles down, you will need to make a double-boiler. DO NOT use a real double boiler, or you will regret it once you try to clean all that wax out of it.
Instead, put a large pot on the stove, fill it about half-full with water, then put the burner on high.
Next, set a large stainless steel bowl on top of the pot, and put the candles in the bowl to melt. The colors from the candles will remain, so keep that in mind when mixing colors in your melting bowl.
Use your silicone tongs to remove the old wicks once the candles are completely melted. Once you remove the wicks, then you can add in the essential oils for scent. Keep in mind that any health benefits from the essential oils won’t exist after you dump them into this super-hot wax. If you want the health benefits from them, you will still need to apply or diffuse them.
Add the essential oils until you have the scent you want. This is one of the main reasons to try and use only unscented candles! Otherwise, you will have many scents mixing, which can be unpleasant!
Next, you will run the new wick through the wick holder. Only run it about half an inch through, as shown. Use a pair of needle nose pliers to squeeze the opening around the wick shut, then flatten the bottom circle back out with the pliers as well.
Use hot glue on the bottom of the wick holder, and press it down into the bottom center of the jar you’re making into a candle. Once it’s dry, use scissors to cut the wick even with the top of the jar.
Alternatively, you can leave an extra couple of inches of wick, wrap it around a pencil, and balance the pencil on top of the jar to hold the wick in place too.
It should look like this when you’re finished, and before you’ve added in the wax for your DIY Recycled Candles.
Use your funnel to carefully pour the hot wax into your candle jar. Allow it to cool on a flat surface for several hours until the wax is completely solid. Don’t add a lid to the jar until the wax is completely cooled.
Now you’ve made your first of many DIY Recycled Candles! Burn and enjoy as you would any other candle!
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