Recycling Candles

Recycling Candles

Sometimes candles can be extremely expensive. If something goes wrong... perhaps it was burning on an uneven surface, or maybe burning in an uneven house, the wicks get covered in wax and you can't use it any more. So, I kept a candle like this for a few years, every so often, I tried to burn it, dig out the wicks and try again. 

Well, it has been a few years since I could burn the candle. I made a decision, only 5 years for a project in process, and this candle's time was about up! 

So, I decided that I wanted to etch some neat designs on the glass that the new candles would be in. I bought some Armour Etch on Amazon and I found instructions on how to use it on the internet, since there were no instructions on the container (not a great selling point, come to think of it). Paint it over the stencil and leave it on for at least 2 minutes and rinse thoroughly. Then take off the stencil. 

The top of my candle burned over one wick completely. It was frustrating and taking up valuable space in my bedroom. 

I used a big vegetable knife to cut done the sides of the candle. It was similar to cutting up chocolate. It makes these long shreds. I had parchment paper underneath to catch the shreds and transfer them to a measuring cup. 

The white chocolate, I mean wax shavings in my pan. I only use this pan for candles, and this is my 4th round of candles. Never use this pan for edibles again, because you don't want wax or other chemicals in your food. Just a bad idea!

The wax starts to melt in my "candle only" pan.

Once the wax is completely clear, start to pour over your several candles. Just a few inches at a time, the wax will settle quite a bit as it cools. You also want to avoid surprise holes inside the candle.

Use tape to keep your wick steady. I poured this particular candle four times over two days. The first pour was about an inch and a half. Then I pour to fill most of the candle and as it cools, the wax settles and makes a big hole next to the wick. So, I poured to fill that in, and lastly I poured the wax to evenly make a nice smooth top. I hope that makes sense. 

5 completely new candles, from a dusty thing that was taking up space in my room. Now that's nifty, I mean thrifty!