Saving Cash by Re-Using My Stash

Hello.  My name is Bri, and I have a candle addiction.  If I see one anywhere for a good deal, I will buy it.  I’ve even been guilty of taking money out of my grocery budget to buy one.  I don’t buy the cheap ones from Walmart either.  I only go for the good stuff.  The first step is admitting you have a problem, right? 

 Over the weekend, I tried to work on my addiction by re-using what I already had.  Have you ever noticed that when a candle burns it’s final flame you still have a decent amount of wax left?  I’m pretty stingy in the fact that I like to get my moneys worth out of everything I buy so I decided to make a project out of melting some new ones.  Over the past couple of months, I’ve been saving my candles after they’ve gone kaput and I finally had enough to make this worth it.

 

 

Since I live in the south now, it only seemed fittin' that I head on down to my local Hobby Lobby and see what that place is about.  Turns out it's pretty awesome.  It's a fun mix of JoAnn Fabrics and Michaels with a little bit of Home Goods mixed in.  With a 40% off coupon, I was able to buy some candle wicks for $1.86.  That place is lucky I'm on a budget because I could have done some serious damage. 

Next, I needed to figure out what I was going to burn these suckers in.  Keepin' with the southern vibe, I opted for mason jars since they are made out of glass that can withstand high temperatures.

Now it's time to melt the wax, but before you start this, there's a few things to take into consideration.  First, what are the scents you will be melting?  I had 3 of the same Evergreen scent that I melted into one new candle.  Another was created with all masculine scents and my last one was various floral scents.  Also, you need to keep in mind that before you can add layers, you'll need to completely cool the layer before it.  Unless you want to mix them all together to make a fun new scent, then by all means, go nuts and pour away. 

Now then, there's two ways you can go with this.  If the candle is already in a jar or container, place them on a cookie sheet and melt in a 350 degree oven for about 15 minutes or however long it takes to completely melt them down.

The other way is to start a double boiler with a glass bowl that you wouldn't care if food ever goes in again.  Take a sauce pan and fill it with water.  Place the glass bowl on the top and simmer over medium to medium-high heat.  Make sure the water is not touching the bottom of the bowl.

Put in your first candle and wait for it to melt completely, removing any labels and old wicks in the process.

While you're waiting for the wax to melt, you'll want to make this process easier on yourself by taking a hot glue gun and affixing the wicks to the base of the jar. 

Next, you'll need to rig up something to make the wicks stand up straight while the wax is waiting to cool.  I enlisted the hubbys help on this one and we came up with taking a clothes pin or binder clip and tying some kitchen twine to it.  Attach the other end of the twine to your cabinets and pull so it's taut. 

From there, it's pretty simple.  Start pouring the wax into the jars layer by layer allowing them to cool completely before pouring the next.  Trim the wicks to 1/2" and cover with a lid.  Lastly, admire the beauty you just created.