According to the National Candle Association, a wick clip is crucial to keep the candle flame at a safe height above the vessel to prevent overheating. However, this will cause some candle wax to be left in the container after the wick burns out. Rather than throwing the leftover candle wax out, here are some awesome ways to upcycle those unused wax from your old candles!

1. Make a Tealight

Tealights are small candles that come in a shallow metal or plastic cup, and they only require some leftover wax, a tealight cup, and a wick to make. These supplies can be found at craft stores or online retailers such as Amazon. 

To make a tealight candle, just place the used candle in the freezer for a few hours. This causes the wax to shrink, which makes it easy to pop out of the jar.  Remove the wax from its jar with a butter knife or spoon, place it in a bowl and melt it in a microwave or an oven. After the wax is fully melted, you can pour it into the new tealight container. 

We do not recommend directly microwaving the candle jar to melt the leftover wax because of the metal clip in the jar.

2. DIY Wax Melts

Wax melts, also known as wax tarts, are a wonderful way to enjoy your favorite scents without actually burning a candle. To make wax melts, you simply take the leftover wax from your candle and place it into a tart warmer or melt warmer. You can do so by following the instruction to make tealights - without the need to melt the leftover wax in the microwave or oven! 

3. Fragrance Pouches

If you’re looking for an easy way to bring your favorite candle fragrance into smaller spaces, consider making fragrance pouches! These little pouches are perfect for adding pleasant scents to small spaces like closets and clothing drawers. Follow the same steps as above to freeze the leftover wax and pop it out, and place it in a linen pouch.