Aluminum Foil Is All You Need To Repurpose Waxy Candle Jars

There's nothing like a nice candle to give your home great ambiance. However, store-bought candles aren't cheap: you're paying not just for scented wax, but for the pretty jar it comes in. Luckily, when the candle's done, you can easily reuse the jar with the help of a kitchen staple. Aluminum foil helps keep a potentially messy process mess-free. 

While there are several ways to remove old candle wax, the double-boiler is one of the fastest and easiest. Put some water in a pot on the stove to boil, and float the candle jar on top of it. The wax might even melt before the water boils, so keep an eye on the process.

Next is where your aluminum foil comes in. Line a bowl with foil, remove the jar with tongs, and use hot pads to carefully pour the wax from the candle jar into the bowl. This makes for easy clean-up: just let the wax cool, then take the foil out and toss it.

These steps should leave you with a mostly wax-free jar. However, if a little bit is still stuck inside, run it under warm water and scrub it away with a sponge or cloth. You can even use a ball of foil for this step: its abrasive texture makes it great for scrubbing. Keep doing this until you've gotten all the wax out.

In addition to wax, that candle jar might have an old label you'll need to remove. Soaking in water and scrubbing (again, balled-up aluminum foil may help) often does the trick. If not, you can try simmering the jar on the stove again, making sure it's more submerged this time, so the label is covered. A little dish soap or baking soda in the water will help the label peel off. 

Once that old candle jar is clean, it has many possible purposes. Use it to hold makeup brushes, fancy snacks, or cotton balls — you name it. Or, of course, it can always hold another candle!