How To Freshen Up Candles

Here's a super clever way to get the most out of your great smelling candles that still have wax yet won't really burn any more 'cuz it's on the side of the container not in the center near the wick. You with me? We've all had this happen, usually to our most expensive candles. Now, there's a solution.

When I saw this on Casa Sugar, it was a hit-my-head-say-'D'oy!' moment. Seriously, why didn't I think of this? Why didn't you think of this and tell me about it!

How-To: Freshen Up Candles from Casa Sugar

Candles warm up your space, but all too often good candles are tossed out in the cold way before they're officially done. Throwing them out is not only a shame, but it's also a waste of money! Instead of trashing your burned-down bougies, freshen them up using this simple trick.

Step One

Start by gathering your materials. For this project you need: 

• an old candle in a glass container
• a birthday candle
• an empty votive
• a knife or scissors
• a pot
• some water

Step Two

Bring a pot of water to boil. You'll need enough water so that the wax part of the candle is below the water, but not so much that the water overflows into the top of the glass.

Step Three

Carefully place your old candle into the hot water. Use tongs so that you don't burn yourself.

Step Four

Keep an eye on the candle as it starts to melt. It's a fairly slow process — this candle took about 10 minutes to completely melt. You want almost the entire thing to be liquid. It's easier to fish out if you don't melt it all the way to the wick.

Step Five

Once the wax is completely melted, slowly pour it into your empty votive and discard the old wick.

Step Six

As you wait for the wax to harden, size the birthday candle so that it doesn't stick out too much from the top of the candle. Don't overdo it though; it's OK for the candle to be a little too tall.

Step Seven

As soon as the wax has hardened slightly and the top of the wax has formed a little film, gently insert the birthday candle into the center of the votive. If it won't stand up straight, hold it in place for a minute or two while the wax hardens a little more. 

Don't worry if the top of the birthday candle sticks out a bit, it will burn down quickly and you'll never even know it was there.

Step Eight

Burn, baby, burn — and enjoy giving your old candles new light!