Q&A for How to Make the Most from Your Old Candles

Start by freezing the jar until the wax hardens. Doing this will cause the wax to shrink, making it easier to dislodge. After the wax has hardened, gently pop it out. Then, clean any remaining residue with a cloth or scrub. You can then reuse the candle jar or melt the remaining wax to mix with other waxes. But make sure they are the same type of wax to achieve even burning and avoid potential safety hazards.

Cotton. Take 2-3 threads off of a cotton undershirt, twist together, dip in melted wax, and tie a paperclip or something with a little weight to the waxed string to ensure the wick stays centered and it goes all the way through the candle.

It depends on the container. With jar candles, it is recommended that you don't reuse in case of breakage. For any other, use your best judgement.

Yes, you can. It will make a lovely smell. Make sure you put enough in so you can smell the oil, but don't put too much in because it can create a really strong smell and sting your lungs.

Heat the old wax in a pot, when it is fully melted pour it through some cloth into a bowl. You can also melt the wax then let it harden, remove it from the pot and cut of the bottom section, the dirt will have settled to the bottom while it cooled.

I have recycled spent wax melts into candles. Some brands burn better than others, but they all burn. There won't be much scent, but I don't care about that. I tend to blend similar colors together and use half pint mason jars to make the candles.

Cut a piece of string to length you want it. Melt a bit of leftover wax and soak the string in it. Use some pliers or something like that to take it out, and then let it dry for a bit. Voila! You have your own homemade candle wick.

I don't think you should as it could create a fire hazard. The pieces of dried plant material will potentially catch fire and just smell like smoke. There shouldn't be anything in your candle except the wick, and maybe some decoration on the outside, if your candle is wide enough that it won't burn. To scent candles, buy a fragrance oil in the desired scent and add it to the melted wax before pouring it.

Use food coloring. It is concentrated, and pouring a few drops on white wax, or a teaspoon on colored wax can convert it to the color of your choice. Use your own judgement in deciding how much, though.

Place the candle in a pot of water over a stove, making sure that the water covers the sides but not the top. The wax will eventually melt, and when it does, you can follow the above steps.

You can use the microwave. Cover the wax with a paper towel so it doesn't splash up. The time to melt the candle depends entirely on how thick your candle is. Either way, you need to keep an eye on the candle as you're heating it up. Do not leave the candle unattended in the microwave.

If the jar is microwavable, or heat safe, then yes. However, be careful in making sure of this. If it is unlabeled, it might not be safe for the microwave and it could melt.

Yes. You should add enough to bring out the fragrance. Using too much fragrance will produce a strong smell, which might be irritating to the lungs.

Use a paper clip to hold the candle wick down so the wick doesn't come off the bottom while pouring the hot wax into the mould.

Yes. It looks like that's what they did in the video demo.

Typically, soy wax lasts longer and will not burn as fast.