Candle Jar Makeover

 

Candles that already come in glass jars are a pretty addition to any room, but once the candle burns out I am always left with a not-so-pretty, waxy, smoke-stained jar that no longer serves any purpose. I am then faced with the dilemma: do I keep said messy jar, or do I toss it in the bin? Most of the time, my recycling habits kick in just as I think of throwing it out, and I end up left with numerous waxy glass jars stored away with no idea what to do with them.

It comes as no surprise that, being a recent graduate freshly out of university, I'm on a pretty tight budget. With Christmas coming up, there's always a mini panic about how much money is acceptable to spend on presents, or rather, for me, the acceptable minimum. Giving away things you already own but no longer use is a great way to get your presents together without breaking the bank, and doing a bit of crafty decorating not only puts your own personal stamp on your presents but also makes them truly unique. I'm hardly a Pinterest-worthy craft guru, but giving your empty candle jars a pretty makeover is a simple and easy way to create a cute little gift perfect for any home! 

Firstly, you'll need to clean out your candle jar. Carefully scrap away and remove the melted wax inside using a knife. To get rid of the stubborn waxy residue I tried two methods. For the first, boil some water in a saucepan, turn down the heat, and slowly lower the jar into the water. Then pour some of the boiling water into the jar. After around 10 minutes, the wax should be floating on top. Remove the jar from the water, pour out the wax, and wipe it clean. However, this method didn't actually completely get rid of the wax for me. The second method of using white spirit was far more effective and a lot quicker.

Then choose your choice of decoration. Living in a house where my mum used to make costumes and my sister and I studied Textiles, we have a lot of spare scraps of material lying around. I decided to keep it simple and pretty by using this length of crochet lace to decorate my jar.

Measure out how much material you'll need by wrapping it round the jar and marking the cut off point in pen. Then simply cut and glue onto the jar (I used PVA glue). Put a couple of elastic bands round the jar to keep the material in place whilst the glue dries. Ta da! You've got yourself a cute, sort-of new candle jar!

I love the minimal look of using just one material, and lace is always a sure way to make anything look that little bit more special! For more pretty candle jar ideas, have a look at my Crafty Stuff Pinterest board.

Have you been making any of your own presents? What crafts do you like? Comment below!

Love, Beth xxx