A few weeks ago, I wrote about the best candles to use at your cottage. In response, I received an ingenious idea from reader Jo-Ann:
“I use the leftover wax from those burnt down candles to cover pinecones to use as fire starters. I save those “bits,” melt them down in a pot on the stove, and then dip pinecones that the kids have collected over the summer. I let them dry on some wax paper and then store them in a metal pot for fire starters. If you’re lucky enough to have a couple of scented leftovers, then the room will fill with a wonderful aroma when you start up the fire. Great for starting a bonfire as well, and you don’t need to worry about hauling out half the newsprint that the wind carries all over the yard.”
Wonderful idea! I love how it saves all that wax from going to waste and that it keeps the kids occupied. Thanks for the tip Jo-Ann!
{ 11 comments… read them below or add one }
love that idea.…ok two questions???? you must have to have an old pot just for the wax??? is that correct Jo-Ann. Also does anyone have a fail proof tip fro getting melted wax off candleholders.…wooden or glass? I scrape mine but they always look foggy. I don’t like sending melted wax down the kitchen drain.
Thanks,
mags
I also collect the remaining bits of candle wax for fire starters. However, I use cardboard egg cartons filled with saw dust or dryer lint then pour the melted wax over top. You can break off one or more sections of the egg carton for your fire.
Mags, I use a sauce pan for the wax and use steel wool to clean it after I am done.
I too make firestarters with my old candles/wax. Here’s a link to a post on the Forum showing how I make them!
http://forums.cottagelife.com/viewtopic.php?t=3860&highlight=firestarters
I have also made the pinecone ones. I like buying the cinnamon scented cones at Christmas time. When the scent fades, I dip them in wax and put them in a basket by the wood stove!
ok I just solved one candle problem.…I put down some newspaper, got out the hair dryer and gently heated the candlesticks…wax melted.…worked like a dream. Then i gently polished the wax off with paper towel and it put a nice sheen on the old wooden candlesticks.
off-the –grid at the cottage.…hair dryer won’t work
Mags, this might be a crazy idea (mine often are!), but would freezing the pot work? I wonder if it would harden the wax enough for it to crack and come off? (Wow, I’m really sounding like an expert here, aren’t I?)
I like the ideas about using scented candle ends for dipping pine cones but I’ve always just used plain pine cones for fire starters. I’m concerned about the wax “fumes” coating the chimney like creosote does. I’m I way off?
that sounds like a good idea! worth a try.…maybe Debb has tried Freezing wax. Speaking of experts I am sporting around my new best word.…bobeche the ring that is supposed to catch the melting wax on a candlestick. All bobeches are not created equal…some are more up to the task. I think I have heard about freezing your tablecloth Michelle, for wax spills but I have never tried it. Can we post photos here?? maybe we could have a candle-holder show off? bet every camp has a few lol
Laura I always think the same thing about wax fumes!!!????
Help anybody got the answer
mags
Sorry, no, I have not frozen the pot! That’s why I use an old pot. You can pick one up at a thrift store for pennies. I leave the wax in the pot and just keep adding/reheating.
As for the smoke/fumes from candles, I don’t know the facts for sure — but one of the main reasons to buy soy and or beeswax candles is their efficiency and their safety. Most ‘cheap’ candles are made from paraffin [a fuel = NOT eco friendly]. Many candle wicks have a lead wire in them and that isn’t good either! Spend a little extra money to buy eco-safe candles made from safe and renewable resources.
Beeswax and soy candles can burn cleanly, leaving virtually nothing behind.
Do a little research and find the best ones for you.
I make beeswax candles so can answer some questions. You can get the wax off containers by putting them upside-down on multiple sheets of newspaper or paper towels in a medium-warm oven. Beeswax has the highest melting point of any wax so it can take a while — watch carefully. You would probably want to use one particular pot for melting wax anyway.
Also, please don’t be fooled thinking that soy wax is benign. Beeswax is the only natural & sustainable non-toxic candle wax. And artificial fragrances are one of the worst house-toxifiers (if there is such a word) you can use. Don’t buy anything with artificial fragrances (if it uses the words ‘fragrance’ or ‘scent’, it’s a toxic chemical). For more info, please see http://bit.ly/dWD1V
Jane that is a great idea.…I never thought of the oven.…good tip.
I really dislike scented candles…that feeling of tipsiness and nausea after you have been in a store loaded with “fragrance”