101 for used candles

[possum]

Mainly I collect all the candle stubs we have, melt them down and use them to seal the ends of logs for woodturning
They are also good when trying to light the logburner.

[lizzymahoney]

Scented wax in particular can make a good potpourri. You just chip it into bits for the dry stuff, and either add it to old potpourri or clean new material. Or, you could melt it in a simmer pot for releasing the scent.

Stubs with no color can be melted for use in batik dye projects.

A stub is good used to smooth the glides on a drawer.

I put pine cones in muffin tins with a wick and a candle stub and slowly bake until melted together. Pop them out when cool and put in basket for my firestarters sometimes.

[red]

I remake them into new candles

[Thomzo]

Rub them on a saw when cutting wood to make it slide more smoothly.

Zoe

[Annpan]

rub them on drawer runners, makes them run more smoothly.

[mrsflibble]

rub on sledge runners too.

and scented ones can be chipped into... chips and then put in an oil burner, the kind with another candle underneath.

[Super.Niki]

When I used to make beaded bracelets, bees wax, at least, helped the thread go through easier, it was nylon thread though so I don't know if it would work on non-nylon threads!

you could be really old fashioned and use the wax to seal letters! Great fun!

[Urban Ayisha]

you can buy candle wick from arts and crafts stores quite cheaply (hobbiecraft or the internet is good too) and using a bano maria (think its called a double boiler in english - or a small pan in a larger one filled with water) you can melt the wax down and pour it into plastic yoghurt/cream pots with the wick suspended in the middle by a toothpick... new candles! you can add scented oils too! make super gifts and i find i have a constant supply of candles through doing this! i buy all new candles from charity shops as this is reusing recycling and giving to charidee all in one (as i should warrant thast most people just chuck the stubs at the end... also, worry that people dont generally buy slightly manky looking second hand candles so i'm closing a loop!)

[mrsflibble]

melt and dip corked end of bottles and jars into it to help seal.

[cir3ngirl]

Magic painting

[mrsflibble]

how has nobody thought of that yet? oh i used to looooove doing that!!! ta!

[the.fee.fairy]

Magic painting? Please explain!

[possum]

drawn a design on paper with wax, then get your kid to paint a wash over it, paint will not stick to wax, so the design is then visible