Candle Jars & Starbucks Bottles to Vases

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Ever wondered what to do with your old candles or trying to find a way to reuse those darling Starbucks bottles that look like milk jugs!? If so you are in the right place.

I am a avid Bath & Body Works candle user! I am slightly particular on my scents (my favorites right now being Cactus Blossom & anything with Lavender) but they are always burning in our home and we even take the single wick candles with us whenever/wherever we travel! I had to figure out a way to repurpose or upcycle their quality jars and bottles that I hadn't had the heart to throw out.

So I did some searching and brainstorming and this is what I did...

First, I put them in the oven on a baking sheet at 250 degrees until the remaining wax was melted. I pulled them out and poured that wax into an old can. You could totally reuse the wax to make scents for a wax warmer but I didn't do that this time.

After the wax was mostly out of the jar I used a small pair of wooden tongs to pull out the wicks. The jars were still hot which was important because the metal part of the wick was glued down, so I needed to use the hot pad to hold onto the jar during this part of the process. I then wiped the remaining wax out of the jar with a paper towel.

Next, again while the wax was still hot, I used a squeegee to scrape the label off of the bottom of the jar then wiped the residue off just with a paper towel. I peeled the front label off next by hand. After all labels were off I used Goo Gone to get all of the stickiness off of the jar.

The last step was to clean the jar with my favorite glass cleaner, Sprayway, before decorating.

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The Starbucks bottles started the same way. They were just too cute to throw out so I had to find a way to repurpose them. These of course were much easier to clean out! After peeling off the label I used a little Goo Gone to remove any sticky residue then I put them in the dishwasher but they could also be washed by hand.

I then sprayed both the now clear and empty candle jars and Starbucks bottles with silver paint. You could do any color you want! My favorite spray paint to use for all of my projects is Rust-Oleum because it is a paint and primer in one and it has a trigger spray which I find easier than the traditional nozzle.

The final touch on this upcycled project was to add twine to the top of the jars and bottles. It comes in other colors and thicknesses but I prefer the traditional brown color and on the thin side for this project. To attach the twine, I used a glue gun. I recently bought this cordless glue gun and it has been a game changer! I am no longer tied to crafting in the tight corner or against a wall and it even came with sparkly glue sticks.

Directions

  1. Collect or gather old candles or bottles.

  2. Clean out jars and/or bottles.

  3. Spray paint with desired color.

  4. Use a hot glue gun to adhere twine around the top rim.

  5. Glue chunk of styrofoam in the bottom.

  6. Fill with desired decorative items.

  7. Enjoy! :)

Supplies Needed:

When I use these as vases with faux flowers or holiday decorations in them I hot glue a chunk of styrofoam into the bottom so I have something to hold the arrangement in place. I use these vases to decorate for all different occasions and holidays.

I hope you I hope this project was helpful or inspiring! If so, please let me know by leaving a comment! Remember to come back regularly to keep up with my farm, art, restoration and other miscellaneous adventures. Thank you!

Xoxo, B

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