Recycling Candle Wax

Have you ever had a candle finish burning only to find that there's actually a lot of wax left over?

Whilst most candles I've used are very good burners, one I finished recently seemed to have more left over than had burnt! As it seemed such a waste to throw it away, I started thinking about recycling the wax - something I had heard of previously, but had put off as I worried that it would require a lot of specialist equipment and a time consuming process. However, in the spirit of trying to consume less,  I decided to try and reuse the wax in a way which required hardly any new costs, and a fairly simple process. The results? I'm kind of impressed, if I do say so myself! Some of you may have seen my Instagram stories from when I decided to make it up as I went along give it a go, and these are the details. The only new purchase I made was a couple of wood candle wicks from eBay (which came in at under £2 with free postage for the pair), and it only took me half an hour at the most!

So, here's the process and everything I used, yadda yadda...

- A container for your candle - 
This should be two things - watertight (or the melted wax will run through it) and heatproof (open flames + materials with a low melting point = bad accidents). Other than that, you can be pretty creative. I've seen images of old food containers - syrup tins and marmite or jam jars being used, and I also love the idea of using shells. One thing to remember is the ease at which you can light the candle - I was originally going to use a vintage milk bottle I usually use for plant cuttings, but the narrow opening would have made it difficult to light the candle once it had burnt further down. Instead I used this ceramic dish I picked up second hand, although you can of course always reuse the original candle container (just be sure to remove the old wick before pouring in the new candle).

-An old glass jug -
Specifically one you don't plan on using for food preparation. This will be used to melt the candle wax in, bain marie style. The process I used was this: place any loose parts of wax inside the empty jug. Fill a saucepan shallowly with boiling water, and place on the heat. Stand the jug in the water, and keep an eye on the wax as it melts. For the wax still in the original candle container, I placed the container in the water (again, in a bain marie style), and when enough of the wax had melted for it to become loose, I poured it into the main jug. I had a few candles I needed to do this with, and this was the most time consuming part, but it honestly wasn't that tedious. And my kitchen smelt like a Lush store, which was an added bonus ;)

- Candle Construction - 
When all the wax had melted down in the jug, I carefully removed anything left in the melted wax - e.g. burnt wicks - that I did not want in my 'new' candle. I then removed the jug from the bain marie, to let it cool a little before pouring (mainly because I was nervous about spilling it when it was piping hot). To keep the new wick stable, I dipped the wick base in the melted wax to act as a glue, and then positioned it in the centre of my new candle container. I left this to cool for a couple of minutes, just so that it was set before I poured in the rest of my candle wax. This meant that the wick stayed in place whilst I poured in the wax. It is worth having a second container ready, just in case you have more wax than you can fit in one candle! I'm not sure on the exact cooling times for candle wax, but I left mine at room temperature for 24 hours before I lit it.

- Considerations - 
One thing I haven't mentioned above is perhaps the most important - smell! When mixing different scented waxes together, things may get... interesting to say the least! I used two different scents in my candle, and whilst I was initially unsure about whether I needed to add more through essential oils, I would advise against it. There's already probably enough scent going on without any other additions! I hadn't though about it prior to this, and whilst the candle I ended up with smelt rather delicate and relaxing, I think it would be worth thinking about which scents should be combined. After all, there are bound to be certain combinations that are not going to be a good match. FYI, in this candle I also mixed wax types - soya and paraffin - and as far as I can tell it didn't make much of an impact on the burning process. Although, maybe in some circumstances it would?

Considering this is just an experiment I decided to do to see whether it could be worth while, I would 100% do this again. I'm still not entirely sure whether making candles from scratch is something that I want to do yet, however this was simple and means I can get more mileage from some of my favourite candles. Seeing as how I still have one of my two wicks left, there will definitely be a time in the near future where I repeat (and maybe improve upon!) this process.

So, do any of you make candles? I have to admit, I'm certainly curious about it now!

Slow Fashion October II: Quality vs Quantity

Buying and making things that are higher in quality, rather than having a lot of lower quality items is something that I've been thinking over a lot lately. And seeing as my recent thoughts on this tie in nicely with #slowfashionoctober I thought I would dedicate a post to my thoughts on this. I'm not promising any conclusions, because it's just a jumble in my head at the moment! Although usually getting things down on paper (or, er, the web) organises my thoughts a little better, so here goes!

Slow Fashion October I: My Slow Fashion Story

When I first heard the concept of Slow Fashion October over on Fringe Association, I was really excited by the idea of a month that celebrated individual takes on slow fashion. What I love in particular about Karen's idea is that it's inclusive of all - whether you're a thrifter, a maker, a mender, a minimalist, or just interested in supporting local, or sustainable, fair-trade companies, you can take part. It just so happens that with a quirk of coincidence, I was already planning a couple of posts touching on some of the issues connected with slow fashion, so thought I might as well tie them in with everyone else in October. Here's a quick introduction of how I got interested in slow fashion, and where I am today with my consumer habits...

Little Things #1

Some of you may have noticed a lack of Mid-Week Treat posts lately. Trust me, it's certainly not because I've stopped buying bits and bobs (if anything, completely the opposite!), but more because I've wanted to change the format up a little bit (can you believe I've been doing it for nearly 2 years??). Instead of dedicating one post to a couple of objects, I've been thinking I want to write a longer post with a round up of objects. So, without further delay, let me introduce you to the first ever Little Things! Expect a round up of bargains that I've been enjoying, on a less regular basis, but with added thriftiness. Let me know what you think!

Thrifted Finds - 2

Gosh - I didn't realise it had been two months since my last post on what I've been buying second hand! It's crazy how time flies when you're busy rummaging through charity shops having fun, isn't it? Actually, these posts are some of my favourite posts to put together, regardless of how often I do them. So, without further ado, here's some of my favourite recent finds...

The Weekend Whim #4: Preloved

Hey there, hope you're all enjoying the remainder of the weekend. I spent this weekend combining two of my favourite weekend activities; second hand shopping and cafe hopping, which culminated in a refreshing, uplifting couple of days. You may have noticed that I've slightly changed the name of my weekend posts - when I originally wanted to post at the weekend, I was feeling rather uninspired when it came to thinking of a name for this feature, and I've only just settled on a name! So, without further ado, let's get started talking about all things weekend. Pour yourself a cuppa, help yourself to a biscuit, and make yourself at home.

Thrifted Finds #1

It's been a while since I've done one of these posts, but definitely not because I haven't found anything worth buying! Some of the stuff here dates back to before Christmas, so I've just picked out some of my favourite buys from the past couple of months of second-hand shopping.

Mid-Week Treat: Stocking Filler Special

Although it sometimes can get a little stressful, I absolutely love shopping for Christmas presents - it really gets me in the festive spirit. My favourite part of Christmas shopping has to be stocking fillers; I usually buy people one main present and add in a few mini extras. There's no rule when it comes to stocking fillers, except they have to be fun, and not too expensive. Which is where this guide to stocking fillers comes in - in true Mid-Week Treat style, everything here costs under £5! Purses at the ready, let's go Christmas shopping...

Upcycled: A Shrunken Scarf to Messenger Bag

Okay, okay. So here I am talking about scarves again. In my defence though, it is winter, and there is nothing better than wrapping oneself up in a scarf on a cold, gloomy morning. I bought this new to me scarf recently (I love me a check pattern), a little doubtful as to how I would wear it as the previous owner had seriously shrank it in the wash. Never one to shy away from a little work, I bought it anyway and knew I would use it somehow...

Caring for a Vintage Wardrobe

It's no secret that I am a big fan of second hand shopping, particularly when it comes to buying vintage. However, to put things bluntly, 'vintage' clothes are basically old clothes, and no matter how well made they are or when they date from, it's important to remember that these are clothes that have been pre-loved. They have had a life of wear before finding their way to a new owner, and this can lead to them being more fragile and worn than brand new pieces. I like to look after my vintage pieces in different ways to my brand new items, and here's how I like to do it.

Mid Week Treat: The Essential £1 Eyeshadow

Let me tell you a little secret - I am 21 years old, and the thought of using eyeshadow terrifies me. For good reason too: in my early teens I had quite the collection of eyeshadows, and if I remember rightly, my absolute favourite was a pastel green one. Why my mother ever let me leave the house wearing it is beyond me. Good taste somewhere intervened along the way, and now I generally stay clear of eyeshadow altogether. Recently though, I've been wanting to add more makeup looks into my arsenal, and I decided I would try to conquer my fear of eyeshadow.

Thrifty Finds - No 5

My second hand shopping hoard this time around is a very eclectic mix, but that's the beauty (and frustration!) of second hand shopping; you never quite know exactly what you are going to come across. These are some of my best buys from the past few weeks...

How to: Make a Fake Shirt Collar

When it comes to layering, I know absolutely nothing. Nothing that is, except that I like to wear a collar whenever possible (so 2012, I know). As much as I love a good shirt, there are some occasions when I don't really want to wear a whole shirt underneath a jumper/top/dress, especially when it's still a little too warm to go into full layering. Which is where this DIY comes in - the illusion of a collar without the sleeves, bulk, and extra warmth.

Mid-Week Treat: Wisdom Tooth Necklace for £2

"Enchantment means to want something, and also to know, somewhere inside yourself, not an obvious place, that you aren't going to get it." Does this strike true with you? This quote from author Rachel Kushner certainly strikes true with me, for a lot of things. I am rather enchanted with the idea of moving to Paris, and opening up my own little knick knack shop. Will it ever happen? Probably not. However, for me, this quote resonates strongly with my shopping wish list - namely things which seem even more desirable because I know I will probably never own them.

Turning a Purse into a Handbag

It's been a while since I posted a good ol' DIY post here, and whilst this is hardly a full blown DIY post, I thought I'd share it here anyway, mainly because it's such a cute little project (which only takes 10 minutes!!!). Mini-bags were all over the catwalk in the past few months, and this is a great way of creating your own. All you need is a purse, and a spare belt that you no longer need...

Thrifty Finds - No 4

If my recent haul of clothes/books/homeware (mostly books) is anything to go by, I've obviously spent a lot of time shopping in the past few weeks. What you're seeing here, is truly the crème de la crème of my recent buys, because there was a lot for me to choose from. Although I love all of my recent buys so much, I would quite happily post them all here!

Mid-Week Treat: Clinique Chubby Stick Dupe for £1!

Have you heard that you can get a free Clinique Chubby Stick with this month's edition of Glamour Magazine? Well, it appears that the whole World and his dog also knows, and I failed to find an edition that came with a Chubby Stick. Sadface. Actually, this did me a favour, as I was in need of a new mascara, and simply picked up an issue with the free mascara (which I cannot rate enough, by the way). Just me who finds mascara shopping boring? I still felt cheated out of a Clinique Chubby Stick however, but when I found these look-a-likes in Poundland, I thought I'd give them a try.

Tapering a Pair of Trousers

Get out the violins - I'm about to tell you a sad, tragic story that features a certain pair of Topshop trousers. I loved them - they were a light, cool, grey linen, tapered at the ankles, and had a paper-bag, pleated waist. They were simply my favourite pair of summer trousers, and I wore them bazillions of time. In fact, I wore them so often that eventually, they broke beyond repair. Insert your choice of heart-broken emoji here.

 At the time, I didn't realise how hard they would be to replace - I specifically wanted a light grey linen pair (hard to find, it seems), that were carrot shaped, and could be rolled up to ankle length (I love me some ankle grazing trousers). Fast forward a year, and I've only just got around to replacing them, however it wasn't quite so straightforward - I ended up buying a pair of straight leg trousers (which were perfect in every other way apart from the fit), and tapering them in. Here's how I did it...

Thrifty Finds - No. 3

This time of the year is the time when I'm most likely to make dubious buying decisions. I like to call it 'Summer Shopping Fever' - maybe the sun gets to me, or I get caught up in the holiday spirit, but I definitely buy things that I will not use (mainly crazy clothes). It has not happened yet this year, so hopefully I've learnt from my Summer shopping mistakes. So, this is what I've been buying, instead of buying a ridiculous pair of flatforms.

Mid-Week Treat: Eyeko Skinny Eyeliner for £2

Happy Wednesday, friends! Need a mid-week pick me up? Look no further than my latest favourite bargain - an Eyeko Skinny Liquid Eyeliner pen for the mere price of £2. This eyeliner pen normally retails at £16, which means an absolutely whopping discount of £14. So, with me being an advocate of winged eyeliner, I snapped it up in a heartbeat.