Reusing Yankee Candle jars

I LOVE Yankee Candles.  Love them.  They send me a coupon & I. Am. There! Which has led to a small collection…

For some strange reason it never occurred to me to actually reuse the jars.  They are actually really cute jars & it’s super easy to clean them.  When the candle has burned out, just pop the jar in the freezer (without the lid).

Once the wax is completely frozen (I wait a day or 2), take the jar out & grab a dull knife.  Then take out all your frustrations on the wax!  :-)  Basically, you’re stabbing the wax until it breaks up & you can dump it in the trash.

To remove the label, you will need a smaller sharp knife.  I use an old Pampered Chef paring knife.  Just run the blade under one corner of the label and gently push the knife along as you pull on the label.  This can sometimes require a little patience.  Other times it will come right off.  Please be careful!  Do not let your child help with this part.

Once the label is off, I grab a paper towel & some Goo Gone and just wipe off any excess stickiness.  I also run the paper towel with Goo Gone on it around the inside of the jar.  It helps the wax and soot release.

Then just pop the jar in the dishwasher & it’ll come out clean as a whistle!  Well, most of the time.  If it doesn’t, just repeat the Goo Gone step and either hand wash or rerun through dishwasher.  Then see what kinds of uses you find!  I use mine for Box Tops collection, safety pins, ribbon, mini clothes pins, sewing notions, etc.  They would also be great for sand & seashells displays.  Let me know what you come up with!

Linking up to Clean & Scentsible’s Creative Spark!