17 Clever Uses for Leftover Candle Wax

Trying to lead a lower-waste lifestyle? Try one of these ways to use up leftover candle wax so you don't have to throw it away.

Updated February 14, 2025
Leftover Candle Wax
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We're all about minimizing waste and making more with less. And you've probably noticed at some point that when you burn a candle, there's always a little wax left over. If you're like us and don't want to toss it in the landfill, we have all sorts of ideas to use it up instead of throwing it away. 

Make a Watercolor Wax Resist Painting

Use the hardened colorless or white leftover candle wax like crayons and draw a design on watercolor paper. Then, paint over it with watercolors to create a beautiful wax resist.

Make a Votive or Tealight Candle

If your candle didn't burn all the way down, you can reuse the wax by melting it. Then, pour it into an old votive or tealight base and add a wick. It's also a great way to reuse votives and tealight bases. 

Seal the Deal

Wax for Seals
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We love the old-fashioned charm of using wax to seal an important letter. Whether you're sending a love letter or just corresponding via snail mail with an old friend, you can use extra candle wax and a metal stamp to give it an old-timey touch and a hint of gravitas. 

Related: 16 Romantic Love Letter Examples to Inspire You

Repair Shoelaces

The ends of shoelaces can begin to wear and fray before it's time to replace them. Use your leftover wax to seal the frayed ends. Just dip them into melted wax and, using your thumb and forefinger, roll them slightly to get the ends to stick together.

Make Adorable Mini-Candles

Divide the leftover wax to make some adorable shallow mini candles. You can use natural holders like seashells and nut shells with short wicks to create a fun collection of candles.

Create Ornaments

You can use Christmas-casting silicone molds to create unique ornaments. Use a candle drip protector for a pillar candle and hang your wax ornaments around it.

Make Wax Figurines

You can use various figurine molds or carve your own. Choose a theme, such as Easter or birds, and see how many different figurines you can make. Don't be afraid to use different colors for fun creations.

Make Leftover Candle Wax Into Wax Melts

Create scented wax melts for your wax warmer. You'll want unscented candle wax or choose a complementary essential oil scent. You may just invent your own personal scent.

Make Wax Fruit

The art of making wax fruit isn't as difficult as it might sound. You can use a basic fruit shape and then, using wax paint, create realistic fruit to place in a bowl on your dining table.

Make Wax Ice Cube Charms

Another way to make use of molds is to make ice cube charms. You can freeze these charms inside ice cube trays for adorable ice cube charms. Your guests will find these creative and exciting as the ice cubes begin to melt. You can reuse often.

Wax a Zipper

If you have a zipper that doesn't have a smooth pull, you can use a tiny bit of melted wax to make it zip. Use a cotton swab dipped in melted wax and run it along the zipper line.

Remedy a Sticking Drawer

Remedy Sticking Drawer
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You can fix a sticking drawer by using the leftover wax. Apply the candle wax on the drawer slides.

Make Fire Starters

You can make some great fire starters when you use a cardboard egg carton or cupcake pan with cupcake liners, tissue/tissue paper, wax, and a stick match. Fill the egg carton or cupcake liner with tissue paper or other combustible materials, like twigs, pine needles, or paper towel strips. Pour the melted wax into the egg depressions or cupcake pan and add a fresh matchstick. You can use the entire carton, break the egg depression free to use individually, or use the individual cupcake liners.

Use to Wax Furniture

If you have beeswax and paraffin wax leftover, you can make a furniture wax by using it in a 50/50 ratio. Just melt the two waxes together, pour into a heat-resistant container, allow to cool, and use the same way you'd use any furniture wax to buff your furniture.

Create a Citronella Candle

Citronella Candle
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You can use your leftover wax to create a citronella candle that repels mosquitos. You'll need to add three drops of citronella oil to every eight ounces of wax.

Remove Leather Shoe Scuff Marks

Add a teaspoon of your favorite oil, such as olive oil, to one-fourth cup of melted candle wax. The two need to be thoroughly mixed and cooled enough to work into your shoes with a soft cloth. Your leathers will have a nice new sheen to them.

Use It as Batik Wax

Paraffin or beeswax can be used in the creation of a batik design. In batik, you paint wax over the areas of fabric you don't want dyed. This process can use multi-layers of colors. You will crack the wax each time you apply it and allow it to dry. This gives the overall design a crackled coloring. The wax is ironed out of the fabric between layers of throwaway cloths.

Reuse Leftover Candle Wax

There are several ways you can use leftover candle wax depending on how much wax you have. It's a great way to get your creative juices going and save the planet at the same time.

17 Clever Uses for Leftover Candle Wax