We all have perfumes and colognes sitting around that we no longer wear. So instead of doing nothing with them; I CAREFULLY spray, or drop, a little into the bottom of a candle votive and insert an unscented tea-light candle (with the foil bottom). Be careful, as there is alcohol in the perfume or cologne that can be flammable (as are most scented oils). However, I have been doing this for years with no problem. No need to buy more expensive tealight candles that lose their scent after a few minutes!
By Patty from East Peoria, Illinois
Though tempting, this is not a good idea at all. Using Perfume that's meant for your body is NOT safe in candles and can potentially put off toxic fumes. There are special fragrance oils that are specifically made for scenting candles. You may even find what chandlers call a dupe, meaning a scent that is a duplicated scent of a perfume. Many of the popular perfumes have dupes and you can buy these fragrance oils from someone like me, a chandler (fancy word for candle maker), or from a chandler supplier.
Per the National Candle Association; "Various health and safety tests are conducted on the raw fragrance materials that are used in candles and other consumer products. Reputable candle manufacturers use only expertly-formulated fragrances specifically approved for candle use." I hope you enjoy finding your candle dupes and the wonderful fragrance oils available to everyone safely! :D
This page contains the following solutions.
A tip for anyone who is an avid candle burner. An easy way to trim your wick before lighting your candle is to use nail clippers. I found they reach perfectly into jar candles, and makes them burn more evenly.
Take non stick cooking spray and spray the inside of the holder. After the candle is done burning, the last bit of wax will just fall out.
Eliminate the waste of any soy candle that may be stuck to the walls of a jar, burning all of it, not just 80%. Some candles do not do this and burn all the way down, but it has to do with the size of the wick.
We laughed at the "absurd directions" for a large jar candle (20 oz) we had just purchased: "burn candle for at least four hours". We experimented with several and this is what we we found.
When you light candles at holiday times, write down the number of candles lit and inform someone where the piece of paper is that has the candle information on it.
Instead of buying fancy plates to set my large candles on, I use inexpensive salad plates either from my house or yard sales.
To prevent wasting candles, simply "HUG" your candle each time before you blow it out. Cup both hands around the top of the candle and fold the softened wax toward the wick area.
Melted wax from the very end of candles can be repurposed in many ways. Find ways to use your leftover candle wax or share your own ideas here.
When its time to blow out the candles dip the wick into the wax to stop it from smoking. This is a page about extinguish candle into melted wax to avoid smoke.
It can be easy to have more candles than you can properly display or use. This is a page about storing candles.
Storing your candles in the freezer can help extend their life. This is a page about freezing candles before use.
If your candle is too large to fit in the candle holder, you can shave it down to make the end smaller. This is a page about making candles fit into candle holders.
If your candles have sat around for a while without use, they can get dusty. This is a page about cleaning candles.