New Uses for Candles

Panty Hose as Candle Cleaner

Revive a forgotten flickerer. Slide a dusty candle inside a stocking and roll it around.

Beans as Candle Anchor

Pretty and functional. Fill a hurricane vase with beans before adding a pillar candle to help keep the candle steady and minimize mess (the beans will catch the wax).

Votive Candle Holders as Place Cards

Arrange a luminous table setting. Write guests’ names on strips of parchment paper and wrap them around votive holders, securing the ends with tape. As an alternative, remove the candles, cut snapshots of guests to match the height of a holder, and then curl around the inside wall.

Candle as Zipper Fixer

Release a stubborn zipper by lightly rubbing a candle along the teeth on both sides to smooth the way.

Champagne Flutes as Candle Stands

If you find yourself with a mismatched collection―or without bubbly―flip thick-walled Champagne flutes upside down to create a beautiful grouping of candle stands for a shelf or a mantel. Use heavy wineglasses for table centerpieces, as the wider mouths will provide more stability to withstand bumping.

Cookie Cutter as Candle Stencil

Repurpose mini alphabet cookie cutters as monogramming tools for pillar candles. Hold the candle steady, position the letter, and tap it lightly with a hammer. Do just an initial or go wild and spell out JOYEUX NOEL or HAPPY HANUKKAH.

Cooking Spray as Candlestick Cleaner

Celebrating by candlelight? Spray the inside of a votive holder with a thin coating before dropping in a tea light. After the candle has burned down, the remaining wax will slip out.

Candle as Tear Prevention

Stop the waterworks that normally accompany chopping onions with a candle. The flame burns off some of the fumes and carries away the rest.

Candle as Drawer Opener

To loosen a hard-to-open drawer, slide a candle along the drawer’s bottom outer edges. The tracks will slide more smoothly after that.

Candle as Recipe Card Protector

Make your recipe cards spill-proof by rubbing a thin coat of wax over them.

Sugar Bowl as Homemade Candle Holder

Fill mismatched sugar bowls and tea cups with melted wax and a wick for beautiful handmade gifts.

Mirror as Centerpiece

Place an inexpensive full-length mirror (the kind you attach to a closet door) atop the dining-room table. Set vases or candles of various heights on the mirror. It's an easy and elegant way to adorn your table.

Sand as Candle Holders

Prevent a half-melted candle from sticking to its glass holder by filling the bottom with a layer of sand.

Spaghetti as Candle-Lighter 

If you don't have extra-long matches, use an uncooked piece of spaghetti to light multiple or hard to reach candles.

Votive Candle Holder as Toothpick Container

Raise the stakes at a buffet. Transferring toothpicks from their plain plastic container to a pretty glass one instantly increases the display’s cachet.

Wine Glasses as Candle Holders

Elevate tealights or plain votives. Place a candle in a thick-walled glass and anchor it with a thin layer of sand or small pebbles for more elegant mood lighting.

Olive Oil as Candle Releaser

Prevent candle wax from sticking to the holder by rubbing a thin layer on its base before inserting the candle.