New groovy jar, double wicked. Massive with about half a kilo of wax!

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Testing new candle cup with wood wick

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Re-Purposing Candle Jars

At Shadow Moon Creations we are all about making the most of our resources. And it is with that in mind that we thought it would be a good idea to put together a list of tips on how to re-purpose our beautiful glass candle jars. Once your candle has come to its end and all the wax has solidified again, break the remaining wax into chunks (e.g., with a knife). You can use any remaining wax as tart melts. Any other last bits of wax (and the wick with its sticky bit underneath), can be removed by pouring hot water into the jar (NOTE! Don't pour boiling water into the jar - the sudden change in temperature might crack the glass). Most of the wax should come out and you might just need a bit of soap and hot water to rinse the jar out cleanly.

Important: If you are using a jar for food purposes make sure the jar is clean and sterilized before using it.

1. Get a candle refill

If you live in Melbourne, or visit the markets we frequent, get in touch with us for a soy candle refill. Refills are a lot cheaper than the full priced candle, you can still pick your choice of fragrances, and you will  be doing your bit for the environment by re-using the same jar.

2. Use your jar to hold tea-light candles

Beautiful on a hot summer night outside, or as table decorations inside, this nifty idea gives you the continued feel of a candle. We’ve place small rocks at the bottom of our jar (or you could use sand/pebbles) and topped it with a tea-light candle. These create a lovely atmosphere!

3. Jars as vases

Very cute as little centrepieces, these small bouquets or posies will brighten your day. They will work well where you want a touch of flowers, but don’t want the flowers to dominate. They could also work very well for events such as weddings.

4. Lolly Jars

This will make a lovely gift. Fill your used candle jar (cleaned and sterilised of course!) with jelly beans, M&M’s, toffees, fudge or other lollies. Top with a bow and gift tag and you have yourself a unique gift, which has the added advantage that the receiver can use the glass jar for another purpose again.

5. Mini Cookie Jar

A variation on the lolly jar, we thought that mini biscuits also make an adorable gift. We've filled our jar with Tiny Teddies. Topped with a ribbon these are gorgeous as a gift!  These are so cute, you might just want to keep one in the cupboard just for you! :-)

6. Bathroom container storage

These beautiful glass jars make the perfect storage place for cotton wool, make-up remover pads or cotton buds. They will also work very well for storing bath salts (another great gift idea which doesn't feel store bought, but still looks very elegant).

7. Money Jar

Lots of coins lying around? Pop them all in one of your used candle jars. Not only does it look great, but the clear glass means you can see your money accumulating. For extra luck in the money department, put a couple of citrine crystals in your jar, they will help you attract abundance!

8. Food storage

Your candle containers might not be large, but they can still work very well for storing smaller food items. As shown in our picture, they would make great collection of containers to store teabags, coffee and sugar. Powders (e.g., cornflour, almond meal) and spices would also work great as most of the lids on the candle jars seal quite tightly. Other ideas that spring to mind include using the jars to contain homemade jams and chutneys as gifts. There are lots of great labelling ideas around, but one of our current favourites are the Martha Stewart chalkboard labels. Not only do the chalkboard labels give a rustic edge, but they can also be wiped down and used for another purpose. 

Again, as with all food storage items, make sure that you clean and sterilise the jars before use. Also check that the lids seal tightly to prevent spoiling.

9. Jars as stationery containers

Are you like us in that you can never find a pen when you are looking for one? One solution might be to house them all together in a jar! We’ve filled our jar with bits and bobs lying around. Of course you can be quite creative and paint your jar to match your decor, or decorate it with washi tape or string. 

10. Cutlery tidy

This is a great idea if your kitchen drawers are bit of a mess. Pop all your cutlery in an old candle jar! It also works well if you are casually entertaining (e.g., BBQ). Put a jar of cutlery on the table outside, and everyone can just help themselves.

We hope this has given you a number of ideas on how to re-purpose your candle jars. Feel free to share some more of your creative ideas with us and others.

What other ideas for re-using old candle jars do you have?

Cheers,

Karin & Damo

www.shadowmooncreations.com

xox

Cinnamon Apple - Our candle fragrance pick for Easter

Shadow Moon Creations’ luxury soy candle fragrance pick for Easter is Cinnamon Apple: A beautiful compliment to hot-buttered hot cross buns, melt-in-your-mouth chocolate Easter eggs, and crisp Autumn days.

New Clear Square Glass Containers

Photo: Vanilla Pear (front), Green Tea & Lemongrass (green colour), Orange & Vanilla (orange colour)

NEW! Beautiful clear square candles now available at our online shop: www.shadowmooncreations.com

The ever popular “Vanilla Pear” fragrance (described as a creamy vanilla blend with ripe pear and light musk notes) is also back in stock. Yay!

Quick 2 minute candle meditation

Feeling rushed and anxious? Take a deep breath and refocus with this soothing music and the gentle flickering of beautiful candlelight. 


Find a quiet place where you will not be disturbed for a few minutes. Make sure you are sitting down comfortably. Inhale deeply and exhale slowly through your nose. Repeat deep breaths in and out while you look at the candle and listen to the music. Try to clear your mind of all thoughts, just focus on your breathing while looking at the candle and listening to the music.
This is an ideal way to quickly calm your busy mind and refocus on what is important. It is also great if you are new to meditation. For greater ongoing benefit it is recommended that you practice meditation regularly. Extend the practice in length as you become more competent in clearing your mind. It is completely normal to have distracting thoughts while you are practicing meditation. The ideal is to become aware of them, but then let them go, refocusing on your breath and your intention.


Happy meditating!
Karin
xox

This beautiful candle meditation features: Shadow Moon Creations Luxury Soy Candle (Magnolia fragrance) with crystals in the foreground, singing bowls in the background and relaxing music titled ‘Child’s Garden’ by Dax Johnson.

North Melbourne Market 17 March 2013

Excited! We are doing a market this Sunday (17th) in North Melbourne at the Lithuanian Club (44 Errol Street), 10am - 3pm. It’s ‘all systems go’ at the moment, and candle making is in full swing. I’ve just packed a whole lot of bags of free tealight samples too that I will be giving out on the day. Looking forward to the market, there is always  such a nice friendly atmosphere.  Pop round and say hi if you are around :-)

Karin

xox

House of Humble write-up of our candles

Thank you to Katie & Reuben from www.houseofhumble.com for their product review and kind words about our candles. We are pleased to hear that you are enjoying them!

All the best!

Karin

xox

PS. Good luck to everyone who is entering the giveaway!

Soy candles

From left to right: Gingerbread, Wild Berries, French Pear

Available from: www.shadowmooncreations.com

Look at how a single candle can both defy and define the darkness.

— Anne Frank

Candle Safety Tips

Candles create a beautifully ambient atmosphere. However, extreme care should always be taken when burning candles.We’ve put together 10 tips to help you get the maximum enjoyment out of your candles.

 

To prevent fire and serious injury:

1. Trim the wick to a 1/4 inch each time before lighting. This will keep smoke and soot to a minimum.
2. Take care when lighting a candle – use a long-stemmed electric lighter to avoid burning your fingers when the wick is low in the container
3. Burn the candle within sight. Never leave a burning candle unattended
4. Keep the candle away from drafts and vibrations
5. Keep the candle out of reach of children and pets
6. Never place the candle on or near anything that can catch fire. If your candle came with decorations, please remove these before burning
7. Candle containers will become hot. Do not move burning candles, and take care in handling containers after extinguishing the candle
8. Always leave 1/4 inch of unburned candle at the bottom of each container to keep containers from cracking. Unused wax can be used as tart melts
9. Use a wick dipper to dip the wick into the wax – this reduces smoking and primes the wick for future use
10. Always remember to extinguish the candle completely before you leave the room

Enjoy your scented soy candles responsibly and they will bring you great pleasure!

What candle burning tips do you have?

Karin

xox

Crystal rimmed votive tealight

Music: The Lotus Flower, Isisip

Thousands of candles can be lit from a single candle, and the life of the candle will not be shortened. Happiness never decreases by being shared

— Buddha