This $5 "Match Strike Sticker" Finds A Perfect Use for That Old Candle Jar You Were About to Throw Out

If you don't know what to do with your candle jars once you're done with them, we found the perfect solution online. As useful as it is affordable.

A candle plus match strike stickers on a colorful background
(Image credit: Amazon, Nordstom)

When you're done with a candle, it almost feels a bit silly to get rid of the jar, doesn't it? You spend all that money on a gorgeous smelling (and looking!) product, only to toss the entire vessel when the wax burns up and the wick falls out. Without a flame, it seems dang near impossible to remove any of the remaining wax, resolutely stuck in a thin but nonetheless sturdy layer towards the bottom, so that you can reuse the entire jar.

Today, I'm here to share with you an upcycling hack that not only simply and easily clears the jar of any remaining wax, but also offers up a fabulous answer to the question: what should I do with this container now? Let's face it, candles from the best home decor brands are status symbols in their own right, and you should get to use them in some way long after their burn time ends. This TikTok hack solves that problem brilliantly and for less than $5. Gosh, the power of the internet is unmatched.

The viral candle upcycling hack

@kate.spiers

♬ original sound - ur mom <3

This tip from TikToker @kate.spiers is one you're going to want to replicate, especially if you can't convince yourself to part with that Jo Malone jar. To upcycle an old candle, Kate first places the used jar into the freezer for an hour, wax and all. After an hour, the wax contracts into a frozen puck that can be easily popped out of the jar (if you have any trouble here, try wedging a fork underneath one side of the wax puck and lifting up, or running a butter knife around the outer edges before doing the same thing). 

Once the wax has been removed, Kate then cleans the jar with warm water and soap before drying it and adding a match strike sticker to the bottom. Afterward, she fills the jar with spare matches and places the vessel onto her shelves for display. How easy is that?! Not only did she upcycle herself a homemade match holder/cloche, but she also found a way to show off her Diptyque purchase for just a bit longer. I love it!

Match Strike Dots

Of course, it you're without matches or a candle to use for this lovely hack, I've taken the liberty of shopping a few display worth options and detailing them all below. Just be sure to include the adhesive strike stripes in your haul, as well.

Matches

Candles

Candle Accessories

Brigid Kennedy
Style Editor

Brigid Kennedy is a Style Editor at Livingetc.com, where she scours the internet for the best and most stylish deals on home decor and more. After earning a degree from the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications, she spent the first 2.5 years of her journalism career covering U.S. politics and culture at TheWeek.com. She describes her design style as colorful and clean, and in her free time enjoys reading, watching movies, and curating impossibly niche playlists on Spotify. She recently relocated from Manhattan to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, where she's decorating and DIYing a new home downtown.