Halloween Character Jars

How to Reuse Candle Jars as Festive Halloween Jars

Conjure up DIY Halloween crafts that make decorating your home fun! Discover how to reuse candle jars for your most bewitching decorations by upcycling an empty candle vessel of your choice. Homemade Halloween décor is the perfect way to be surrounded by the spirit of Halloween. Fill your space and experience the excitement of the season. We’ll show you 5 hauntingly fun ways to upcycle candle jars to craft enchanting Halloween jars that are a scary good addition to your home.

Be sure to illuminate your halls with our spooktacular Halloween candle ideas for simple Halloween crafts that are full of spirit.

Discover the 10 Spooky Candles and Accessories from Yankee Candle® to add to your collection this season.

Ways to Reuse Your Candle Jars for Spooky Season

Wondering what to do with empty candle jars for an inspiring display season after season? We have many ways to repurpose candle jars as useful and decorative items. Do you have the gift of a green thumb? The sizes and shapes of reusable candle jars make perfect upcycled jar planters for succulents or try decorating a vessel to display a beautiful bouquet with candle jar DIY vases.

We’ve got easy DIY Halloween crafts for all your fall adventures! Here are our top 5 Halloween candle ideas that can bring home the magic:

  • Halloween Jar Characters: What do Frankenstein, Jack-O’-Lanterns, and ghosts have in common? They are the perfect Halloween jar characters to decorate your desks, mantels, and side tables.
  • Halloween Candy Jars: Place sweet treats around the house with Halloween Candy Jars. Put them in the kitchen, next to the front door, or on a coffee table for Halloween party favors or trick-or-treating.
  • DIY Halloween Candle Holders: Create easy Halloween decorations with simple, DIY Halloween Candle Holders. Use these to add a spooky ambiance to your Halloween celebrations.
  • Halloween Jars Potions: Add a touch of mystery to your holiday festivities with enchanting Halloween Jars Potions. Display them on the dining table or shelves for bewitching DIY Halloween party decorations.
  • Halloween Tip Jars: Engage customers in the festivities with Halloween tip jars to add seasonal fun to your business. Place them near the register for a tip jar that gets in the Halloween spirit.

Halloween DIY Crafts: Halloween Jar Ideas

Transforming a repurposed candle jar into Halloween crafts for adults and kids is simple and supernaturally fun! Below are the steps and materials for creating enchanting Halloween jar characters, candy jars, candle holders, potion jars, and tip jars the easy way.

1. Halloween Jar Characters

These easy Halloween decorations add a touch of fright as they illuminate any Halloween display. Our fabulous and fun Halloween jar characters were made by prop and set stylist Lindsey M. from our own photo studio! Lyndsey says, “Let the shape of the jars themselves determine the characters they’ll become.”

Materials:

  • Clean candle jars
  • Colorful tissue paper
  • Battery-operated fairy lights
  • Construction paper (various colors)
  • Glue
  • Scissors

Frankenstein DIY Monster Jars

Bring Frankenstein to life with Frankenstein DIY monster jars for simple Halloween crafts that are also Lyndsey’s top-rated pick.

Instructions:

  1. Clean out a Large Tumbler Candle jar vessel.
  2. Line the interior with green tissue paper.
  3. Place the battery-operated fairy lights inside the jar.
  4. Cut out face shapes and hair from construction paper and glue them onto the jar.
  5. To bring him to life, cut a hair piece to the exact size and shape of the rim of the lid so it appears to be part of his head.

Beaming Jack-O’-Lantern Craft Jars

Keep it classic with Jack-O’-Lantern craft jars that transform candle jars into cheerful pumpkin favorites.

Instructions:

  1. Clean out a Large Jar Candle jar.
  2. Fill the inside of the vessel with orange pipe cleaners to give the pumpkin color and texture.
  3. Place the battery-operated fairy lights in between the pipe cleaners to diffuse the light.
  4. Cut out facial features from black construction paper and use glue to stick them on the jar.

Ghost Craft Jars that Glow

Light up the night this season with spooky ghost craft jars, perfect for your Halloween decor.

Instructions:

  1. Clean out a Large Jar Candle jar.
  2. Line the interior of the candle jar with facial tissue paper carefully so it doesn’t rip.
  3. Place fairy lights inside the jar, and for the face, use black construction paper and cut out fun facial features.
  4. Glue the features to your ghost jar and watch it come to life once the lights are on.

2. Halloween Candy Jars

Add tasty treat jars to your Halloween party decorations or give them as gifts to friends and family. They make cute DIY Halloween crafts for your home that are all treats and no tricks.

Materials:

  • Medium glass candle jars
  • Acrylic paint or spray paint in your favorite Halloween colors
  • Halloween decorations of choice (e.g., stickers, mini plastic spiders, or bats)
  • Halloween-themed candy or treats

Instructions:

  1. Clean out a medium candle jar — large candle jars work well too.
  2. Decorate the exterior of your candle jars with paint or Halloween-themed decorations.
  3. Use glue (if needed) to adhere Halloween decorations to the exterior of the glass.
  4. Fill the decorated candle jar with Halloween candy or treats of your choice.
  5. Seal the jars with lids to make it easy to give them as gifts.

3. DIY Halloween Tip Jars

Embrace the spirit of the season with customers using this Halloween tip jar idea for an interactive way to collect tips or donations.

Materials:

  • Large Tumbler Candle jars
  • Halloween-themed decorations (e.g., stickers, mini plastic spiders, bats, or ghosts)
  • Acrylic paint or spray paint in Halloween colors
  • Paintbrushes
  • Mod Podge or craft glue
  • Halloween-themed ribbon or twine
  • Paper
  • Scissors

Instructions:

  1. Clean out a large glass candle jar.
  2. Paint the exterior of the jar with Halloween colors (if desired).
  3. Use Mod Podge or craft glue to adhere Halloween decorations to the jar.
  4. Cut out a sign from the paper saying "Tips & Treats" and decorate it.
  5. Attach the sign to the jar with glue or tie it with ribbon.
  6. (Optional) Make it a specific theme like "Witch's Brew" or "Monster Mash" and decorate accordingly.
  7. Place the jar in a visible spot where it’s sure to catch the customer's eyes.
  8. Let guests contribute to your festive tip jar and enjoy the Halloween atmosphere.

4. DIY Halloween Candle Holders

Let the excitement of Halloween crackle under the candlelight with creative DIY Halloween candle holders.

Materials:

Instructions:

  1. Clean out your candle jar.
  2. Decorate the exterior of the empty candle jar with Halloween-themed stickers, paint, and/or ribbons.
  3. Create spooky designs like jack-o'-lantern faces on the candle jar exteriors.
  4. Place a tea light candle or battery-operated candle inside the jar. Use caution when decorating candle jars, particularly if you plan to place a tea light candle into your decorated jar. Only burn candles in accordance with safety tips included with your candle and make sure to be careful when lighting real candles.
  5. Light the candles or turn on the battery-operated candles to enjoy your DIY candle holders.

5. Decorative Halloween Jar Potions

No Halloween is complete without a potion or two! Add a touch of magic and mystery to your DIY Halloween party decorations with Glass candle jars of various sizes and shapes full of spooky ingredients like Eyes of Newt or Dragon Scales.

Materials:

  • Glass candle jars of various sizes and shapes
  • Labels or paper for labeling
  • Markers or pens
  • Food coloring or colored water
  • Glue or double-sided tape
  • Assorted embellishments (optional)
  • Water

  1. Clean a variety of empty glass candle jars in different sizes and shapes.
  2. Create labels for each jar with spooky names using markers or pens.
  3. Fill each jar with water, leaving some space at the top.
  4. Add a few drops of food coloring to create vibrant potion colors.
  5. Decorate the jars with embellishments like dried herbs, glitter, or stickers.
  6. Secure the lids tightly to prevent spills.
  7. Arrange the potion jars on a shelf or table for a bewitching display.
  8. (Optional) Set up a station with extra jars and ingredients for party guests to mix their own potions.

Top Reasons to Opt for Halloween Candle Jars vs. Halloween Mason Jars

When it comes to making Halloween DIY crafts, upcycled candle jars offer a versatile and creative alternative to traditional mason jars. Here are 5 reasons why making Halloween candle jars instead of Halloween mason jars elevates your crafting experience:

  • Candle Jar Shapes and Sizes: Reusable candle jars come in a variety of shapes and sizes, allowing for more creative and diverse Halloween jar designs compared to standard mason jars.
  • Recycling and Repurposing: Repurposing candle jars for DIY Halloween crafts promotes sustainability. So the next time you are reusing Halloween mason jars, consider upcycling your candle vessels, too.
  • Cost-Effective: Upcycled candle jars are affordable and readily available around the house compared to purchasing mason jars.
  • Unique Candle Jar Character: Each unique candle jar can become its own character, giving these simple Halloween crafts a festive, fun, one-of-a-kind look.
  • Versatile Crafting: Reusable candle jars can be easily painted, decorated, or embellished to suit a wide range of themes and styles, offering endless ideas for how to reuse candle jars all year round.

Frequently Asked Questions

How to Clean Candle Jars

Before starting your upcycled candle jar projects, make sure you learn how to clean out old candle jars. Follow these steps on how to clean out candle jars to prepare them for reuse or recycling.

Instructions:

  1. For how to clean wax out of candles, place the old candle jar in the freezer for a few hours to harden and shrink the wax.
  2. Once frozen, gently remove the wax residue with a butter knife or spoon. Be careful not to scratch or damage the jar.
  3. Remove any labels on the reusable candle jar using the edge of the butter knife or a scraper tool to peel them off.
  4. (Optional) Soak the jar in warm, soapy water to loosen stubborn labels.
  5. Fill the jar with warm, soapy water and let it soak until any remaining residue is loosened.
  6. Scrub the inside of the jar with a sponge or cloth to remove any leftover wax or dirt.
  7. Rinse the jar thoroughly and let it dry completely before repurposing or recycling.

You now know how to clean out candle jars properly for upcycling crafts and projects!

Can You Recycle Glass Candle Jars?

Yes, most glass candle jars can be recycled. Wondering where to recycle candle jars?

At Yankee Candle®, we’ve partnered with TerraCycle® to recycle candle jars and glass candle lids via mail! Once enrolled in the program, you can recycle glass candle jars and our other products by mailing it from within the U.S. By partnering with TerraCycle®, we can all do our part to recycle candle jars to ensure they stay out of landfills.

Your local recycling program may also accept your recycled candle. To be certain, be sure to check with your local program for specific information.

Bring All Your Halloween Candle Ideas to Light

Make magic with your creativity this Halloween now that you know how to reuse candle jars for Halloween jars. Whether you're creating spooky characters or filling jars with treats, there are endless possibilities for DIY Halloween crafts.

Gather your supplies, unleash your imagination, and make the most of the season by checking out:

DIY / Crafting