Candle wax can melt plastic if the wax is hot enough and if the plastic is a thinner material. You will want to choose a thicker plastic for candles, especially if the candle you are making has multiple wicks.
Candles can be housed in many different materials. Some candles are made in teacups, driftwood, and even old metal tins. You can get creative with your candles and the materials you use to give a vintage or modern look.
I’m going to cover more about candle making and what kind of jars you can use for candle making in the rest of this article, so keep reading to learn more!
Are Candles in Plastic Containers Safe?
Yes, candles in plastic jars can be safe! For example, you can usually buy tea light candles in either a metal container or a hard plastic container.
It has to be a certain type of plastic if you are going to burn the candle. A good rule of thumb is if the plastic container you are wanting to use can’t be held to an open flame without melting, then it’s not a good container for your candle.
If you want to put a candle in a plastic container and use it as a décor item, then you can use any plastic container that won’t melt when the hot wax is poured in. Many candles are used only for decoration.
To check the current price and availability of plastic candle wax containers, click here to view the listing on Amazon.
How Do You Get Melted Wax Out of a Plastic Container?
It would depend on the type of plastic that it is. Without knowing this, I believe a double boiler method would probably work best and be the safest.
Have a pot of water on the stove heating up and place another metal or glass bowl on top of the pot. Place your candle inside of the bowl on top of the pot and slowly heat it through until the wax in the jar melts completely.
Is There Another Way to Get the Wax Out of Their Containers?
Yes! You can also use a heat gun to melt the wax in your container. Start by using the heat gun on the outside of your container, evenly distributing the heat and not staying in one place too long.
After that, you can start to use the heat gun on the inside of the container, but make sure to hold it up far enough to not burn the wax at the bottom.
What Other Containers Can You Use for Candles?
You can use any vessel made out of glass, metal, or even wood! If you are using this candle as just a decoration piece, you can use any container that can withstand the heat of the wax when it’s hot and being poured into it.
If you are wanting to burn the candle, you can use any glass or metal container. Anything that you can hold an open flame to that won’t burn or melt will be fine to use for a candle jar.
Containers You Shouldn’t Use for Candles
You should never use anything flammable as a container for a candle. An example of a container that should never be used is a coconut shell, as the outside of coconuts are hairy and can easily catch fire.
Another material that is not suggested for candles that you plan on burning is terracotta. These pots are very porous and can absorb a lot of wax making the whole container flammable.
To be on the safe side we wouldn’t suggest anything porous.
Why Does the Wax Need to Be Between 130-140 for Pouring?
At 130-140 Ferenheight, this wax temperature will allow the wax to pour correctly while adhering to the vessel it is being poured in. It will also help to prevent air bubbles and sinkholes from happening.
To learn more about candle-making for beginners and where to start, read the link here!
Why Do You Need to Heat the Wax So Much?
We need to heat the wax to that temperature so that any scent that we add will adhere to the wax itself. This will make your candle have the most scent.
If you don’t want any scent in your candles then it is not necessary to heat them this much, but remember that a good pouring temperature is between 130-140 Fereheight.
What Are Air Bubbles?
Air bubbles are tiny pockets of air throughout your candle. You can prevent air bubbles from happening by having your wax at a certain temperature before you pour it.
You can also prevent air bubbles by heating the container that you are making your candle in. If you need to fix air bubbles, you can do that with a heat gun by heating up around the outside of the candle.
What Are Sinkholes?
Sinkholes happen in candles when the wax is poured into the container and it is too cool. It essentially makes a large air bubble and the wax can fold in on itself.
You can fix sinkholes the same way you fix air bubbles but you mainly heat from the top of the candle and after you have poked holes in the top.
Final Thoughts
With all of this being said, I think the safest containers to use would be glass, metal, or porcelain containers. These will be able to withstand the heat of the candle you are burning and it will not break or melt.
If you plan on using the candles for only decoration and not burning them, then your list of containers grows a lot! You can use many different heavy plastic containers, as long as they can withstand the heat of the melted wax is poured into them.
As long as you test the container before you fully commit to pouring the candle into it, you should be fine. Try lightly using your heat gun to see how the container reacts, and then use your best judgment.