Repurpose An Empty Glass Candle Jar And Turn It Into An Adorable Succulent Planter

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There are plenty of reasons one might burn candles around the home — they add ambience, warmth, and delightful scents. Candles in jars make it so you don't even have to buy separate candle holders, and they come in all different sizes. Once the candle has burned away, you may be wondering what you can do with the empty jars. One great idea is to upcycle your candle jar into a planter for your favorite succulents. Succulents are a low-maintenance plant, so they're great for outdoor decor on a porch rail, under a gazebo, or scattered decoratively throughout the garden.

To create a cozy environment for your chosen succulents, you will need some small to medium stones, a small piece of burlap, Soil Sunrise horticultural charcoal (or another brand), and succulent potting soil. Look to the pet aisle for rocks — you can get small and medium aquarium stones for this project in a wide variety of bright colors. With that in mind, you can choose colors to go with the season or your outdoor decor. Once you have all of your items together, it's time to start layering.

The first step for turning your candle jar into a new home for succulents is to thoroughly clean out the jar. To remove all the wax, pop your jar into the freezer for at least three hours. When you pull it out, grab up a spoon and work at the edges of the frozen wax to get it to come out. The wax shrinks as it gets cold. If it's not coming loose easily, put it back in the freezer overnight. You might have some extra wax residue to clean out once the majority is removed. You can either scrape it out or, once the jar is back at room temperature, use hot water and clean it out with soap and a sponge.

Now, place the medium rocks in the bottom; the larger the jar, the more rocks you'll need. For a larger glass candle jar, you'll want about 2 inches of medium stone. Top that off with smaller stones, which will fill in the nooks and crannies within the medium rocks. Then, add the piece of burlap over the top. The stones provide a drainage area, preventing overwatering of your plants, while the burlap allows the soil to dry out. Add a thin layer of horticultural charcoal on top of the burlap, which helps with water retention and fertilization. Add a little soil, then place your succulents where you want them and add more soil around them. All that's left is to give them some water (only a little at a time to avoid overwatering) and pick the perfect spot on your deck for them! If you're wondering what to plant, try a succulent that will attract hummingbirds or a beautiful flowering succulent.