5 Ways to Repurpose Bath & Body Works Products
We get it: while there’s something kind of triumphant about finally finishing a product, it’s tough to part with that gorgeous packaging, especially when your décor has come to love it. So, to save you the “now what do I do with this?” brainstorming session, we’ve put together five super-simple, beautifully sustainable ideas for how to recycle your Bath & Body Works products. Because you know us: we always see the (candle) jar as half full.
1. Create a custom candle-jar planter.
Small pops of greenery are the every-season, every-room mood boost—and recycling a candle jar is an easy, more eco-friendly alternative to searching high and low for a brand-new planting pot. We like air plants or succulents—they’re a good size for the containers and simpler to take care of later—but if you have a green thumb, the sky (er, the garden) is the limit. Just grab your empty candle and your favorite planting strategy, and go.
![How to recycle bath and body works candle jars for planters](/sites/g/files/bndsjb621/files/2022-05/recycled-candle-jar-planter.jpg)
2. Recycle an empty 3-wick to be an office catch-all.
Desks and office spaces are notorious clutter magnets, and a repurposed 3-wick feels so much more special than those utilitarian office supplies. Pens, pencils, paper clips, push-pins…any tiny, runaway-prone item is fair game. We even like upcycling colored-glass jars to add a decorative kick to playrooms and craft tables—or leaving a little bit of wax at the bottom of the candle for an extra pop of color, texture and fragrance. (Scented markers are a thing after all).
![Art and office supply holder from recycled Bath and Body Works candle jars](/sites/g/files/bndsjb621/files/2022-05/recycled-candle-jar-supply-holder.jpg)
3. Make your Halloween décor shine.
Sure, you could carve a pumpkin, but this upcycling idea is way more fun and fulfilling. And the best part? It’s scary simple. All you really need is an empty 3-wick and some paint. From there, you've got a blank canvas to create anything from a petrifying pumpkin to a frightful feline to whatever creepy creature you can dream up. Pro tip: For a super-smooth finish, we recommend starting with spray paint. Save your brush strokes for those finishing touches. Happy Halloween!
![How to upcycle Bath and Body Works candle jars for Halloween Decor](/sites/g/files/bndsjb621/files/2022-05/upcycle-candle-jar-decor.jpg)
4. Give your single wicks new lives as luminaries.
If you’ve got an empty single wick, then you’re halfway to our version of a mason jar luminary. The other half? Fairy lights! We love battery-operated ones since they give off a nice, enchanting glow (and they’re low maintenance). But depending on the setting, you could also use tea lights—LED or the real deal. Bottom line: Whether you want to add a little moodiness to your patio or put together a crafty housewarming gift, you can’t go wrong here. Bonus points for decorating the jars. Think ribbons, frosted glass spray paint, glass gems, stick-on letters, etc.
![How to reuse bath and body works candles](/sites/g/files/bndsjb621/files/2022-05/how-to-recycle-candle-jars.jpg)
5. Upcycle your hand soap into an on-demand vase.
That moment when you have an impromptu bouquet of flowers and literally nowhere to put them? A repurposed soap dispenser solves the entire “honey, where’d we put that vase?” conundrum. Just rinse your favorite decorative bottle, fill with a little water and tuck the stems into the top. Be careful to balance the height and weight of the flowers with the size of the hand soap itself; less is more here.
![How to recycle Bath and Body Works soap dispensers](/sites/g/files/bndsjb621/files/2022-05/recycled-hand-soap-dispenser.jpg)