Craft Gossip

Independent craft blog since 2007

How to Filter Dirty Candle Wax

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When making candles, there’s always a risk that the wax might become dirty or have specks in it, which can ruin the final product. Fortunately, there are a number of ways to filter dirty candle wax so that it can be reused.

One of the most common methods is to use a fine mesh stainless steel strainer. This type of strainer is readily available at candle-making supply stores, and can also be found in hardware and household sections of department stores. A fine mesh strainer ensures that any debris or specks in the wax are removed before the wax is reused.

If you don’t have a fine mesh strainer, there are other options. One clever method comes from Powers Family Homestead, where Kara made a candle out of deer fat and used a coffee filter to filter out any impurities. This is an excellent idea, especially if you don’t have a fine mesh strainer on hand.

Another option is to use a wax screen or cheesecloth. The Bee Buzz has an excellent tutorial on how to make your own wax screen. This method allows you to reuse the wax while still ensuring that it’s clean and free of any impurities.

In a pinch, paper towels can also be used as filters. If you don’t have any paper towels on hand, pantyhose can be used as a substitute. In fact, this is a trick that some people use to filter dirty oil, and it works just as well for filtering dirty wax.

If you’re a frequent candle maker, it’s a shame to let any wax scraps or spills go to waste. By using one of these filtering methods, you can reuse your wax and minimize waste. If you have any other methods for filtering dirty wax, feel free to share with others who are interested in candle making. Remember, a little bit of creativity can go a long way when it comes to candle making.

At Powers Family Homestead, Kara made a candle out of deer fat  and came up with a filtering method using a strainer and a coffee filter. This is an excellent idea, especially if your strainer doesn’t have a fine mesh.

The Bee Buzz uses a wax screen or cheesecloth. For instructions on how to make your own wax screen, see the tutorial at the Bee Buzz.

Have you read?

10 Quilted Bag Ideas to Make with Scrap Fabrics

If your scrap bin is overflowing with leftover quilt blocks, odd strips, favorite florals, and those “too pretty to toss” bits of fabric, quilted bags are such a satisfying way to use them up. They’re practical, giftable, and a lovely change of pace when you want to sew something useful without starting another full quilt top. CraftGossip already has several bag tutorials that lean beautifully into scrap-friendly sewing, including quilted totes, pouches, star bags, and even an improv denim bag made with fabric leftovers.

What makes quilted bags such a good scrap-fabric project is that they don’t need large cuts to look impressive. Small patchwork panels, orphan blocks, strip piecing, crumb-style fabric, and simple quilted rectangles can all become totes, zipper pouches, drawstring bags, and market bags. Several of the tutorials below specifically mention using scraps, leftover quilt blocks, quilting cotton, or patchwork panels, so this is a very natural next step if you’ve been enjoying scrap quilts and mini quilt projects lately.

10 Quilted Bag Ideas to Make with Scrap Fabrics

1. How to Make a Quilted Tote Bag

This is a lovely place to start because it is specifically described as using plenty of scrap fabrics, and the finished tote is a generous everyday size with inside pockets too. It feels like the kind of project that gives you a proper useful bag at the end, not just a practice piece.

2. Stunning Star Quilted Bag Tutorial – Free Pattern

If you want something a bit more eye-catching, this one is such a pretty option. The bag features a lone star design and the CraftGossip write-up notes that the free downloadable pattern includes detailed step-by-step instructions, so it is a nice choice when you want your scraps to become something that looks a little extra special.

3. Tutorial: Improv Patchwork Denim Bag

This one is ideal if your scraps are a bit random and you like a more relaxed, patchwork-heavy look. It combines a castaway pair of jeans with fabric scraps, and the CraftGossip post describes it as beginner-friendly, which makes it especially appealing for casual weekend sewing.

4. How to Make a Quilted Zipper Pouch

A quilted zipper pouch is one of those brilliant little projects that always comes in handy. This tutorial is described as a full start-to-finish make with a detailed supply list and lots of step-by-step photos, which is perfect when you want a smaller scrap-busting project with a quick finish.

5. Watermelon Block Tote Bag

This one adds a playful novelty angle to the roundup. It is built around a quilted watermelon block tote, so it is a fun reminder that scrap-friendly bags do not always have to be neutral basics — they can be cheerful, seasonal, and a little bit cheeky too.

6. How To Make A Quilted Tote From Any Quilt Block

This is such a clever idea for anyone with orphan blocks tucked away in a drawer. The tutorial walks through quilting exterior panels, adding webbing handles, and turning a quilt block into a finished tote, which makes it a brilliant bridge between quilting and bag making.

7. Quilted Patchwork Zip Bag Sewing Pattern

If you like pouches but want something with a little more structure and polish, this is a strong pick. The tutorial explains that the pouch is made by quilting the fabric first and then using binding on the seams, which gives it that proper patchwork-meets-bagmaking feel.

8. Patchwork Drawstring Bag Tutorial

This is a lovely scrap-friendly option because it can be made from 5-inch pre-cut squares or a bunch of leftover fabric pieces. It is also a nice change from totes and zippers if you want something softer, giftable, and easy to adapt for storage, travel, or sewing supplies.

9. The Scrapyard Tote: Free Sewing Pattern for Fabric Scraps

The name alone tells you this one belongs here. The pattern is built around either scrap fabric strips or 5-inch squares, so it is beautifully aimed at stash-busting sewers who want a roomy tote rather than a tiny project.

10. Japanese Style Patchwork Tote Bag – Free Sewing Tutorial

This tote has a lovely patchwork focus and includes options for inside or outside pockets, which makes it feel practical as well as pretty. It is a nice choice if you want a bag that really lets mixed fabrics shine without needing them to match perfectly.

Why quilted bags work so well for scrap fabrics

Quilted bags are one of the easiest ways to make small cuts of fabric feel worthwhile. A tote front, pouch panel, or drawstring section only needs a relatively modest amount of patchwork, which means leftover strips, mini charms, orphan blocks, and scrappy piecing can all be put to work. That is exactly why so many of these tutorials lean on scraps, quilting cotton, or existing quilt blocks rather than large untouched yardage.

They are also wonderfully practical. Unlike some stash-busting projects that are mostly decorative, bags and pouches actually get used — for groceries, hand sewing, notions, cosmetics, gifts, books, and all the little bits that seem to roam around the house. That makes them feel extra satisfying when you are sewing from scraps because the finish is both pretty and useful. This roundup includes larger totes, a structured zip bag, a drawstring bag, and smaller pouches, so there is a nice range of project sizes and skill levels.

A few lovely blog reads to pair with this one

If you want to keep building out your scrap-fabric sewing cluster on CraftGossip, these are natural companions:

Quilted bags really are one of the nicest ways to turn scrap fabrics into something you will actually use. They let you enjoy the colour and charm of patchwork without committing to another full quilt, and they are just practical enough to feel wonderfully justified when you “accidentally” start making more than one.