Preston student turns cans into candles to fund studies

The 33-year-old is upcycling craft beer cans and turning them into candles to help fund herself through her degree in Nutrition and Exercise Science at the University of Central Lancashire.

Katie, from Farington, near Leyland, came up with the idea after wondering what to do with the empty beer cans from her partner Ryan Gill, who reviews craft ale online through @ipatasters.

She said: “The real ale cans come in so many wonderful and wacky designs with amazing artwork and it felt wrong to just throw them into the recycling bin.

“I’ve always loved candles and I thought it would be a cool way to recycle and upcycle the beer cans while making some money to help me through my studies.”

To make the candles Katie cleans up the cans and removes any sharp edges before mixing the right amount of wax with the desired fragrance and attaching the handmade labels.

Her small business BeercandleUK sells online through her Instagram, Facebook and Twitter handle @beercandleuk and her Facebook site.

Katie also attends artisan markets and vegan festivals and some local stores including Barrica Wines at Walton Summit and Priest Town Brewing in Preston city centre stock her goods.

“Selling the candles works really well because it fits in around my university work and it’s so rewarding when you receive a review from a customer saying how much they like the product,” said Katie.

“It has also helped me to develop business skills which can only be beneficial when I graduate from University.”