Decorating Your Home with Candles

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Love candles? Who doesn’t! That’s why our homes are filled with candles of all shapes, sizes and scents. Sometimes, it’s hard to know what to do with all those candles we acquire through home parties, gifts, crafting and yard sales. Here are some tips and ideas for using candles throughout your home to help create a warm, comfortable environment while showing off all your waxen treasures.

• Always light a candle at least once so that the tip of the wick is burnt rather than white. This creates a much warmer atmosphere.

• Be safe when burning candles. Keep them away from children, pets, curtains and drafts. Never leave them burning when you go to bed or leave the house. And watch them closely when they burn down close to the candleholder so they don’t break and spill hot wax.

• Consider the effect you get with varying colors, sizes and shapes of candles. For instance, all-white candles make a striking centerpiece for wedding showers and parties. Bright striped candles add excitement and liven up a sunroom. And soothing pastels create calm and serenity in a bath.

• Display your candles in a variety of ways around your home. Place a few together on a bathroom vanity. Set one or two on the kitchen counter. Place one atop a bookshelf in your office. Even if you don’t burn them all, candles make an excellent addition to any room.

• Floating candles make an attractive “candlescape” for your dinner table. Fill a shallow glass dish with water. Add 2-3 small floating candle and some large flowers such as magnolia blossoms.

• Jar candles or container candles can be decorated with ribbons, trims, self-adhesive appliques and more to match your decor or the mood of your room.

• Keep candles from developing a hole in the middle around the wick, burn them one hour for every inch in diameter – at least the first time you light them. For instance, burn a 1″ round taper one hour, and a 3″ round pillar three hours when you first bring them home for the best results.

• Make a lovely centerpiece by grouping several candles of varying sizes and complementary colors on a mirrored tray. Use smooth, small river rocks to fashion a border around the outside of the tray, if desired.

• Napkin rings make the perfect size holder for tealight candles. Just be sure to protect the surface underneath from wax spills.

• Placing candles in the refrigerator before burning will make them last longer.

• Scented candles smell strongest at the bottom, so if you want a strong scent, sniff there before you buy.

• Reduce the amount of smoke candles emit when they burn by keeping the wicks trimmed to 1/4″.

• Use your imagination when selecting candle holders. Think outside the box and opt for items such as vintage saucers or bowls, flower pots, wire baskets and more.

There are many more ways to use candles around the house. Dig out all your candles and potential candleholders and create some new, stunning decorations for your home.

Tags: Being Frugal, Cheap Home Decorating, frugal decorating