Decorative candles and candle gifts: are you ready for this decorating season

If you are decorating a room and want to add just a splash of color, decorative candles are just what you need. They are cheapest and easiest way to use as a table decoration or accent.

Highly scented candles are most often used individually in bathrooms, living rooms and kitchens. While these are wonderful to use in your home, its best to balance out these fragrances with unscented ones when decorating. Scents are powerful triggers of emotion and memory. A certain aroma can bring back romantic memories or a special day, but not if its overpowering.

Floating candles in a decorative jar make excellent home accents as a table centerpiece. Tapered styles are more formal looking and look their best in single glass or silver holders.

Choose pillar and votives for celebrations in a color or colors that complement your decor. We recommend using a mix of scented and unscented candles for weddings and receptions and in your home. A room full of fragranced candles will compete with the aromas of food being served and can be too overwhelming.

Decorative Candles and Holders

Quality scented
Pillars
Floating -tealights
scented jars
glass candle holders - for votives, pillar and floating candles
Wedding candles - decor for rehearsal dinners, bridal showers, ceremony and reception.

Use all types and sizes if you are looking to add more color to a room. This is a very affordable way to decorate your home. When buying a candle holder try to coordinate in a style with the rest of your home furnishings. This way it forms part of your decor and doesn't look like you just placed it there or look out of place.

Proper Candle Burning and Care

Before lighting your decorative candles for the first time and each subsequent time, trim the wick to 1/4". This allows the candle to burn until the pool of wax reaches the full diameter of the candle. By doing this, you will get a longer burn, and it will help keep the candle from smoking.

Burn candles for one hour per inch of diameter. This sets the candle's "memory" to the edge of the candle, and when you light it in the future, it will "remember" to burn to that point.

Tapers burn approximately 1 hour per inch of height. When burning votives, place a teaspoon of water in the container before inserting the votive-this keeps cleanup easy.

To remove scratches or fingerprints on pillar candles, rub gently with a nylon stocking.

When arranging pillars, leave at least 2 inches between each candle, so that the heat from the flames won't melt candles nearby.

You should always extinguish with a snuffer to prevent wax from spraying across a table. Never burn a candle completely. Dispose of it when it burns to within one inch of the base or holder, except pillars which should be thrown out at 2 inches.

Never leave a burning candle unattended and keep out of the reach of children and where pets can't knock them over.

Always place on sturdy non-flammable holders, with the size being appropriate for the width of the candle base. Light in a draft-free area, to prevent dripping and smoking. If a draft cannot be avoided, turn the candle 180 degrees every hour.