Candles Can Add Warmth to Every Room in Your Home

Scented Candle

With the hectic pace of our often overscheduled lives, it's easy to begin thinking of home as simply a place to sleep and do laundry instead of a wonderful retreat from the hustle and bustle. Indeed, the current trend is to "take back" our homes, and to enjoy the oasis they can provide. To this end, people are increasingly looking for ways to add warmth and coziness to their home decor without breaking the bank.

There are any number of ways to transform your home into a place of peaceful relaxation, but one of the most effective and inexpensive is to incorporate candles into various rooms throughout your house. Here are some ideas to get you started.

In the Bedroom

Your bedroom should be your sanctuary. Whether you are setting the stage for a romantic evening or simply curling up with a good book, candles can create the mood you seek. Tealight candles floating in a bowl or tin candles adorning your dresser will add light and warmth to this most important room.

In the Bathroom

When was the last time you allowed yourself the luxury of a good, long soak in a bubble bath? You deserve to take twenty or thirty minutes a few times a week to let the tension and stress wash away. Set the stage for relaxation by surrounding your bathtub with candles. For the most powerful effect, use a combination of pillar candles, votive candles, and tealight candles.

In the Kitchen

For many families, the kitchen is heart of the home. It's the place where kids do homework, where family members leave notes for one another, and where - time permitting - families eat meals together. Jar candles can infuse the kitchen with wonderful fragrances - even when there isn't a pot or pan in sight. Cinnamon, cherry, citrus, and other wonderful scents can imbue the kitchen with that extra feeling of warmth and love.

In the Living Room

The designs of many candles lend themselves to home decor, and can add an accessorizing touch even when they aren't lighted. Globe candles come in a variety of sizes and colors that can complement virtually any home's decor. The unique shapes and textures of some ball candles produce a beautiful glow when burning. Made of the translucent wax, these candles are stunning any time of the year. In addition, vase candles are increasingly popular, particularly in the winter months when fresh flowers might not be readily available. The vases are gorgeous, while the candles give the room an inviting ambiance.

In the Dining Room

Whether you're entertaining a group of friends or setting the table for a romantic dinner for two, classic taper candles are the perfect accompaniment for dinner. Make sure to choose unscented taper candles, since you don't want them to interfere with the scents and flavors imparted by the food you're serving. And don't forget to select dripless candles, so that your table linens will stay free of wax.

On the Road

Make your hotel room or recreational vehicle your home away from home by using travel candles. Travel candles most often come in small tins and are usually scented. Soy candles are popular travel candles, as are those that incorporate essential oils to soothe you when you're on the road.

Candles Add Warmth and Comfort to Your Home

Scented Candle

If you're decorating on a budget - and who isn't these days - candles are the perfect inexpensive accessory to add warmth, comfort, and elegance to your home. If you haven't shopped for candles lately, you may be surprised at the variety of types of candles that are available. Here's just a sampling:

Taper Candles

Taper candles are the traditional candles that fit in candlestick holders and add a touch of romance or elegance to the dinner table. They're perfect for weddings, as taper candles come in a wide variety of colors that complement autumn, spring, and summer weddings. Although taper candles come in a variety of lengths, the standard length is 12 inches. When shopping for taper candles, look for those that are fragrance free, smokeless, and dripless. You don't want the scent of the candles to overwhelm your dinner guests' palates, and you certainly don't want wax puddles on your good table linens!

Votive Candles

Votive candles are wonderfully diverse. Once associated only with churches, today votive candles are a wonderful accent to the home. When placed in votive candleholders, you don't have to worry about wax drips and spills. Because of their small size, more is always better. Place a dozen around your bathtub and enjoy the luxurious feeling of a relaxing bath by candlelight. Line them up in varying heights on your fireplace mantle to add a warm glow to your living room. Votive candles come in a wide variety of scents, so you can control the mood of your room. Go for the strong scent of magnolias in the summertime, and the cozy scent of vanilla in the winter.

Globe Candles

The round shape of globe candles can add the perfect touch of elegance to your home decor. They are available in a wide variety of colors to complement your decorating scheme, and are often lightly scented to add a fresh or warm ambiance to your room.

Pillar Candles

As their name implies, pillar candles are chunky columns - candles that are the perfect inexpensive home accessory. Because the come in any number of varying heights, pillar candles are perfect for arranging in sets. Remember to always use three or five candles when creating a pillar candle setting, as the odd number draws the eye's attention and is aesthetically pleasing.

Floating Candles

If you have a pool, consider incorporating floating candles into your party decorations. At night, the light on the water has a dazzling effect - one that will help make your party memorable. Whether you're serving appetizers or dinner outdoors, or whether your dining room overlooks the backyard, floating candles will capture the attention and imagination of your guests.

Tin Candles

If you work involves traveling, you no doubt tire of sterile hotel rooms. Travel candles come in tins with covers, and allow you to take a bit of home with you on the road. Tin candles come in a variety of scents - from avocado and vanilla to green tea and ginger - and in a small size that's easy to tuck into your suitcase or overnight bag.

Pillar candles

Pillar candles

Pillar candles add a stylish touch of elegance to your home and even to your dinner table as part of a centerpiece. I have seen then used before on the tables at wedding receptions in the colors of the wedding. It was very appealing. Pillar candles come in all colors and scents. They are called pillars because they are round and tall like a pillar. There is no standard size though, as pillar candles come in many widths and heights. Occasionally, pillar candles are found with a unique design such as a ridge on the top and bottom.

Making pillar candles is quite simple. This type of candle is one of the most common for candle makers to indulge in. To make pillar candles, you will need molds. You can find them in all sizes at most craft stores. You can also get them online. Many online auction sites including Ebay and Yahoo offer several pillar candle molds for one great price. These molds can be found make of silicon, aluminum, or plastic. For best results, choose pillar candle molds that are made of aluminum. They allow the wax to cooler better, resulting in a smooth finish on the candles. They are also very durable.

To get started, decide on the size of candles you want to make and how many. There are charts in candle making books and on the internet that can help you determine how many pounds of candle wax you will need to complete your project. You will also need dye to color the candles and fragrances if you wish to add that to your candles.

You will need quality wick to make pillar candles. The wider the candle you will be making, the wider wick you want. To make this easier, simply purchase a standard type of wick. You can braid three pieces together to make a thicker wick for wider candles. Many of the pillar candle molds have a wick holder built. In simply slide a wick the diameter of the whole into it and eliminate the guess work. Make sure you dip the wick into the melted wax before attaching it to the candle mold. Keeping the wick in place can be tricky. A good trip is to cut the wick several inches longer than you need. Then tie it to a pencil or skewer sitting across the top of the candle mold. This will ensure the wick is centered as the candle begins the cooling process.

Once your candle wax is at the proper temperature, add in anything you want to be including in your candle including dye, scents, and additives. Immediately after, pour the hot wax into the pillar candle molds. Do not pour wax all the way to the top of the mold. You want to leave about four or five inches unfilled.

While for most candles you make, leave the candles to cool. Pillar candles need some further assistance during the cooling process. Once the top of the wax has started to become solid, you will need to add small relief holes to help with shrinkage. If you don’t create the relief holes your candles will get air pockets that keep them from hardening properly.

Once the candles have completely cooled, pour melted wax into the holes you created on the candle. Make sure the wax is about fifteen degrees hotter than what you had the wax at the first time you poured it. Allow the candle to completely cool down again. Your candles should slide out of the molds easily. If they don’t put them in the refrigerator for half an hour. Your candles should be smooth and beautiful. Make sure to trim the wick and you are ready to burn your pillar candles.

Pillar candles are beautiful. The simple design fits well with the décor in any room of your home. These candles make excellent gifts and center pieces. Pillar candles are easy to make and the supplies are inexpensive. This makes pillar candle making an excellent project, hobby, or money making project. Pillar candles burn for hours, ensuring you will get hours of enjoyment from your endeavors.