Festive Christmas Candles & Scents

Must have Candles

When Christmas arrives each year it is the Christmas candles that are the ‘must have’ for every home. Candles create a soft, luminous, festive atmosphere. Switch off your electric lights and turn on the candles, eat by candlelight, dance by candlelight and read by candlelight.

Table decorations

Candles are often the centrepiece of the traditional table decoration, advent wreaths are made using ’oasis’ from a florist suppliers and greenery is arranged in them. Four candles form the advent ring and during the four week period before Christmas one candle are lit on each Sunday. This is a very traditional way of celebrating the run-up to Christmas and can be a very special event in many families.

Scents

Candles are made in many different scents and now there are scents that speak of Christmas, mulled wine scents, cinnamon, orange and spices. Essential oils are added to candles when they are being made to give your home the delicious scent of Christmas. Some candles are specifically made to rid your home of nasty smells and when lit, dissolve into a pool of scented oils these can be used instead of air fresheners to make your home smell wonderful at all times. Candles make for inexpensive Christmas gifts and are ideal presents to give or receive.

Moulds

Candle moulds come in all shapes, sizes and forms go to a speciality candle shop to buy the shape, size and colour that is right for you. Match your candles to your decor or your colour scheme for Christmas. If you are unable to get candles of the colour you want, then buy plain white or cream candles and use baubles, greenery or ribbon to match your colour scheme. Tall, slim candles look wonderful on the dinner table larger, squat candles look great on a hall table or coffee table surrounded by trailing ivies or colourful Christmas balls. Bowls of flower shaped floating candles make a wonderful decoration for any home. Try to buy the best quality candles that you can afford, cheap candles are often a false economy as they often burn unevenly and quickly.

Characters

Children’s candles come in a variety of familiar characters you may recognise from Disney films or Christmas classics like ‘The Snowman’ animation. Santa Claus, Christmas snowman and Christmas reindeer candles are all available in many stores countrywide and a few of these set together with Christmas tree candles and an iced and decorated gingerbread house make a picturesque Christmas scene that children will love.

Electric candles

If it is really impossible to have lighted candles around your home then the next best thing is an electric candle. Of course they are very safe and will cause no danger to anyone, but they are a very poor substitute for the real thing.

Making candles

One of the nice things about candles is that they can also be made at home. There are many children’s craft sets on sale that give clear instructions on making your own candles. They come with wax in tablet or pellet form, a variety of different colours and some essential oil to give your candles a perfume when burning. There will also be a mould or two in your kit. Moulds can be made either of silicone or plastic and can come in almost any form. A wick must be added to your candle and the instructions will tell you how to attach it. Gel candles are not wax at all but a combination of mineral oils and resin but can be poured into different decorative containers to make a personalized candle.

Traditional candles

Traditionally, candles were made from beeswax and can still be made from this pure wax to produce a wonderful simple candle that burns well and produces a good light. These pure beeswax candles are often rolled from a flat sheet of wax enclosing the wick at the centre.

Safety

One of the first things that should be mentioned when talking about candles is the security aspect. On no account should a lighted candle be left unattended or in the presence of only children. Ensure that there is nothing flammable in the vicinity of lighted candles and that they are put out before leaving the room. Always remember that candles are responsible for many house fires during the Christmas period so make sure that you are not numbered in the statistics. Christmas candles are a very festive part of Christmas but should be used carefully and always with supervision to enjoy them to their full potential, and finally, my very best Christmas wishes to you and yours.