Use candles to add cheer to festivities

For your fireplace, get some old pieces of firewood, spray paint them in gold and place matching candles in the fireplace. Do not light either the candles or the firewood as this should be merely for decorative purposes. PHOTO | FILE

What you need to know:

  • Candles provide some much-needed light as well as some visual interest.
  • In your corridor, you can use a row of three or four candle sconces to make the space look intimate.
  • Flowers and candles go hand in hand, so create a dramatic and feminine centrepiece for your living room by scattering some flower petals in a couple of mason jars and filling them with block candles of different sizes for some dramatic style.

It is Christmas season and everywhere you look, there are candles on sale.

If you want to incorporate candles in your home, here are a few ideas on how you can do so.

In glass

One of the classic ways to display large, block candles, preferably white or cream ones, is to place them in hurricane lamps.

This would  be an especially great idea to use to line your walkway or if you are having an outdoor night event, the candles would provide some much-needed light as well as some visual interest.

Another way to use glass is to place some of your wine glasses upside down, fill them with some glitter powder or coloured sand and place some tea lights on the base of each glass.

With sconces

Candle sconces can be used in endless ways.

For instance, shabby chic ones made with distressed wood would look good when used on each side of your bed, and especially against a pastel wall.

In your corridor, you can use a row of three or four candle sconces to make the space look intimate.

In your bathroom, you can also use traditional wall sconces with glass and wrought iron on each side of your wall mirror for some old charm.

Use a stick

Invest in good, old-fashioned ornate candelabra for your dinner parties this season. This will help you display your candlesticks in style. Another way to display candle sticks is to make homemade holders on a side plate filled with pebbles on the bottom.

Floral style

Flowers and candles go hand in hand, so create a dramatic and feminine centrepiece for your living room by scattering some flower petals in a couple of mason jars and filling them with block candles of different sizes for some dramatic style.

Decorated

Embellish your candles with simple ribbon and old scraps of fabric for a simple and inexpensive way to upgrade your old block candles.

Next, collect the embellished candles on a decorative tray and display them on the top of your chimney if you have one.

For your fireplace, get some old pieces of firewood, spray paint them in gold and place matching candles in the fireplace. Do not light either the candles or the firewood as this should be merely for decorative purposes.

Shapely

Candles now come in different shapes such as stars.

These candles would look good when displayed as art, say in the centre of an old mirror frame in your bathroom.

Make it as eclectic as possible and place similarly coloured candles in each frame to create inexpensive wall art.

Edible style

Last but not least, you can make your own candle sconces by carving fruits like pineapples and watermelons or pumpkins and adding appropriately sized candles or tea lights in the fruits.

This would  look especially good along another carved fruit bowl filled with  fruit punch or some fruits during a dinner party.

Old school

If you can get an old iron light fixture, you can place candle sticks on it and use it to light up your home this holiday season.

Wood work

Go organic and get a wooden candle holder to hold your votive and your tea lights.

A wooden candle holder that is rustic and can hold more than four candles will be great when used as a centrepiece in your dining area.

All afloat             

Tea lights are small inexpensive and can be used in a number of ways, for instance they can be placed in a large bowl of water to float with coloured glass marbles at the bottom to act as a piece of art in your bedroom or bathroom.