Wednesday, July 16, 2008

Thursday Thirteen #34


I love the fragrance and beauty of candlelight. Here are 13 tips for taking care of your candles so they will take care of you.

1. Ever wish your decorative candle looked new again? Take an old pair of nylon stockings or knee high hose and rub the entire candle. It will shine like new again.

2. When decorating with candles, think in odd numbers, 3, 5, 7. This will create balance and unity to your candle display. And multiple points of light create a dramatic effect.

3. Don't blow candles out. Go to the dollar store (or somewhere better if you choose) and get a snuffer. Snuffing candles keeps the wick aligned in the center, whereas blowing the candle out can blow the wick off center, not to mention that you risk blowing hot wax on someone or something.

4. After snuffing out a pillar or large candle, gently press on the sides while the candle is still pliant to mold it into shape and keep it burning evenly.

5. Keep candles out of direct sunlight to keep them from fading.

6. For votive and pillar candles, trim the wick to 1/4 inch. This will keep the flame from burning too high and will keep smoke from the flame to a minimum. It's not necessary to trim the wicks of tealights or large three wick candles.

7. Storing unlit candles in your closet or pantry is an easy way to freshen what can often be a stale smell.

8. Burn pillar and 3 wick candles at least one hour for each inch in diameter of the candle if you want to keep the candle burning evenly. If you put out a candle an hour after you light it, your candle is going to grow a well in the middle and you will not be able to burn the entire candle.

9. Candles make great gifts - Sunday school teachers, school teachers, music lesson providers, delivery people, office workers, neighbors, and so on. There are very few people who don't like candles.

10. Burn candles only in a container that is free of chips, breaks, or cracks. This is a safety issue. If the container is already damaged, lighting a candle in it is an accident waiting to happen.

11. Candles should be burned on a sturdy, level surface where children and pets are unlikely to turn them over. (Common sense, you'd think, but... there are people who don't follow this advice.)

12. Keep candles out of drafts and away from ceiling fans that can cause the flame to burn crooked and waste half of your candle.

13. Obviously, never leave a burning candle unattended.

You don't need a special occasion to light a candle!

17 comments:

  1. Great list. Our candles are a study in how crooked and drafty the house is!

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  2. I love candles. Sadly, I have to be very careful about which candles I buy as I have allergies to a lot of fragrances. But I love the look of candles. Thanks for a great list.


    Come by and see my trip to the lake.

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  3. Someone paid attention at the Partylite party! My favorite tip is putting the holder in the freezer for an hour to get rid of the wax in the bottom.

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  4. Hooray, hooray, hooray!

    My candles are going to last longer, burn better and look nicer now, thanks to you.

    Oh, I do so love my candles! And your T13!

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  5. I love the smell of candles and candle stores. Great ideas. Happy TT.

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  6. Yes, Tamy, I paid attention, but I also used to sell PartyLite! And I love candles - always have. I learned a few of these tips on my own, like the one about buffing with nylon hose and the one about storing the candles in my closet. My closet smells so good! I just can't get enough of candles, for decorating and for fragrance. LOVE THEM!

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  7. I sold it too ~ just got tired of always being gone on weekends and evenings!

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  8. Oh, I wish I'd seen your list BEFORE I was at a friend's and the freshly-lit candle on the table shattered. Seems there was a barely visible crack in the glass and since it was sooo thin that you could barely see it, we didn't think it would matter. #10 is SO TRUE! (Thanks for visiting my TT)

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  9. I'm a huge candle fan. They are all over my house. I seem to burn more in the fall. I love the house to smell pretty. Thanks for the great advice. Happy TT and thanks for stopping by my place.

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  10. I love candles I light one at least once a day you have a great list of tips some I have never heard of before thanks for sharing Happy TT

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  11. Great tips, thanks for sharing them.

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  12. I love candles! I always stock up on them!

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  13. Thanks for the tips. I love candles.

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  14. I do love candles! I've been trying to get soy candles only so that I don't have to deal with the soot. These are great ideas - thanks for sharing!

    Happy TT

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  15. I love candles - but some fragrances are not for me. Thanks for the list and some great tips. Some I hadn't thought of before.

    Happy TT!

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  16. Guess who is back in full force and can comment and visit again? Yep me, and I love these tips you have given. Now that the kids are older we can do the candle thing.
    My TT is up at The Cafe.

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  17. I love candles. they are my thing. thoseare all good tips

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