Candles for holidays

Our favourite candles for Christmas:

Make the Holidays Simple and Safe this Year

(ARA) - The holidays don't need to be complicated. In fact, getting back to a simpler time can make the holidays even more joyous.

"Everyone loves having beautiful Christmas decorations in their homes but most of us just don't feel like we have time to get it done," says Tom Hunsche, vice president of marketing for candle maker Hearth & Home Traditions, Ltd. "Using candles is a great way to bring the warmth of the season in without spending the entire season decorating."

Lighted candles have been a staple of holiday decorating for years but with a few updated ideas, candles can become the focal point of the festivities.

Start with what you have

If you have a favorite collection or a favorite piece of décor, accent it using candles of varying heights and intertwining fresh greenery and berries into the mix (just be careful to keep greenery away from the candle flame).

Monochromatic melodies

Nothing makes a more elegant statement on a table than a collection of single colored candles in varying heights. Set them on a mirror for an added reflection and touch of warmth. Keep them 3 inches apart, so that the heat from one does not affect the others when burning.

It just smells like Christmas

Even if you don't have time to bake this season, there's no reason your home can't be filled with the delicious aromas of the holidays. "The Original Cake Candle from Hearth & Home comes in a variety of fragrances from Apple Spice, to Gingerbread and Plum Pudding," says Hunsche. "These scents bring back memories of fresh baked goodies and the simple pleasures of sharing a cookie or a mug of cider with friends and family."

Make an impression

One of the simplest ways to set the tone for the season is right at your front door. Use tin-punched luminaries with candles inside to line the walkway and front steps -- especially when you're entertaining. They warm the guest and set the mood!

Homemade is from the heart

Homemade gifts have a special charm about them. Your home can have that same charm by using simple touches like cinnamon sticks and cookie cutters in your decorations. Carry this theme throughout the entire house by using Cake Candles, Scent-A-Buns or the Hearth & Home Snowman candles to give the look and scent of home-baked goodness. Textured candles like these give you a more informal, "homemade" feeling than the elegance of smooth pillar candles.

Give a gift

Keep a small bowl of holiday scented votive candles by the door for guests. In addition to looking beautiful, everyone who stops by from delivery people to neighbors will be touched by this unexpected little gift. Wrap each one in bright paper or tulle and tie it with a ribbon for a beautiful touch.

Color it simple

Simple red or white candles on a beautiful, heat-resistant platter can make a stunning centerpiece or can stretch across the mantle to create an equally elegant effect.

Table top treasures

A long, low candle like the Chimney Sweet from Hearth & Home Traditions Ltd. makes a wonderful centerpiece because it provides decoration without obscuring views across a dinner table. Use it along with several votive candles in glass containers around a buffet table. The twinkling lights cast a magical glow.

Early season favorites

If you love to put decorations up early and can't have a real tree in your home, use a collection of pine scented candles nearby to give your entire home the fragrance of a fresh-cut tree without all those needles.

Welcoming ways

When holiday guests stay the night, put a candle and matches in their room. Nothing is more soothing after a hectic holiday afternoon than an evening of soft candlelight.

Make it a safe holiday

While candles are an essential part of the holidays, candle safety deserves to be just as essential. However, many people burn candles unattended or burn them all the way to the bottom against the recommendations of most manufacturers. Candles can catch fire (called flashover) when debris such as matches and wick trimmings are left in the wax pool as it burns to the bottom.

A newly patented product from Hearth & Home Traditions is taking aim at these safety issues with the introduction of the company's patented Wick Pedestal. This tiny metal device improves candle safety by supporting the flame half an inch above the base of the candle. In addition, it prevents wax from traveling up the wick once the candle has burned too low, thus reducing the risk of candle fires and flashover.

While this is an added measure of safety you'll find only in Hearth & Home products, it is still important to follow a few simple safety tips whenever you burn candles.

Hearth & Home Traditions, Ltd. recommends that any time candles are burned is the time to "TAKE CARE."

Trim wick to 1/4 inch at all times.

Always keep candles away from anything that can catch fire.

Keep a burning candle in sight.

Extinguish a candle when it has burned 1 inch from the bottom.

Carefully remove all wick trimming and debris.

Always keep candles away from pets and children.

Read the manufacturer's instructions.

Extinguish any candle that smokes. Let cool, trim wick to 1/4 inch. If smoking persists, extinguish and return the candle.

Courtesy of ARA Content

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