Candle & Soap Company
How To Use Candles.
Decorating with Candles.
Using candles to decorate your home, or office is a great way to add a sense of warmth to any space. Even when not glowing, candles impart a feeling of intimacy, just by their presence, alone.
Six inch taper candles were, for centuries, the workhorse of home lighting. They will literally work anywhere. If you want more impact from your candle display, up to a 9” candle can be used, without appearing formal. A candle over 9” in length will bring an air of formality. The taller the candle, the more formal the setting.
Taper candles are long thin candles that must be placed in a candle stick, or holder. Taper candles come in a variety of lengths, ranging from 6” up to as much as 16”, on average.
Votive candles are like small pillars. Similar in function to the even smaller “tea light” candles, votives are used more for their light, than as an attraction unto themselves. They are generally a standard size, and will fit into a plethora of commercially made votive candle holders. Tea lights will fit into votive holders, also. Both Votives, and tea lights work well in tight places like bathroom sinks, or night tables.
Pillar candles are larger diameter candles that work well on larger spaces, like tables or desks. Pillars will not appear formal, unless placed on a tall candle holder.
Natural candles are generally colored either beeswax gold, or adamantine white. Either of these colors will nestle comfortably into virtually any décor, so that’s a no-brainer.
How to Burn Candles.
It would seem that reading instructions on how to burn a candle, would be an exercise in futility. One lights the wick and that’s it, right? That covers the basic skills needed, but a little subtlety can give you a better candle burning experience.
Think of your candle as a little campfire. It must be tended to regularly, if it is to burn properly. In the days when candles were the most common form of home lighting, it was a constant task to keep the candles burning. If you are a candle lover, a little care can greatly increase your candle enjoyment.
There are four main factors that effect the burn of a candle: Wick length; length of burn time; ambient air temperature (temperature of the room;) and drafts.
The wick will generally keep itself trimmed. Sometimes a little trimming is necessary, though. If your candle is flickering and smoking, likely the wick has gotten too long. If this is the case, trim the wick to 1/4” above the surface of the wax. If it won’t stay lit, the wick is likely too short. To fix this, pour out a little wax..
If a candle is burned too long, it will drip down the side, or even crack.. When a candle has melted it’s wax out to 1/4” from the edge, it needs to rest. Put the candle out until the wax has solidified, then it can be re-lit. If a candle is not burned long enough, it will “tunnel” down the middle without melting the edges. Burn the candle at least until the top is melted out to within 1/4” of the edge.
Drafts will make even drip-less candles drip and burn too fast. A cold room will cause it to tunnel down the middle and burn out. A room too hot will cause a candle to burn too fast and drip down the side. 70 degrees F. is about right. Obviously, we should never leave a burning candle unattended. Also, always keep candles away from flammable materials, and children.