Maddie James
Candles are a great way to add a cosy, romantic, or relaxing ambiance to a room. Whether you're looking to create a stylish centerpiece for your dining table or a cosy corner for reading, decorating candle holders can be a fun and creative way to enhance the atmosphere and style of your space. From choosing the right candle holders to adding decorative touches, there are endless ways to style and decorate candle holders to suit your personal taste and the overall aesthetic of your home.
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What You'll Learn
Using candle holders without candles
Candle holders are versatile decorative items that can be used in numerous ways beyond just holding candles. Here are some ideas for using candle holders without candles:
Display Stand
Use your candle holders as display stands to showcase your travel mementos, tiny sculptures, exotic shells, or unique artifacts. This will elevate the significance of your cultural treasures while adding elegance to your living space.
Essential Oil Diffusers
Transform your candle holders into essential oil diffusers to create a soothing and aromatic ambiance. Simply add a few drops of your favourite essential oil to a small dish inside the holder, and the scent will infuse the air with a calming aroma.
Jewellery and Trinket Organiser
Utilise your candle holders to keep your jewellery and small trinkets organised and easily accessible. Place a few decorative holders on your dressing table or nightstand to combine elegance with practical storage.
Plant Holders
Bring the beauty of nature indoors by using your candle holders as mini plant holders. Choose small potted plants or succulents that complement your decor style and fit snugly into the holders. Place them on shelves, windowsills, or even as centrepieces on your dining table.
Seasonal Decorations
Candle holders can be used for seasonal decorations without candles. For example, fill a hurricane candle holder with preserved moss balls, Easter eggs, or other Spring decor. Similarly, you can attach a pumpkin, Christmas ornament, or any decorative item on top of a candle holder using glue dots for a festive touch.
Light Reflectors
Mirrored candle holders can be used to reflect light and create a sense of openness in smaller rooms, making them appear larger and brighter.
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Painting candle holders
If you are painting store-bought candle holders, it is recommended to use acrylic paint. Non-toxic, water-based acrylic paint is safe to use on candle holders, as long as you keep the paint away from the wick to ensure that it isn't burned by the flame. Set up your work station with a paint palette, thin paintbrushes, paper towels, and a small bowl of water. Clean your candle holders before painting them with either a paper towel and water or a paper towel and rubbing alcohol, and allow them to dry completely.
You can create your designs freehand or use paper stencils. It can be surprisingly simple to paint designs like flowers or hearts using small dots of paint. Work with one colour at a time and allow the candle holders to dry completely before use. If you plan to store or gift the candle holders, wrap them in tissue paper as the paint can chip.
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Using candle rings
Candle rings are a great way to decorate candle holders, especially if you want to add a seasonal touch. For example, a spring candle ring around a single-pillar candle can brighten up the area under an entry table. You can also repurpose cedar napkin rings as candle rings. Group several candles of varying heights on a tray or in a wooden bowl for a visually interesting vignette.
For a festive look, vintage brass candles pair well with cedar candle rings. For spring, fill a hurricane candle holder with preserved moss balls, Easter eggs, or other spring decorations. If you're looking to create a fall-themed display, fill the hurricane candle holder with gathered acorns instead.
Candle rings can also be used to create unique vignettes. For example, a rustic candle holder with a glass dome filled with old book pages, a pinecone, and dried okra pods can be decorated with a candle ring. You can also perch a bird or rabbit on a candlestick for a unique spring display.
Another idea is to use candle rings to decorate wall sconces. Shell-shaped brass sconces or wrought iron sconces with candle rings can add a decorative touch to a room.
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Grouping candles of varying heights
To start, decide on the surface you want to decorate. For a dining table, it's best to keep the flowers low and the candles tall. Tall, thin candlesticks with small, flickering flames won't get in the way of your dishes and will punctuate the table with light. For a coffee table, a group of pillar or jar candles of varying heights placed on a mirror will softly illuminate the room. If you're decorating a non-working fireplace, pillar candles of varying heights will add a warm glow to your living room.
When grouping candles, it's best to follow the "guideline of threes" from Apartment Therapy, which suggests that odd-numbered groupings are more appealing and memorable than even-numbered groupings. However, any odd number will do, and you can also group candles in fives for a quick, stunning centerpiece. If you're placing candles on a tray or in a bowl, you can add seasonal decorations like winter greenery, pinecones, and small figurines for a whimsical touch.
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Using thrifted candle holders
Thrift stores are a great place to find candle holders, with a variety of materials and styles available, such as metal, glass, wood, and brass. Here are some ideas for decorating with thrifted candle holders:
Painting
Spray paint, chalk paint, or glass paint can transform candle holders, giving them a modern makeover or a fresh new look to match your existing decor. For example, you could use bright colours or coastal themes to create a beach cottage vibe.
Repurposing
Candle holders can be used for more than just candles. For example, wooden candlesticks can be repurposed as hat stands, helping to keep the shape of fedoras and trilbies. You can also attach a plate to a candle holder to create a decorative pedestal for jewellery or treats.
Seasonal Decorations
Candle holders can be decorated for the seasons. For instance, a candle holder with spikes can hold faux heirloom pumpkins in the autumn, or you could add a spring candle ring to brighten an entry table.
Creative Displays
Candle holders can be used to display unique vignettes. For example, a rustic candle holder with a glass dome could be filled with old book pages, pinecones, and dried okra pods. Alternatively, a single-pillar candle surrounded by a spring candle ring reflects lots of light when placed on a mirror.
DIY Projects
You can create your own candle holders with DIY projects. For example, you can make sea glass lanterns with glass paint and mason jars or birch candle holders using real logs.
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Frequently asked questions
For Halloween, glue a pumpkin or Christmas ornament on top of the candle holder. For spring, fill a hurricane candleholder with preserved moss balls, Easter eggs, or other spring decorations.
You can repurpose a candle holder as a decorative pedestal to hold jewellery. Simply attach a glass plate to a candle holder using clear glue. You can also attach a basket to a pillar candle holder to create a fruit bowl.
You can group several candles of varying heights on a tray or in a wooden bowl. You can also use wall sconces, or create a unique multi-candle holder using reclaimed lumber.
