Candles are perhaps the most versatile decorative piece to have, and it’s easy to see why. They breathe serenity and warmth into any room, illuminate everything we enjoy being exposed to every day, and they truly are a sight for sore eyes. It’s hard not to love them.
If you want to achieve or increase that sense of harmony and calm in your own home, perhaps the following candle display ideas will be helpful to you.
White Candles on a Dark Table
This idea is definitely among those most difficult to resist, whatever your stylistic preferences might be. It’s timeless and radiates elegance whatever room you implement it in.
By placing light-colored candles in such a dark, yet soothing visual context, you make them pop. They look even more beautiful when radiating warmth and light on a wooden table, evoking the mental image of a cozy fire in the woods at night.
Jar Candles on Log Coasters
Log coasters are unique details you can use to decorate your coffee table, nightstand, shelves, and even dining tables. They’re also a perfect little spot to display your favorite jar candles in those areas of your home where you spend time relaxing or reading.
This combination is particularly convenient, as it blends in so well with a variety of styles. Pair it with a small potted plant like a succulent or cactus for an even more natural look.
Candles as Part of Tabletop Flower Arrangements
Decorating with candles is also possible in more formal or luxurious social events, thanks to candles’ stylistic flexibility. They can be used as stand-alone decorative pieces or as part of an arrangement.
If you intend to use them as part of a floral arrangement, go with softer colors. As you can see in the photo, the point is to complement the flowers’ gentleness and appeal, not draw attention away from them.
If you’re going with the stand-alone option, get two or three pillar candles in more imposing, darker colors, depending on the interior. Pair them with candleholders in neutral colors, like soft gray, beige, or white.
Rustic Lantern
Rustic lanterns (especially wood ones) carry that heartwarming charm of traditional design. They’re reminiscent of the coziness of our grandparents’ homes and have the amazing power to instantly take us back to our childhood. This is what makes them so irresistible.
Simply place your lantern in a visually exposed area — on a console, floating shelf, or a coffee table, so it can fully contribute to the atmosphere. To create a large candle centerpiece, add smaller lanterns and surround them with pine cones, leaves, or dry flower petals.
Decorations for Curtainless Windows
Perhaps it seems a bit counterintuitive to keep candles right by a source of natural light, but even this design trick has its reasons.
Keeping candles in such a noticeable place helps them stand out, especially at night, when all the artificial lights are off, and the reflections in the glass visually multiply the flames.
This effect gives the room more depth, and it’ll look even more stunning with a few potted plants on the sill.
Candles as Mantelpiece Exhibits
Yet another spot where candle arrangements might seem excessive, but this dazzling image proves again that instinct is misleading.
As evident from the photo, the color of the candles matches the walls and the fireplace perfectly, placing the spotlight on the soothing brown tones of the candleholders and the mirror and picture frames.
We recommend taper candles because their slenderness and elegant looks allow you to combine them with a wide range of candleholders.
Floral Wreaths With Taper Candles
Floral wreaths with candles are definitely worth your attention because they can be a gorgeous addition to any area of your home. Unsurprisingly, they’re usually displayed in the living room or the dining room, where family members and guests can enjoy their beauty.
Combinations of contrasting colors, such as pale pink flowers and light green taper candles, will impress anyone who sets their eyes on this decorative piece.
Matching Brass Tray and Candleholders
This is, without a doubt, one of the most sophisticated and most feminine pillar candle display ideas you can find. The concept works particularly well in neutral-color contexts such as the one presented here.
The gentle colors of the candles are in harmony with the flowers and the walls, while the brass elements hungrily absorb the brightness of the room. All this combined creates an unparalleled, incredibly satisfying visual appeal.
Dried Citrus Slices
Everything about this image screams wintertime! For this DIY project, you’ll need a warm-color candle, dried lemon and orange slices, and a decorative plate or bowl (preferably a glass that’ll reflect the candlelight).
You can keep the plate/bowl on your coffee or dining table, console, nightstand, or even your desk (if you wish to decorate your office and give it that extra touch of warmth it needs).
Glitter and Metal
When it comes to candle decorating, ideas are endless simply because this decorative item allows so much visual experimenting. For this one, you’ll need some golden glitter.
Warm the section of the candle that you want to decorate with glitter to the point where it softens enough to absorb the glitter without melting. If you want to cut out the DIY step, simply get a pillar candle that already has glitter on it.
As you can see, glitter candles look fantastic paired with other elements in matching colors, such as metal trays or flower vases. They’re particularly charming as a vanity table, dresser, or nightstand addition.
Conclusion
Whether you want to add more elegance, stylishness, tradition, or coziness to your home, you can always achieve your desired effect by decorating with candles. We hope the ideas we’ve presented will inspire you to explore your creativity in your next home decor project!
FAQ
What can I put on candle holders besides candles?
We suggest using them to display artificial plants and flowers, potpourri, dried citrus wheels, pine cones, cinnamon sticks, or baubles. If you’ve got children, you can use beads, marbles, colorful decorative rocks and pebbles, pom pom balls, or even candy.
For this purpose, hurricane lamps, lanterns, sconces, tea light candleholders, votive ones, or even simple mason jars are far more convenient than taper candle holders. Since they’re basically containers, both their shape and size give you more freedom of choice.
How do you display pillar candles?
Pillar candles are extremely nifty because of their shape, which gives them stability. They can stand on their own or be paired with a wide range of candleholders — it’s entirely up to you.
Here are a few of our favorite candle design ideas that could nudge you toward a perfect design:
- Arrange different-sized pillar candles on a decorative glass plate and embellish them with matching bows.
- Fill a third of an oversized glass candleholder with coffee beans or white pebbles, and place a candle on top.
- Pair gold/silver glitter candles with a golden/silver tray and flower vase.
- Place multiple pillar candles on matching candlesticks in front of a hanging mirror.
For more ideas and suggestions, feel free to check out our little gallery above!
What decorations can you put in candles?
If you wish to give your candles a personal touch, there’s a variety of items you can achieve that with:
- Dried flowers and flower petals
- Fine glitter (made of non-flammable materials exclusively)
- Mica powder
- Coffee beans (just try to keep them away from the wick)
- Food coloring (not the liquid kind, but gel, so it mixes well with melted wax)
- Dried pressed herbs and spices like thyme or lavender
- Dried fruit
- Crystals or fragments of crystals (if you want to make intention candles).
However, bear in mind that whatever option you decide to experiment with, make sure you do proper research on it first for safety reasons. Though some items may seem fun to decorate with, they’re not necessarily safe to put in candles.
Where should a candle be placed in a room?
This is a particularly important question since poor placement choices can be a fire hazard that’ll put you and everyone in your home at risk.
To prevent this, follow a few simple rules:
- Don’t light candles in poorly ventilated rooms.
- Never keep lit candles near combustible materials and objects.
- Don’t leave them on uneven or unstable surfaces or in any place where they may accidentally get knocked over.
- It’s essential that you keep candles away from children or animals, especially in any area or room where they play or where they may be unsupervised.
- If you’re lighting more than one candle, make sure there’s at least three inches of distance between the flames.
- Never leave lit candles unattended. If you’re leaving the room or going out, always remember to put out all the candles first.
So, whatever candle display ideas you might be considering, the safety aspect is always the first and the most crucial one to bear in mind.
