If you have one dollar to spend on fall decorating, buy a candle at the dollar store or goodwill. If you have $10 to spend on decorating, blow it on candles. Besides having a comfy chair and blanket, candles are the single most comfort inducing mechanisms you can own. You need them, and you need to use them.
When I'm out and see candles on sale, I buy them no questions asked. I look for neutral candles either cream or brown, that way I know they'll look great in my home and go with any candlestick, pedistal or tray I put them on. Plus, they'll all compliment each other if they are from the same color family. Plus, I move everything around every 6 minutes so they are sure to still look great no matter where I put them.
I also am a sucker for a good candlestick. This one started out green.
These started out red.
Ten minutes in my highly classified, top secret, state of the art lab and they were given new life.
Don't forget, you can dress up your candlesticks by adding a pretty ornament. I just used the weight of the candle to hold it down. You could also do this with a tassel.
Remember the centerpiece? Now it has life.
Do you actually use your candles?
I hereby give you permission, no, I mandate, that you burn your candles. Please, don't let them sit around all fall untouched. Those candles are there to make you happy, make your home more welcoming, they want to be lit. The other day my friend Marybeth told me how she used feel like she needed to decide who was what she called "candle-worthy". Now she lights them all the time because she and her family are candle worthy. She is so smart.
You are candle worthy too.
91 birds say {click here to leave a comment}:
I've been posting a lot about candles lately, and yes I use them every day! I've even been dressing mine up a bit with paper wrappers, printed oh-so-easily on the computer. They really do make a room!
That's right. I got quoted by Nester. My life is complete.
Seriously, if I can get quoted on a decorating blog then folks, anything can happen. Buy a lottery ticket. Chase after your dream. It can happen. This proves it!
Yes, that's right! Thank you so much again!!
Karise
I'm a total believer, Madame Nester! I live in Hawaii where the fall season feels like every other season! I LOVE lighting candles to cozy up our house. They really go a long way to help our family "feel" on the inside like it might just really be fall on the outside!
Yaaa for you!
I love your blue'd up candlesticks! I have some silver ones from my husband's grandmother that were originally silver that became one of my first spraypainting projects. I think that they singlehandedly won me over to black spraypainting. :o) I can't wait to find some more to do in other colors...it's been about a year since I've busted out some paint. ;o)
haha, your last sentence made me laugh. ;)
This is a very SMART post though! It just makes sense!
I never use my candles! I think I am going to start though! If I could just keep my 3 year old fingers out of the wax, that would be great!
Sunshine: put them up high: the kitchen counter, on the mantle, armoire, dresser, fridge~they don't have to be low!
Holy Smokes!
Your blog is amazing!
I'm a new follower :)
I adsolutely use my candles...I think in part a protest against my mother NEVER burning her candles!!
I love the whimsical design of the candle holder you mention was originally green. It is so adorable!! I could use a couple of those myself...
Have a great one! Janell
This is a great post!
I remember seeing an episode of "Design on a Dime" in which the really big guy (I forget his name) said, "Candles are for burning, not dusting." Ain't that the truth?? I am an OFFENDER in this area. I love candles, and I don't burn my decorative ones enough. Thanks for the kick in the pants! Off to get the matches!
Funny! I tend to be a "hoarder" so this is a great post for me. I just need to light the dang candles and ENJOY them! That's what they're for, after all.
And I like the idea of buying neutral candles to go anywhere. Very smart.
Yes! There is nothing uglier to me than an unburned, bright white wicked candle! Ewww!
I kind of have an Ode to Nester up today :) You rock.
Oh, I see those SLaHOME red sconces that you painted that amazing blue!!! What a great idea.....you are so right, too, that every day deserve a little candle lit moment....and the smells are such a delightful addition! Thanks for the encouragement!
suzanne
I've started burning my candles alot lately. I was always hoarding because I was worried about the cost or not being candleworthy. But then I had stacks of them I never used, so I started lighting them several times a week at night. The things I don't have too much of are candleholders. I know I'd LOVE them if I had them, but I've always been to undecided on what kinds I should get. You've inspired me to go thrifting this weekend and see what I can find...
Nester we missed you yesterday!
I absolutely always light my candles. I have them all over my house. I may not light them all at once, but I usually light the one in my kitchen most evenings and in our den when I'm watching TV. Love the idea of putting an ornament or tassel underneath the bottom.
I love candles and definitely use them all the time. Did you know that the leftover wax is reusable?
http://viv-spot.blogspot.com/2009/09/candle-light-has-nicer-glow-when-its.html
:)
You know, 2 nights ago I was really stressed out. I had two sick kids vomiting all day not to mention wet vacing the said vomit off the carpet all day, ha ha. But after they went to sleep I just went into my room alone and lit the most wonderful smelling candles & within minutes I was in my own little oasis of candle light and calming scents. LOVED IT. You are so right, candles can be a great source of comfort. The lighting alone puts them on my tops. I burn candles every single day.
LOVE IT.
Jenn
I'm soooo glad to see that you also stock up on candles when you find them on sale...75% off are my favorites...Target,Tuesday Morning and TJ Maxx are the best places to find them! Hope you have a great day!
Blessings,
Linda
Yes, I DO use my candles. I have a tart burner too that I dearly love!
Love this post! I tend to burn only candles that are "contained" in glass, none of my decorative ones. I'm putting a little one down for nap now...well, I should be, but instead I'm on here! As soon as she's down, I'm going to light the bright white wicks on my coffee table and have a cup of coffee! I don't think I've posted before, but I'm a long-time "stalker" of your blog. Really enjoy it! WHERE are those winged ornaments on the blue candle sticks from??? MUST HAVE THEM! :)
I have to say, there's nothing worse than having candles in your home that never get burned. They're not fulfilling their candle destiny!!
I burn candles. I grew up with a Mother who never burned her candles ... we had to dust them, eventually they would get thrown out because the colour would leach out of them!!!
Love your blue holders.
tip ... use the tea light candles with the transparent case, then they don't show up so much in the bigger candle cavity. Buy the regular metal ones in bulk, pop out the candles and put them into the few transparent ones you splurge on.
I am so glad I am candle worthy now. I have always just put out my Yankee candles because I love the smells but I am ready to branch out and find cute candlesticks/stands. I am so glad I got your permission to buy them when I see them too. If my husband asks I am going to tell him that the nester told me to do it!
Oh, Nester...you'd die at my parents' house. They have a candle they got as a wedding present. In 1969. And...it has NEVER been burned! NOT ONCE has flame touched the wick! The stick it is on (it is a thick pillar style candle, in an orangey rust color--although it is fading from the top down, lol) is a substantial wood, with a wood finish. One day, that candle is going to get tossed, and I will be there to make off with the holder. And paint it. Probably black. Maybe red. But probably black.
So yes. On my parents' mantle rests a candle that is so far from living out its' destiny (as a PP said), that it has probably gone into a coma and wouldn't light even if the house caught fire around it! Poor thing. But hey, it gets to sit next to the weird wooden 'statues' that were also wedding gifts...
Thank you for emphasizing the power of candles (Candlepower?)...lol.
I need to pull some more out and use them...thanks for the reminder...
Ok, I have to confess, I actually do have a blog...but it's such a baby blog that I'm a tad (ok a super lot- I'm actually blushing in that- heated -embarrassed- jr- high- kid-kind -of way right this very minute) self-conscious about it. IT's not all cute like y'all's..no fancy-nice layout and all..... so I just entered anonymously.. because I forgot that it doesn't have to be perfect to be beautiful..But then I worried that was lying and wanted to fix that.... :)Although it is true that you don't have to have a blog to win....
Here's my blog www.bookofcommongrace.blogspot.com
Hugs, Karise
love your scalloped edge candle holder!
I just found a BUNCH at a garage sale and got the whole box for $1. Some need a little trimming. I think I will use one of yours as an inspiration and do some scoring on the sides and rub a little shoe wax into it to make it look antiqued. Thanks for the inspiration!
I love your blog! Where did you get the Christ is Born ornament? Or did you make it? I really love it!
Oh where, oh where did you get those "Christ is Born" ornaments? You keep showing them, and I am in love. Please, please tell me they will be available at (in)courage, and that they aren't 5 years old from some store that closed. :)
Congratulations Karise! What letters are you going to get?!
I love it when people win stuff, and at least with Nester you KNOW someone gets the prize!
My DH used to make candles as a hobby, but sadly gave it up and sold all his stuff. Now I have to BUY candles, can you believe that?!
Colleen P.
Colleen,
Hey! Thanks! I'm getting a monogram KKG (typewriter font) because those are my initials and also because my two girls' names start with K. I'm counting the G from my husband! So, my whole fam on one necklace! I am sooooo excited!!!!!!
Karise
I love that you share your creativity with us!!! Love the centerpiece!!
Those "Christ is born" things came from Hobby Lobby-Last year I think!
You are so right! Life's too short not to burn your candles.
Now where did I put that lighter???
Karen
Ladybug Creek
I burn SOME of my candles. Even though my big pillars were really cheap, I just can't bring myself to do it! Gah!
I did like the sneaky tealight inside the jumbo candle. I'm totally stealing that idea.
Rachel~that story made my day.
So tell me, what do you do if your husband basically BANS candles in your house because he's an obsessed, overly worried firefighter?
I totally {heart} candles too. I make sure to use them all the time.
Thanks for sharing!
I just recently started using pretty candles that I've had for close to ten years!!! HA!! Never again!
I also put tealights in large candles that won't burn anymore!
We light candles all the time and I love it! Makes the house seem so warm, especially during those colder months. Great post!! :) Silke
lol I have tons of candles but I almost never light them!!
Thing is, in summer it's too hot, and in winter it's difficult to air, with all the wood-burning neighbours around (one chimney is right under my bedroom!!)
In spring and autumn I'm usually too busy and - forget! /sigh/
I wish I could light them more often! :)
Plus, floor carpeting and candles.. don't mix well..
Awesome blue candlesticks though!! I'm a sucker for great-looking candlesticks too!!
Some waxes and 'flavorings' give off iffy smells or chemicals, so I'm now intrigued to have my own bees and make my own wax!!
(Shh, don't tell anyone, they all think it's to get honey!!:)
I am so with you. I am in LOVE with candles and think they can turn any place into a warm and inviting space to be in.
Nothing says comfort like a yummy smelling candle!
I always have a lot of candles going on in my home. If I waited for company, it would be days!
love love love candles... have them burning at all times! i love to put them in old mason jars- very sparkly.
someone once told me to choose a signature fragrance (sounds fancy, right?) and stick with it for everything: lotion, perfume, candles, potpourri, fabric softener... i've always loved vanilla, so that's what ALL of my candles are. love the way it smells warm & cozy & sweet & clean all at the same time. and i can cheat- sugar cookie scented candles blend really well! : )
happy thursday,
rachel
Hundreds of years ago, when I was a child, my Mom used a big, fat pillar candle on the supper table every night. There was always candlelight at my childhood dinners -- and I like carrying on that tradition.
Yes, candles need to be burned. A dusty, unburnt candle is like a doll that has never been played with. Sad.
Cass
I agree with you about the candles. I burn candes all over my house and I love the homey feeling that it brings to my house. The scent lingers in the air and makes it feel cozy.
We live in a vintage cottage of tongue and groove pine: floor, ceilings and walls and have to be so cautious... But I miss candles! I still have them here and there for decoration and of course light them on the table for special dinners, but we used to enjoy their glow every winter night. They just make any house a home, don't they? Thanks!
I admit to being slightly candle phobic (my daughter's words). I like candles but they sort of make me nervous and so unless I am close by, I don't light them. My new favorite thing are the new fake battery candles you can buy at Target and now at Restoration Hardware. They have led lights and are very realistic and totally safe. The come with timers too. I have one that I turned on at 5:30 pm one day and now it comes on every day at 5:30. It is on when I get home from work and goes out on it's own at 9:30. It stays lit for 4 hours. I think they are a fabulous idea.
Love candles too! Thanks for sharing your ideas.
this is a link to the flameless candles at Restoration Harware
http://www.restorationhardware.com/rh/catalog/product/product.jsp?productId=prod1584128&navAction=jump&navCount=2
Target has them too.
I use the tea lights to make my nice candles last longer too. It really works and at just a few cents per tea light, they are very frugal!
Timers? Cool! I'm going 'cross border shopping'(I'm in Ontario, Canada...) on Saturday and will look in Target for them. thanks!
The blue candle sticks are so pretty! If you made the "Christ is born" signs, I think your handwriting is beautiful! Is there anything you can't do? :)
I just found your blog, and I love it. You are so creative and clever. I'm in!!
I love candles too and I do use them! I saw your SLAH sassy wall sconces painted blue. That is a good idea! Now I wonder where mine are???
What if the husband says N.O. to buying anymore candles? If I gave a friend money to buy them, would that be considered candle laundering? LOVE your candle finds and ideas :)
Gus Gus hearts candles.
Just as my husband.
Or my candle cupboard ;)
PS. My mom has a candle CLOSET! I'm so jealous. She caught my nephew opening the door to sneak a wiff. Candles closers {or cupboards} rock.
Gussy
Yay! Another white candle fan! I never buy any color other than white.
Nester, I've just recently found your blog and I really enjoy it. I noticed many people commenting on the the Christ is Born ornament. I really like it too and am going to look into making some in my dad's wood shop. Thanks for all of your great ideas and for reminding me it doesn't have to be perfect to be beautiful.
ve burning my candles! My roomagte and I even burn them in teh fireplalace when it's too warm outside to make a fire. Except, now it's never to warm for a fire....
Yes, candles are the cure for all: Mood lighting, romance, lighting a room when the electric is out, sending aromas throughout the house and decorating!!
I agree!! Candles are wonderful and to only light them on "special" occasions is just wrong. My mother in law has gorgeous hand embroidered pillow cases all folded in a drawer because she does not want to get them dirty!! I am working on her...enjoy things now....you are worth it!!!
I have more candles than I know what to do with, but I rarely think to actually light them. Inspired by Alexandra Stoddard, we ate by candlelight every night one winter and really enjoyed it. Maybe we should try that again!
My favorite quote comes from my mom, "Life's too short not to burn your pretty candles."
So true!
Jennifer
It's amazing what a little spray paint can do! Thanks for all your crafty candle ideas.
Nester, Please tell how you made the "Christ is born" ornaments... They're beautiful!
amy
Oh well, nevermind. I sat here & read some of the comments & saw where you answered that the ornaments came from HL. You need to figure out how to make them so you can give us a tutorial! :)
I absolutely love candles and burn them all the time. I need to find some great candlesticks.
Ruth
you all are assuming I MADE that ornament?! Oh my word, what a compliment!
I LOVED your post so much I posted about burning candles too! I think that it gave me freedom to burn all of the lovely candles I have in my house. Since I live in MN the days are shorter, darker and getting colder. The candles definitely warm a place up.
I tend to like unscented candles because I have a sensitive nose/head, but I like them. Could you start a candle company where they made colored candles with no scent, please? I would love some greens or yellow candles to burn with no obnoxious cucumber melon scent! A line of Nesting Place candles would be awesome.
Oh, and Happy Birthday!
Beautiful photos. I'm always having to buy new candles because I love to burn them too.
Blessings,
Marcia
agree about burning the candles. do it!!!
Headed to the Goodwill Store to find some "junk" to transform into some cute treasures. Your blog is so inspiring!!
I love candles and have them all over my home. The problem is I forget to light them. I guess I'll have to do so and enjoy.
blessings,
Debbie
I noticed you have a METAL tea candle inside a regular one. I have discovered that burning the tea candles with PLASTIC cups doesn't melt the big candle more and works alot better. Metal cup tea candles work great in holders. Try it and see! I adore your site!!! Lynn
I love burning my candles! Your painted candlesticks also gave me a great idea. I have a broken candles stick that if I glue it back together, spray paint will hide that little seem and I could decorate it to really cover it up. I'm off to DIY!
Oh yes, I burn my candles! Why have them around collecting dust? Candles are meant to be burned!
P.S. I have the same dining chairs, only mine are white! :)
Have a great day! Beth.
Why even have a candle if you're not gonna light it? I love having candles around the house and I rotate them frequently. My family has even gotten into the act by sniffing down the candle aisles with me and making sure I note which scents are their faves!
Oh I love candles. I love how they make my home smell, look and feel. Now that we have a baby and not so sweet diaper smells, I've been lighting a whole lotta candles :->!
I love what you've done with yours. Your nest makes my heart feel so at home.
Hugs,
Renee
You should go to ebay today. On the front page it says "Gifts for the nester" :o)
Rebekah B.
I have to say Nester, you are uber brave for using candles with boys made out of rubber near them. I just can't do it with my running 10 yr old and jumping cats and dashing dog. It makes me madly nervous. So instead, I use minilights. Year round even.
Another issue for ME is my poor getting old memory. I'd forget I lit them and not blow them out if we dashed out of the house.
I've seen battery operated tea lights that had me ahhhing. I need to try some of those with my regargable batteries. They even had a slight flicker to them. How cool is that?
Donna
I love the idea of putting a tea light inside a larger candle. I have a huge bag of them from IKEA and I never would have thought of that!
I took your advice and yesterday it was very stormy and rainy in Portland. I put chicken to roast in the oven, lit the candles, put on some music and proceeded to clean and rearrange furniture with some wonderful ambiance in the house. WARNING! Candles placed on wall shelves can scorch the wall and melt the faux wood frame of the picture hanging above it. Lesson learned the hard way. But it was still a great, cozy, nesting day.
ppppsssssttt! happy birthday.
I love candles! They're so intimate and warm and sometimes yummy smelling!
And I love you Nester! Happy Monday!
Just had to giggle .. you sound just like me ... I need candles, I buy them on sale and store them until required .... I run around at dusk lighting them and chopping and changing displays.... they are just simply magic!!! I wrote a post a little while back on candles, take a look : http://naturallyinspireddesigns.blogspot.com/2009/06/adding-warmth-to-space.html
Gena
PS> love your friendly, informative and practical blog!
Oh I saw some candles last night I think I'm going back to buy. I have tried to go to white or neutral candles, but something drew me to the softest shade of orchid candles. Not too pink, not too purple. I think I have to trust my gut and stray from white this year.
thanks for your permission! Just what I needed to push me over the edge! ha ha!
I light candles like every night now that's it's dark out! thanks for the inspiration!
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