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Stunning Candle Decor ~ An Easy Upgrade

October 15, 2013

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Candles~ they are a home décor staple for good reason.  They add a warmth and ambiance to a room that cannot be achieved in any other way. A lit candle adds life to a space and it's just more inviting somehow.  While I enjoy their beauty all year long, in fall and winter, I crave their glow even more. As the sun sets earlier and there's a chill in the air, the glow provided by candlelight romanticizes the weather and makes me happy to be tucked into our cozy home.


Each spring, I pare down and lighten up my décor to give the house a more open and airy feel. Now that the leaves have begun to turn and the trees will soon be bare, it's time to add color and textural items back inside my home, to spice up my décor.  Candles are not immune.  It's getting cold outside and they need to be warmed up too!  As a big proponent of easy and affordable DIY, I can honestly say that it doesn't get any easier or more affordable than candle dressing!

In the picture above, I simply wrapped a dollar store berry garland around a flameless candle and tucked them both into a trifle bowl that I pulled out of cabinet.  I think the result is lovely.

In my bedroom, I have always had a candle in a glass hurricane on my dresser. I wanted to add some color to the room and saw many cute ideas on Pinterest where acorns or beads were added to the hurricane for drama.  I decided to use lentils and kidney beans, because they were natural elements, the perfect colors for my décor...and free!  I had them in my pantry!


I did however spend a few bucks, fifteen of them, after using a coupon at Bed, Bath and Beyond, for a package of four flameless candles with timers.  I knew that once I surrounded the candle with the beans, I would not be able to pull it in and out of them to turn the candle on and off.  It was a necessary purchase and one I am so happy that I made, I have peppered the others around the house and I love how they go on and off automatically!


Again, this was a super easy DIY, I simply poured the beans in the hurricane, around the candle and leveled them off with my fingers.  I think the result is actually quite dramatic and I love it!  I just had to remember to turn the timer setting on the candle on at the proper time to set it and all was well!


I have other flameless candles in the house and I wanted some variety in my displays, so I left a few of them plain, sitting on holders.  However, they are still dressed by their surroundings.  The candle below sits atop a thrifted brass pedestal, flanked by seasonal décor. 


This trio of candles is my favorite in the house.  The Pottery Barn glass stands were a Christmas present from my mom a few years ago and I love their clean elegance in contrast with my rustic décor, pine server and plate rack.  I move a lot of things around in the kitchen, but those candles never budge.  They are some of the precious accessories that transform this house into my home, as their light warms the room and a little bit of my soul. 



A Couple of Quick Candle Tips:

  • I am very partial to flameless candles.  I never need to worry about the kids or their friends having an accident. If we forget to "blow them out" before leaving the house or bed, it's no big deal and, most importantly to this form over function girl, I can decorate them and not need to worry about flammability. 
  • Flameless candle varieties are almost endless.  They come in pillars, tapers, votives and free form shapes, scented and unscented and a variety of colors. Some come with timers and some with remote controls.  I always check price, as they can vary widely. I have not found any benefit in spending more. Always check battery requirements, some need four, some need two...I usually go with the ones that need two for obvious reasons.  
  • Of course, decorating with real candles is always fabulous as well, sometimes nothing beats a real flame, just please use caution and keep in mind that whatever is used to embellish them is probably flammable.

Do you use candles in your decorating?  

Have any great ways to embellish them that you'd like to share? 

I love inspiration!

Looking for some more fall inspiration?


Six Easy Crafts for Fall





Kim Signature


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  1. Hi Kim - came by because you left a sweet comment on my blog
    I LOVE candles - I still use real ones ( because I love some of the scents ) but I had no idea they
    had flameless candles with timers - that's great to know!!!
    Love the lentils in your hurricane lamp - cranberries also look pretty :)
    XOXO

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    1. Thanks Suzan! That was very sweet of you! I never thought of using cranberries...I am a real red girl. Now you have me all set up for my Christmas candles! ;)

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  2. Hi Kim,

    I so enjoyed your little candlelight tour of, well, your candles!! Your flameless ones are fabulous and just as beautiful and elegant as their hotter cousins! I appreciate all the helpful tidbits and loved learning about the origin of each one. You have decorated them in such earthy and natural elements, which for me, are always the most attractive. My favourite is the trio, too, for its interesting balance of height and shape. Simply beautiful!

    Poppy

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    1. Poppy, you always leave such thoughtful comments! Thanks so much for "taking the tour!" I do really like that trio, as well. Like I said, its modern elegance is a little out of character for me and my generally rustic taste, but maybe that's what draws me to it! :)

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  3. Great ideas about the flameless candles! I use them all over the place, but I am especially fond of the ones with timers. I have numerous high niches where I have strategically placed some and love that they come on like magic every day.

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    1. Carol, I have been using flameless candles since my sister had a fire one Christmas several years ago. A votive candle did not completely extinguish, it smoldered while they were at my house opening gifts and ignited an evergreen garland. The damage was not that bad, thankfully, but it had me running for the batteries! These are my first with timers and I must say, I love them, too! :)

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  4. Kim, I'm with you on the battery powered candles. Forgetting just one lighted candle caught a neighbor's home on fire. Luckily, no one was injured. The party was over and that one candle was forgotten! Thanks for the reminder as it's candle season for about 3 or 4 months ahead. Your candles look lovely.

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    1. Thanks so much Helen. I am sorry for your friend, it happened to my sister as well. Very scary~ I'm an all battery girl now! :)

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  5. Thank you so much for your sweet comments on my blog and the new follow! I am now following you as well and am looking forward to reading your posts =)

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    1. Thanks Shana! I just love making new friends ~ thanks for the follow!

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  6. I love candles. I love the arrangement in the first shot w/ the berries. Simple & beautiful!

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  7. I just found your blog today and I'm smitten!!!!! Your style is gorgeous and I am in love. I also use the flameless candles with timers. They are great and aside from "remembering" to turn them on at the appropriate time, they take care of themselves. I have little ones everywhere, and big ones like yours on the mantle and in various candle holders around the house. I love your candle in the trifle dish...it's twin will be in my LR in Texas tomorrow :^)
    Thank you so much for your lovely blog!
    Blessings,
    J

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    1. You have just made my day with your super sweet comments! I can't wait to chat about each post...you have left such meaningful comments! I'm glad to meet another flameless fan! So many of my friends think that they are not stylish, but I think they look lovely and, like you, I am thrilled that they take care of themselves! :)

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  8. A year later, I'm here to tell you that your candle ideas are wonderful! I love that you keep the trio on your kitchen counter all the time. Like a little lamp. :)

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    1. Thanks Stacey! I just washed that trio yesterday and was thinking of replacing them with something else, but as they were drying the space just didn't look right without them So back they went! :)

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  9. I use both kinds of candles, but I love that I can position the flameless ones high up on cabinets and use a remote to turn them off and on! I love that idea with the berry garland and big clear vase. Very simple and pretty.

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    1. Thank you, I like that simple look, too. I have given up with real, except on my holiday table. I am totally lazy now and use the remote. Actually, some of them are on a timer and until the battery runs out, I don’t even think about them. ;) Thanks so much for the comment today!
      Happy fall!

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  10. I love candles.

    I also have to be so careful with the real little ones...

    I don't care for faux ones as much as real. But would be happy to use more of them, if they weren't so expensive. I have one! And you need a whole lot more, than one.

    Yours are lovely!!!

    Tessa

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    1. Thanks Tessa! They are not cheap, you’re right. My sister’s house went on fire several years ago, from a candle on Christmas. It was terrifying. They thought the ember was out, left the house and when they came home, disaster. My mom bought us all a bunch of the faux ones after that!

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