Home with Candles Learn tips on decorating your home with candles and choosing the right fragrances for the Holidays or any time of year. Decorating Your Home with Fragrance (article written by: Ann Gravante, CEO, The Lights of Rose LLC) The holidays are the most popular time of year when people purchase and use candles. Being a candle maker, this is my busiest time of year with my candle business. I receive so many e-mails with questions regarding the do’s and don’t of buying and burning candles especially during the holidays season. Here are some tips on fire safety and to help you plan the right atmosphere with candles for the holiday season and for any time of year. Use Caution: There are more house fires during the holiday season because people don’t use proper care when burning candles. Before you burn any candle, practice safety. All retail candles “MUST” have warning labels on them it’s the law!.. If you see a candle in a store and it doesn’t have a warning label under the glass jar or on the packaging, DON’T BUY IT! The company or person, who made that candle, may not have used proper materials in the candle. Before lighting the candle, trim the wick to 1/4-inch in length. After lighting, check to see that the candle burns evenly and doesn't over smoke, if they do, the candle maybe near an open window or draft. Because candles are often handmade, subtle imperfections are to be expected. It’s best to only burn candles no more then 3 to 4 hours at a time, otherwise the candle can overheat, glass jar candles can combust and pillar candles can warp. Take a look around your house and figure out where candles might go. They should be out of reach of children and pets; somewhere near eye level so they'll be seen; far away from anything flammable (including tree branches used for holiday decoration) and not on anything wobbly. Never leave a lit candle unattended! Creating the right atmosphere with fragrance using Candles: Look for candles that leave a seasonal scent when burned, such as balsam fir or spiced orange, and in warm holiday colors like rich burgundy, forest green and warm vanilla. Some people dislike a candle that have a pine scent, reminds them of pine household cleaner but.... if you buy a well made candle, the pine fragrance will have the scent of a real evergreen tree. One excellent idea for incorporating candle scent for your home is, if you have a fireplace, the aroma of the wood burning and the fragrance of a well made pine scented candle will create a wonderful heavenly combination. Other combination of scents that work well together, any fruit scented candle along with a vanilla scented candle. Choosing a candle is like choosing a fine wine, only without the expense. You must take into consideration color, aroma and the occasion. Decide whether these candles will light a meal, or provide atmosphere and glow elsewhere in the house. You won't want scented candles at the dinner table; they compete with the aromas of the food. Don’t burn at the same time one candle that smells like violet and another that smells like pumpkin pie ((yuck)) not very appetizing to the senses! Candles for every room of your home: In the kitchen: choose scents that have fruit or food scents. Floral and citrus candle scents are excellent for after cooking certain foods that seem to linger for a long time, like fish or cabbage. Dining room or living room: depending on the layout of your home choose scents that work well together like mentioned above. If your home has an open layout, it would be best to combine scents that work well together or keep one candle type of fragrance lit. Look for aromatherapy candles in relaxing scents such as lavender and herbal especially for the bathroom. Aromatherapy candles create a warm, romantic and soothing effect. These types of candles make wonderful gifts for the holidays or any time of year. Choose scented candles for the bedroom that are fresh and light. A well made candle will have a very good hot and cold throw, for example, when the candle is lit (hot), the fragrance will throw well into the room within an hour of burning and when not lit (cold), you still can smell the fragrance from the candle. Candles that match your home décor: Candle fragrance can even match your homes decor. If you live by the water, choose scents that have a clean, salty type of fragrance like the ocean. If you live in a more rural area (like mountains) choose scents that have a woodsy fragrance like sandalwood. If you have sensitivities to scents, candles that are unscented can still be enjoyed by using them as visual focal points in your home. When you purchase a candle or receive one as a gift, remember, nothing looks worse then a candle sitting on your self or table still wrapped in plastic or the box it came in. Candles are not expensive and should be lit and enjoyed!!! As I always say... “Everything looks better by Candlelight”!! Ann Gravante, CEO and Owner, The Lights of Rose LLC www.thelightsofrose.com