Festive Candles and Candle Holders: How to Decorate with Candlelight in the festive season
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Hi, I’m Sandra.
If you're in awe of stunning interiors and crazy about home decor, you’re in the right place. As an interior writer with a background in styling and photography for leading magazines around the globe (see below) as well as an avid home renovator, I am here to help you style and decorate your home with ease and confidence, like a pro.
On this blog, I’ll be sharing insightful articles packed with advice, tips, and ideas for home styling and decoration, along with inspiring tours of beautifully styled spaces. Having styled countless homes with very different interiors, I know it’s the final touches and thoughtful curating that make a space magazine-worthy, regardless of whether it’s an architectural masterpiece or filled with high-end furniture. And, rather than focus on one particular interior look or style, I aim to open your eyes to a wide variety so you feel inspired, not limited. Ultimately, I’ll show you how a little bit of styling can be transformational and take your home to a whole new level. In this week’s blog post, I will show you all sorts of different types of candles and candle holders you could style around your home during the festive season.
STYLING WITH CANDLES DURING THE FESTIVE SEASON
Photo credit: Meri Meri
There’s something magical about candles to bring in a feeling of warmth and a festive glow, especially at this time of year. It only takes a couple to light up a surface in your home, whether it’s on a mantelpiece, dining table or console. And these days, thanks to faux candles, which can even be wax-coated with convincingly flickering wicks, you can style them almost anywhere. Pictured above is a cheerful fireplace with a whole array of different Christmas candles, including little tree candles, mini drums, festive striped candles, as well as a mixture of taper candles with gold stars and holly, all from Meri Meri. It’s subtle and festive but feels fresh and modern too. If you’re looking for simple yet stylish ways to decorate with candles this Christmas, check out all the different ideas below, from a traditional table centrepiece with holly and pillar candles, to a bunch of faux candles on the staircase or lighting up a few beautifully wrapped gifts.
FESTIVE SCENTED CANDLES
The festive season is a time for wintry scents to waft around the home, so before we look at candles for decoration purposes, I’m going to give you my pick of scented candles that come in jars or tins. You can style them next to a sprig of seasonal foliage or with your other candles on a mantelpiece or tablescape. Here are some of the best ones around with different wintry scents:
La Bougie - Mission Fig (pictured here), Fir Baby! and A Christmas Cracker
Diptyque – Sapin (pine tree), Ambre, and Holiday Carousel.
Plum & Ashby - Fir Balsam & Winter Berries, Cedarwood & Pine Needles, Dried Orange & Cinnamon Bark, and Spiced Orange & Red Berry
St. Eval – Winter Thyme, Orange and Cinnamon, and Inspiritus.
Lafco – Winter Balsam and Fireside Oak.
Byredo - Bibliothèque and Tree House
Little Moments Melts – The Christmas Tree
NEOM Organics – Perfect Peace
The White Company – Winter scent
Jo Malone London – Pine & Eucalyptus, Orange Bitters, and Frosted Cherry & Clove
Cire Trudon – Nazareth
Photo credit: Sandra van Aalst
CANDLES WITH BOWS AND KICKING LEG HOLDERS
These quirky bronze kicking legs and sexy legs candle holders from Rockett St George add a huge dose of style and personality to any surface. The great thing about these unusual candle holders is that you can add Christmassy candles for the festive season and keep them displayed with regular candles the rest of the year. The candles pictured here with gold bow detailing will transform any regular candle holder into a festive piece. Here, they have been styled on a mirrored tray where the light can bounce around and reflect the legs. Rockett St George also have other quirky candle holders, including a mermaid, angel, and peacock, to name but a few. You can also check out Etsy, Amazon, and other home stores, who have all sorts, including animals, fish, palm trees, and even people candle holders.
Photo credit: Rockett St George
MODERN CANDLE HOLDERS DECORATED WITH FESTIVE BOWS
This festive line-up is simple yet so effective. The twisted candles create movement and height, while conical candle holders add that contemporary edge, giving the mantelpiece a modern classic feel. The addition of the bows in red and green is the key festive element. So even if you have candle holders and sticks that aren’t particularly festive, you can still create that Christmassy feel with ribbons. The rich wall colour behind is Stonecutter by Benjamin Moore, and it adds depth and contrast — proof that dark tones can really make candlelight pop at this time of year.
Photo credit: Benjamin Moore
FESTIVE TABLE CENTRE PIECE
In this elegant interior, three different-sized gold pillar candles, nestled on a circular bed of holly, are a modern take on classic Christmas styling. Grouped together, the candles create a simple yet striking focal point that gives light without competing with the standout feature - the starburst chandelier. Along with the flicker of the candles and the Christmas tree lights, the chandelier by Delightfull from Covet House shines, in the room with festive glow, tying the scheme together.
Photo credit: Covet House
VIGNETTE ON THE DINING TABLE
This year I invested in two gorgeous tall antique brass candle holders by Nkuku, one medium, one large. The small one was out of stock so I asked to be emailed when it was back in. When I placed them on the table, I realised they actually work beautifully as a pair. I used to style in pairs, then it became all about odd numbers and groupings that bring visual harmony. But sometimes, as with these candle holders that are different heights, two simply looks better. A third would overcrowd the look, especially with my giant gold bauble. I’ve styled my vignette next to a plant for added greenery, as well as some gold leaves and bracken around them for a layered festive feel.
Photo credit: Sandra van Aalst
MARBLED CANDLES
The tablescape and mantelpiece pictured here are an example that Christmas doesn’t have to be all about green, red, silver and gold. The marble candles from Talking Tables are displayed on both the table and the mantel and really make an impact, elevating the room and still giving out that festive, flickering glow. These candles, which have a marble effect in blues, greens and aquas, are perfect for either blending with the colour palette of your interior scheme, or combining with other decor like the candle glass holders and the paper decorations pictured here.
Photo credit: Talking Tables
STYLING IN NUMBERS
This elegant candlelit setting has that inviting, classic Christmas feel. With no fewer than a dozen candles, this look is about styling in numbers, which creates impact. As the candle holders pictured here by H&M are delicate, clear glass, they don’t clutter the table, and yet still create a dramatic effect. Styling collections of objects always looks impressive in large numbers, and the styling trick here is that the holders add height and are three different sizes, resulting in visual impact, while with their soft, flickering glow, still feels romantic.
Photo credit: H&M
STYLING TALL CANDLE HOLDERS
Tall candle holders with different coloured tapered candles light up this unusual festive table with the unexpected twist of herbs and vegetables as a festive runner and an alternative to fir, ivy or other foliage. With the pink and red carnations poking out of the display made from the green parsley, it gives the whole scene a fresh, whimsical vibe that, in a colour scheme of red and green, still feels seasonal. The tall taper candles in elegant brass candle holders from Wayfair bring height to the display, and add just the right touch of shine that can be used on a mantelpiece or other surface all year round.
Photo credit: Wayfair
CLASSIC ANTIQUE BRASS FOR THAT COSY CORNER
A classic antique brass candle holder instantly gives you that traditional, warm feeling. Paired with deep berry-toned pillar and tapered candle sticks, these heritage-inspired holders and candles from The Cotswold Company could be displayed on a hearth, console, or in the centre of a dining table with a few sprigs of fir, eucalyptus, or other seasonal foliage. I like the way that they have been grouped together as a four, which shows that even numbers also work in a vignette, especially when each one is a different shape and size.
Photo credit: The Cotswold Company
FAUX CANDLES TO LIGHT UP CHRISTMAS GIFTS
More of us are wrapping gifts, or even empty boxes, to display as part of the Christmas décor. I do the same and bring them out as styling props each year. I must say, until I’d seen this image, I hadn’t thought about placing candles amongst the gifts. It makes under the tree or another corner of the room feel magical, bringing instant warmth and drawing your eye to the wrapped gifts. But do, of course, ensure you use imitation candles, like these realistic-looking pillar candles from Lights4fun, for safe, festive sparkle. Check out how the pros wrap presents for ideas in my recent post www.interiorstylehost.com/blog/natural-festive-decorations
.Photo credit: Lights4fun
STYLING WITH SCENTED CANDLES
You can also style your scented candles by placing them on a bed of festive foliage. I love dotting them around the home and also styling them next to a sprig of fir or holly in the hallway to greet guests as they enter. This one is in a tin from Little Moments Melts and is hand-poured using vegan-friendly soy wax and blended with premium fragrance oil for a clean, more healthy burn. Their ‘Christmas Tree’ scent is a good one for this time of year. Check out my Scented candle list at the beginning of this article.
Photo credit: Little Moments Melts
TRADITIONAL CANDLE TRAIN
If you have kids and want Christmas decorations to be stylish yet playful, you could opt for a fun candle holder like the train pictured here. It’s a whimsical way to bring candlelight into your festive styling. If you have a novelty candle holder like this one, you can style it on a surface with festive foliage or seasonal flowers like the white poinsettias shown here.
Photo credit: Stars for Europe
SOPHISTICATED SETTING STYLED WITH CANDLES AND FOLIAGE RUNNER
The focus on the festive table featured here is natural textures paired with neutral tones. The tablescape is elegant and the setting feels so considered, with the tall taper candles evenly spaced along the centre of the table, styled simply next to festive greenery and pine cones. With its rich wood and tactile finishes, the table and chairs by Domkapa set the scene for a candlelight dinner.
Photo credit: Domkapa
GLASS CANDLESTICK WITH FOLIAGE
This was my own rustic-style mantelpiece in my self-build home. I thought I’d show it in this article, as it’s a timeless look I loved and works so well because of the natural French-style stone fire surround. I started with a natural faux garland, which came complete with fairy lights already attached to it. I then poked in real branches of fir to give it that authentic and draped-over-the-edge effect. I used a tall glass candlestick for height, and as extra touches, I hung up oversized frosted pine cones. If you want to hang pine cones, stockings or baubles from your mantelpiece, you should be able to use mantelpiece hooks which you just clip on. Alternatively, you could use tape hidden under your foliage or garland. Frog masking tape is best and can be used on painted surfaces. Check out my blog post on natural, rustic styling to see the rest of my house decorated for the festive season. www.interiorstylehost.com/blog/festive-styling-and-decoration-ideas.
Photo credit: Sandra van Aalst
CLASSIC SETTING WITH SILVER CANDLEHOLDER
The silver-plated candlestick holders are beautifully understated and strike just the right balance between traditional and luxurious. A true Christmas palette in rich greens and red is carried through from the tablecloth, plates and red roses, even to the cushions, for a cohesive look. The red taper candle adds height and pairs perfectly with the napkin bow and red roses. These elegant silver holders are from Casa by JJ, and are the kind of classic piece you’ll want to bring out year after year.
Photo credit: Casa by JJ
STYLED IN SILVER
This is my own Christmas tablescape, which was simple to create with pine cones, sprigs of fir, silver baubles and an eclectic mix of candles – basically anything I could find in silver. I call it my layered candlelight look, as I combined three completely different types of candles, including a tea light in a shimmering mercury glass lantern, a sculptural silver candle holder with a regular candle for height and elegance, and a chunky, textured pillar candle. The overall look is festive, but in a more wintry way, with the candlelight bringing the table to life.
Photo credit: Sandra van Aalst
FAUX CANDLES TO LIGHT UP YOUR STAIR CASE
Many of us weave fairy lights or a garland around the banisters of our staircase to bring festive cheer to a rather overlooked area of the home. But now, thanks to faux candles, you can take your stair decoration one step further. Whether your staircase is in a living area or hallway, there’s something rather special about softly glowing candles lighting up the stairs at Christmas. Pictured here are a mixture of realistic faux candles in varying heights and colours from Lights4fun, adding that glow and flicker of light without the worry of open flames. Nestled between the candles are a few baubles and little toadstool lights for that woodland feel.
Photo credit: Lights4fun
CHRISTMAS TREE CANDLE HOLDER
If you want your candle holder to be really Christmassy, this charming little Christmas tree is for you. This design by Melody Maison has an antique gold finish, which gives it a warm glow whether lit or not. If you have a Christmas tree candle holder, you can style it like this one in a pared-back Scandi set-up, by layering textures in a more maximalist scheme, or amongst some festive foliage.
Photo credit: Melody Maison
SILVER STAG CANDELABRA
AS YOUR TABLE CENTRE PIECE
There’s nothing quite like a candelabra, and the silver stag head pictured here makes a striking wintery centrepiece for a festive table. I have a stag head candle that I bring out as part of my Christmas decor each year, but don’t dare light it as the whole piece is made of wax. The silver deer head here is by Annabel James and is surrounded by moss for that woodland-inspired touch. Its elegant, sculpted silver finish adds a sense of grandeur and is perfect displayed on a more traditional tablescape with delicate crystal glasses, a linen cloth and classic tableware.
Photo credit: Annabel James
HANGING CANDLE CHANDLEIER
If you really want to impress your guests this Christmas and create an atmospheric glow above your table, use a candle chandelier, like the metal circular one pictured here from Heavenly Homes and Gardens. Place a hook in the ceiling and suspend the chandelier over your table. This piece has ivy woven around it to give it a more organic, festive feel. Other foliage, such as fir, eucalyptus or holly, also works, although ivy is ideal as, due to its length, it's easy to wind around. Alternatively, add a mixture of foliage, seasonal flowers or dried oranges, and turn it into a stunning suspended festive wreath.
Photo credit: Heavenly Homes and Gardens
MAGICAL OUTDOOR CANDLELIGHT
Set the tone by placing candlelight and other outdoor Christmas lights by your front door - even if it’s just a candle or two. This Christmas porch is a perfect example of how to use lighting in an enchanting way. The glowing stars, fairy lights on miniature trees, and waterproof faux candles pictured here are all from Lights4fun and instantly create a magical atmosphere. You can also rest assured that the flickering flames of faux candles are completely safe and won’t blow out, even if it’s raining or windy.
Photo credit: Lights4fun
LET’S SUM UP
I hope you have come away with several ideas for styling candles and candle holders during the festive season. Look out for my future article, which will explore candle holders of all different shapes and sizes, from elegant to whimsical.
