Candles are one of the most enjoyable and affordable household items to create a cozy ambiance at home. They also infuse your home with beautiful colors, relaxing fragrances, and warm light, which helps you reduce stress. That’s why the purchasing of candles increases these years. However, it’s never been an easy job to select candles, as there’s an endless variety of candles forms and sizes.
Candles are generally classified into two types: flameless candles which are battery-powered, and wax candles.
Our instruction will focus on handmade wax candles. We’ll show you the popular types of candles, and how to select the best candles for your specific needs.
1. Container Candles
The container candle is a non-flammable container or jar filled with candle wax and one or more wicks. It is the most popular type of candle with US customers. They don’t drip and usually can burn for 4-5 hours depending on their sizes and waxes. Briefly, any wax can be used to make container candles, while the most favorable one is soy wax candles.
Many candle-making kits for beginners are container candle supplies, as making container candles is very easy to get started. The candle containers included in the kits are usually made of glass or metal, which can stand the heat.
2. Pillar Candles
Unlike container candles, pillar candles can stand on their own without having to be contained. So, they are usually made from waxes whose texture is hard or dense enough, like paraffin. Typically they come in a cylindrical shape with different widths, heights, colors, and scents. You can burn one or a group of pillar candles to get enough light and warmth. If the pillar candle is very large, it may come with more than one wick in the middle. Bear in mind that when burning a pillar candle, you need to put it on a flat and heat-resistant surface.
3. Taper Candles
When you want to have a romantic candlelight dinner with a beloved one, the taper candles are a great choice. Taper candles are long, thin, and usually need candle holders to stand-in. They are great for adding a classic, elegant atmosphere to your room. They can be up to 12 inches long, and burn 10 to 12 hours. So you needn’t worry about their condition of them while having a party. Also, there’re a variety of colors available when purchasing taper candles. If you want to make taper candles by yourself, the long-lasting candle waxes will be ideal, such as pillar or beeswax.
4. Votive Candles
Votive candles are generally about 2.5 inches tall with a 2 inches diameter. They are really small, yet still bigger than tealight candles. Usually, they’ll stand in a holder. Votive candles can be used as a dinner table décor or tucked in other decorative items on a wedding party. They can surprisingly burn for a long time considering their tiny sizes. And they’ll burn themselves out at the bottom of the container or holder. Votive candles can be made from any waxes, like soy, beeswax, or paraffin, and surely come in many colors while the most commonly used is white.
5. Tealight Candles
Tealight candles, or tealights, are the smallest candle types which are usually around 38mm in diameter. As the name suggests, tealight candles are used for warming up teapots or food in the past, but now they are often used as decors on the dining table to add a romantic or intimate effect. A tealight candle is usually packaged in a metal or plastic container and can be made of palm or soy wax. Tealight candles won’t burn as long as other candles due to the size, but a group of them will also give you a great impact of light and warmth.
6. Floating Candles
Unlike other candles either sitting in a container or a candle holder, floating candles can really float on the surface of the water by themselves thanks to their very lightweight. They can be placed in a big bowl or vase of water with beautiful flowers or petals around. As the floating candles are so eye-catching, they are usually used for a table setting or reception décor. Floating candles come in different colors and shapes, and are very safe to burn.
7. Outdoor Candles
Nowadays, more people tend to use candles to decorate the yard, patio, or other outdoor areas. Generally speaking, any candle type can be used as outdoor candles. But one of the most well-known outdoor candles is citronella, which is an oil-deprived from lemongrass. Due to its special smell, it is widely used to repel mosquitos and bugs outside. Besides the wax candles, the battery-powered flameless candles are also used for outdoor lighting.
8. Scented or Aromatherapy Candles
Scented candles can make your home or a specific area smell better while burning. Aromatherapy candles are mostly used in spas for stress reduction. Both of them come in different forms and sizes, from small tealights to container candles. What’s more, according to the National Candle Association, the fragrance is by far the most important factor impacting candle purchases. Luckily, you can easily find a scent you love, from natural floral to plant fragrance. And also, you can make scented candles at home.
9. Unscented Candles
Though scented candles seem widely accepted in the market, there are still consumers who prefer unscented candles. Such candles bring warmth and light with no fragrance. If you are sensitive to scents or don’t want the candle scent to interfere with the food smell, just go for unscented candles.
Birthday candles can be placed on the top of a birthday cake, a slice of cake, or a cupcake. They may come in many shapes, sizes, and colors. Sometimes, a birthday candle can be a small sparkler. Such candles are specially used on birthdays for making a wish.
11. Gel Candles
Gel candles are usually made of a wax, resin, and mineral oil combination. They are transparent, colorful. They are often packaged in a clear glass so that users can easily appreciate their beauty. You may also find some beautiful things like petals, shells buried in gel candles. Due to this characteristic, gel candles are also best for treasure hunt candles for holidays and celebrations.
12. Novelty Candles
There are so many candles that are fancy in design, color, or shape. All such candles can be called novelty candles. For example, the trick candles at a birthday party can often bring fun and surprise to guests. Novelty candles are often used as decorations for holidays.
In addition, there are also liquid candles, cartridge candles, liturgical candles, utility candles, and more.
Conclusion
We have put together a handful of candle types in this article. You have a wide variety of options while picking up candles, either for personal use or as a gift. Besides, the type of candle will also impact the wax you choose to make candles by yourself.
Just enjoy the warmth and light candles bring.
