Have Fun Making Votive Candles

Copyright (c) 2009 Kaye Dennan

Making votive candles is easy, fun and can be done so quickly. With a good range of containers you can make a great variety of shapes and colors. Alternatively you could create color by dying the wax. They look beautiful on wedding tables, and they have a range of uses around the home.

What makes votive candles so popular is that because they are small you can use clear wax and get your color from using a colored glass container which reflects a colored glow.

So what is a votive candle?

A votive candle is where the wax is set straight into a small container, with a wick in the centre, all of which will give about a 15 hour burn. Not to be confused with a tea light candle that is a candle set in a small metal container and is used to place in bigger objects like wall candle holders, balloon candle holders and jack-o-lanterns.

Most people associate perfumed candles with votive candles and this is probably a fair assumption as most of them are perfumed.

Using votive candles for various purposes

Weddings

One of the great things about using votive candles for a wedding is that you can make them yourself so easily. A grouping of votive candles down the centre of the tables, make a lovely table centre piece. They can be kept in the traditional white or there can be an introduction of the bridesmaids' colors with the candle wax or the candle holders. Alternatively color could be added by incorporating sprays of small flowers in the centre piece that reflect the bridemaids' color. Either way, they look beautiful.

Another choice might be to have them lining the front of the brides table and this will have a very romantic effect. They do look really attractive on the cake table too.

Birthday Celebrations

Much the same use can be made of votive candles for birthday celebrations. They can be use for table centre pieces or as decorations to build atmosphere.

Pool Parties

Votive candles look great scattered around the pool at night when there is a pool party. Using floating candles in the pool is really stunning. Having a series of candles around a spa bath is very romantic and just so lovely to experience while having a luxuriating bath.

Dinner Parties

A selection of votive candles is lovely to have at a dinner party. In groupings they make a lovely arrangement and if perfumed can really make a room smell beautiful. They can be grouped on the table, with a little extra effort they can be used as place names, a setting on the bar or in the drinking area.

You will notice that votive candles do look best in groupings or displayed with other material to create a particular type of setting as in some stones or driftwood in a spa room, some folded towels and flowers in a bedroom, some red roses on a dining table and so on.

If you like burning votive candles a lot you would have a lot of fun making your own votive candles and it would save you a lot of money as well. You make exactly what you want and you would also have a lot of fun seeking out the little glass containers. It has become quite popular for people who are having parties and making votive candles to set them in shot glasses.


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Kaye Dennan has been involved in the art field over a long period of time, owning several art businesses and is the author of Candle Making - Start With Confidence. For more information on candle making, especially votive candles you will find this information on candle making invaluable.