5 TIPS FOR COLLECTING AND USING CANDLESTICKS

5 TIPS FOR COLLECTING AND USING CANDLESTICKS- these beauties make wonderful collections and go with every decor. Here are some tips to use them in your home.

Candlesticks are the stuff that wedding gifts are made of… or housewarming gifts … or anniversary gifts. And no wonder! They are a polished layer of decor to a table and home! Slim or stout, silver or painted a few candlesticks can add glow and warmth to a home. I have collected dozens of candlesticks over the years and they don’t gather dust in my dish closet! I use them! Let’s talk about 5 tips for collecting and using candlesticks!

COLLECT WHAT YOU LOVE

 

5 TIPS FOR COLLECTING AND USING CANDLESTICKS- these beauties make wonderful collections and go with every decor. Here are some tips to use them in your home.

This is my decor mantra…”Collect and use what you love”! Candlesticks are no different! If you love brass beauties collect them. Or if silver make you swoon go after them!  Candlesticks are gorgeous accessories that go with every decor. They add a delicious layer of decor detail to your home! They come in so many sizes and shapes and materials. So you, the consumer, have a lot to choose from. Just start collection and use what you collect!

 

I love love love mercury glass candlesticks and have been collecting them for about 3 years now. I think they have that gorgeous bling and sparkle and look updated and on trend! And compared to other candlesticks they are very reasonably priced!

THINK ABOUT COLLECTING CANDLESTICKS THAT HAVE LIKE QUALITIES

5 TIPS FOR COLLECTING AND USING CANDLESTICKS- these beauties make wonderful collections and go with every decor. Here are some tips to use them in your home.

 

Choose what you love and then refine your collection. Pick one type or color or material you fancy in a candlestick and center your collection around them!  Before you know it, you will have lots of choices of candlesticks that all work together! 

I always have my eye out for mercury glass! It’s amazing how often I can find them since I have honed my search to one specific type!

The mercury glass looks magical blurred in the background of this Christmas table!

USE CANDLESTICKS IN GROUPS

 

https://hudsonandvine.com/antiqued-silver-glass-taper-candle-holders/

source

There are some things that live better in groups… deer, people, penguins and candlesticks! Make a big decor statement by grouping your candlesticks. Less is not more when it comes to candlesticks. More is more… and often better!

VARY HEIGHTS

5 TIPS FOR COLLECTING AND USING CANDLESTICKS- these beauties make wonderful collections and go with every decor. Here are some tips to use them in your home.

Here is a gorgeous example from Pottery Barn of varied height perfection!

One mistake may home decorators make is they don’t vary the heights of their candlesticks. And candlesticks all one height is ho-hum boring no matter how pretty they are. Use a stack of plates or a book or two to make an interesting riser for a candlestick.

I love that the bases of these candlesticks are quite similar in the above image.

 

THINK OUTSIDE THE CANDLESTICK BOX

https://hudsonandvine.com/antiqued-silver-glass-taper-candle-holders/

Who says that candlesticks are just for candles?  It’s okay to leave a candlestick striped of  a candle in a grouping! Or how about making a candlestick a perch for for a nest or a pumpkin?  You may discover a whole new way to use your collection!

Now, how about you? What are your favorite candlesticks and how do you use them?

PIN IT AND SAVE THE INSPIRATION!

5 TIPS FOR COLLECTING AND USING CANDLESTICKS- these beauties make wonderful collections and go with every decor. Here are some tips to use them in your home.

 

 

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49 Comments

  1. Great post! What is your favorite brand of candle that burns slowly without dripping?
    Thank you!

    1. Great question! I really like Pottery Barn candles. They are dripless.

      1. I love dripless candles. Your arrangements are gorgeous. I believe there is a recipe to make candles dripless somewhere on the internet.
        Also, any plans to paint the Rice Poster Bed? I’m anxiously awaiting. I love ALL you do!

  2. Mercury glass candle sticks make my heart sing and your collection is no exception. I love your idea of perching a bird’s nest on top of one. Beautiful.

  3. Love your ideas!! I look forward to open your page every morning! Candles, birds, nests, almost everything goes with candle sticks! Thank you for your creativity?

  4. Ellie LaJuett says:

    Love your ideas. Do you ever mix candle holders, brass, glass, ceramic, wood etc?

  5. Theresa Kleinschmidt says:

    Love your different shaped candle sticks. I now use battery operated candles,so no more candle wax drips and much safer when you have little ones around. Thanks Yvonne for your great ideas.

  6. Wendy Howell says:

    Great ideas, love the little nest 🙂

  7. You have a beautiful collection of candlesticks..great tips and I have always love using candlesticks and holders for things other than candles…and I know you do too!….Have a most wonderful day Yvonne!!!

  8. One tip I learned the hard way. Some mercury glass is done on the outside of a candle stick or holder and some the mercury finish is on the inside.Never wipe mercury glass with a wet rag or towel……you’ll wipe off the mercury finish!

  9. I’ve always been a collector of ALL types of candlesticks, Yvonne – wood, crystal, brass, gilt, silver, glass, etc. I also like leaving the odd one or two in a group minus a candle – just like vases, I group them together sometimes but don’t fill every single one with flowers. I bought three gold candlesticks from a Bombay store back in the 80’s, tired of the gold so I covered the trio with silver Rub ‘n Buff then since they looked too bright and “new-ish”, I toned them down with an antique wax. I like to see a collection of one kind but also like a display of mixed – e.g. Silver with clear glass or crystal – OR – gold/gilt with brass and so on. Cluster on a tray to contain them on a coffee table or arrange on a mantel using books for height, if needed and I’m happy. Even if I don’t burn the real candles but just display them, I always make sure you burn the wick (for a second or two) so the arrangement doesn’t look too fake or “staged”!!

  10. They have some great mercury candle sticks on QVC. They are gorgeous and well priced.

  11. Sorry for the typo … Last sentence should read “make sure I burn”!!

  12. Beautiful post Yvonne. Thank you.
    I enjoy using battery operated candles too, for the exact reasons stated by Theresa. I also like the fact that they often have timers and the “realistic” quality of the “flame” has improved dramatically over the last few years. A tad expensive as an initial investment, but they have longevity, only requiring batteries.

  13. Another inspiring article. I love the bird’s nest one and sm going to use that in my spring decorating.

  14. I go in a couple of directions – I have a collection of clear candlesticks which I group together and they really do make me happy. I also have a collection of colored glass candlesticks which I think are pretty, but the grouping does not thrill me as much as it used to. I’m thinking adding a mercury glass to the clear candlesticks might just give me a little added boost in my decor. Thanks for a truly inspiring post!

  15. Continued prayers for Christopher, Abby and your family.

  16. Love the candlestick with the bird’s nest.

  17. I enjoyed this post so much! Do you have any tips to share on organizing/storing the candles?

    1. Great question! I like to wrap my candles in tissue paper so they don’t get nicked up. Hope this helps!

    2. Make sure the tissue is NOT colored, NaNaw, or you’ll have “tinted” candles AND one more tip: lay them flat in a drawer or box. I had a cupboard in which I stored all my candles, it was pretty crowded (as I had a lot!) and I was in a hurry so just laid the unused candles on an angle on top of the others in the cupboard. Months later, I went to use them and found they had all warped and become distorted. Just passing on my experience!!

  18. Great post. I like Mercury glass also and like to mix with white, ,not sure about another color yet we will have to see!?
    Be Blessed

  19. Gail Shafer says:

    I love to go to second hand stores and look for candle holders! I like them all , wood ,I can pant with chalk paint! Glass I can paint! Love iron too!

  20. Love candlesticks…. and so do my Daughters.. but now I have one Daughter who loves candleabras !!

  21. Great posts. I love candlesticks as well. I tell myself not to buy any more but I always do. I agree, surround yourself with the things you love.

  22. Mercury glass is a favourite of mine as well. Great tips, thanks so much!

  23. I too love mercury glass candlesticks. I love your blog and look forward to all your ideas.

  24. Karen Cadden says:

    Candles make a whole room inviting! I have to mix in some flameless candles with small grandchildren around. But, I always have a grouping someplace in the house.

  25. genie steger says:

    Love the candlestick blog, Love the idea of the nest on top of candlestick!

  26. What a nifty idea to put a small bird’s nest/ floral arrangement on top on a tall candlestick. Love that idea.
    I like mixing candlesticks (tall and short silver, wood, crystal candlesticks) as well as chunky, slim short or tall candles, little tea lights on a pretty tray in the center of a buffet table.

  27. Years ago in preparation for a Christmas party, I started collecting clear glass candlesticks, all shapes, sizes, heights. Some came from thrifts shops, antique shops, etc., some from the dollar store. They made a pretty display in mass and I have used them for years. They also make nice little pedestals for a decorative orb, egg or Christmas ornament used as a place card. I also have a collection of different sized rose bowls that have served me well. Now like you, I am fascinated with mercury glass. I like lots of candles when we entertain and lanterns are another current favorite inside and out.

    Look forward to all your posts. Thanks.

  28. Linda Buchanan says:

    Love your mercury glass pillar holders.

  29. I just love the mercury glass decorations. I have a couple of candlestick holders and they are so beautiful!

  30. Have been a collector of candlestick for many years and love to switch them out seasonally. Have been using a lot of faux candles with timers but still can’t resist a few real scented candles for a special ambience. Right now for Jan am using a homey salted carmel in both kitchen and family room.I enjoy having visitors say how great my house always smells.

  31. I love mercury glass also. Thanks for sharing the beautiful pictures.

  32. Stacy Barfield says:

    Your design tips are always on point! Thanks for sharing!

  33. Love all the beautiful candlesticks.

  34. You are so right about the mercury glass!

  35. Should receive my order of velvet pumpkins today. Can hardly wait to start incorporating some of your tips!

  36. Nicole Adams says:

    I have been following your post and really enjoy your decorating techniques. I look forward to trying some of your ideas in my home. Recently I saw a post about painting faux pumpkins with Annie Sloan paint and using a wax application to finish. Unfortunately I cannot find it now. Could you repost or send me this info, I’d love to try this. I love the look of white pumpkins in Fall decor.

  37. Norma Rolader says:

    Love candlesticks always buy or p/u at thrift stores but then do not know what to do with them… Until now God bless and thank you

  38. I have always loved candlesticks but never really decorated with them before, I would just bring out for table setting one in a while. Your post has inspired me to pull out the candlesticks I have stored away and create a permanent space for them in my home.
    Thank you!

  39. Carol Matthews says:

    I totally agree Yvonne! Everything is better with candles on beautiful candlesticks!

  40. I have been collecting candlesticks for a long time. They are definitely some of my favorite things. My favorite ones are clear lead glass and crystal. I love to see them on my mantel or dining room table with simple ivy cuttings in water. So pretty!

  41. I love all of your wonderful ideas and tips. Thank you for sharing with the rest of us?