At a time when everyone is watching their budget and cutting out unnecessary expenses, decorating with candles and scents can provide a big impact without spending a lot of money.
Here are 10 ways to add beauty and joy to your home with candles and fragrance.
1.
A modest meal shared with friends and illuminated by gracefully glowing candle tapers will create an elegant atmosphere.
Even leftovers are inviting if you light a few candles before serving.
2.
Arrange three pillar candles of different heights on a glass mirror to reflect the flames and enhance the illumination.
Craft stores sell inexpensive mirrors with beveled edges in a variety of shapes.
Sprinkle some sequined confetti on the mirror for added sparkle.
3.
An eclectic grouping of votive candleholders adds drama and warmth.
4.
Use an odd number of candles to enhance visual stimulation.
5.
Decorate jar candles with beaded bracelets and charms to add a dressier look to these long lasting jar candles.
Experiment with different themes for various holidays.
The bracelets illuminate when the jar is lit and adds a bit of color and style.
6.
Vary the fragrance from room to room to enhance the pleasure.
By using a variety of harmonizing scents, the sense of smell is stimulated as you move about and does not become desensitized to one fragrance.
7.
Homes with allergy sufferers are often able to use soy candles when paraffin wax candles can't be tolerated.
Soy candles are long lasting and are free from sooty residue.
They are available in a wide variety of delightful fragrances and colors.
8.
Floating candles in a punchbowl filled with bubbling club soda, cheerful red cranberries, and fragrant sprigs of mint makes a charming centerpiece that is sure to dazzle your guests.
9.
Wall sconces come in the most imaginative shapes and sizes to hold tea lights or votive candles and can set a dramatic or romantic mood.
Replenishing spent tea lights can be done for little cost.
If fire safety is a concern, flameless tea light candles are available that "burn" for many hours on a single replaceable battery.
10.
For rooms left unattended, such as bathrooms, use aromatic reed diffusers.
They are attractive and provide a constant release of fragrant essential oils without the concern of fire safety.
Candles and fragrance can enhance a home's décor even on a limited budget and can be enjoyed anytime.
Always put fire safety as a top priority, especially around children and pets.
Because the shimmer and glow of a candle invokes so much pleasure and joy, they make excellent gifts, even if the recipient is you.