Every year the same question comes up in our house: how do we get that glowing, old-fashioned look from candles for christmas trees without worrying all evening? After a few seasons of trial and error, we have a clear way of thinking about it, and it starts with splitting the job into light, scent and safety.
In this guide
Candles for christmas trees do three different jobs: light, scent and safety
If you are shopping for candles for christmas trees this year, write down what you want from each item before you buy. It stops you ending up with five candles that all do the same thing and a tree that still looks dim.
People often expect one product to do everything. A single candle rarely lights a tree, smells wonderful and sits safely beside it. It is easier to assign each job to something different.
Light comes from warm lights and flame-free candles. Scent comes from a jar candle, melt or diffuser placed away from the tree. Safety comes from distance, stable holders and good habits. Once you separate these, choosing candles for christmas trees becomes much simpler.
For anything near the branches, battery candles are the sensible choice among candles for christmas trees. The market is full of them, from tiny clip-on bulbs to chunky pillars, and quality varies a lot. Here is what to check before buying.
- A warm amber glow rather than a bluish white
- A flicker that is gentle, not jumpy
- A clip or base that is firm enough to hold on a heavy branch
- Battery covers that close securely if you have small children
- A timer, so the tree switches itself off at night
The timer is our favourite feature in candles for christmas trees. It means the tree turns on at dusk and off at bedtime without anyone thinking about it, and it saves batteries too.
Using real candles around the tree
We love real candles in a Christmas room, so we keep them, but we never count them among the candles for christmas trees that sit on the branches. A shelf or table across the room is ideal, and it makes a nice focal point when the tree lights are dimmed.
Choose a sturdy glass jar or a heavy holder. Tall tapers look pretty but tip easily, and they burn quickly in a draughty room. Wax matters too. Soy, coconut blends and paraffin all burn well when the candle is well made, and a wide jar gives a more even melt than a narrow one. The general background on Candle is worth a glance if you want to compare what each wax is made from.
Whichever wax you pick, trim the wick before lighting and let the first burn last long enough for the wax to melt across the top. That avoids tunnelling, which wastes wax and makes the candle burn unevenly.
Pairing scent with your tree
Here is where choosing candles for christmas trees gets personal. A real tree, a fake tree and a small tabletop tree each call for different scents.
- Real tree: go for warm notes like vanilla, amber, clove or orange so the room does not smell like a pine forest twice
- Artificial tree: try a fir, cedar or balsam style scent to add the missing woodsy smell
- Tabletop tree: a lighter citrus or soft spice works, since small rooms fill up quickly
It also helps to think about who is in the room. A houseful of guests means more warmth, more cooking smells and more movement, so lean toward gentler scents and sturdier holders. A quiet evening for two can handle something richer, with a few small candles for christmas trees glowing on the mantel.
If anyone in the house is sensitive to strong smells, use fewer scented items rather than more. A flame-free glow plus one candle in another room can be enough.
Where to place candles for christmas trees
Think about how the tree sits in the room. If it is in a window, candle glow behind glass looks beautiful from outside, but keep curtains pinned back. If it is in a corner, a low table with a candle grouping a few feet away fills the empty floor space.
Good displays of candles for christmas trees also repeat a colour or material. If your ornaments are gold, a brass holder or a warm amber glass jar ties the room together without anyone noticing why it looks so calm.
Odd numbers and mixed heights make a display look relaxed. Try one tall pillar, one medium jar and one small votive on a tray. The tray catches drips and keeps things tidy, and it can be lifted away in one go.
Add natural touches such as pine cones, cinnamon sticks or dried orange slices around the base of the candles. Keep them well away from the flame, and treat them as decoration only.
Most candle accidents come from forgetfulness, not from bad products. Build a few habits and they stop feeling like effort.
- Light real candles only when you are in the room
- Blow them out before leaving or going to bed
- Keep a lighter and a snuffer in the same drawer
- Check the tree water daily if it is real
- Keep pets and children away from the table with the flames
If you want one takeaway, it is this: let the tree have its own flame-free light, and let real candles live somewhere else. candles for christmas trees then become a layered part of the room, not a worry sitting in the corner. The room smells good, looks warm, and you can sit down with a hot drink without checking the branches every few minutes.
More on this site: Spooky Candle Names and Scent Ideas for a Halloween Mood and Linnea's Lights Blog Contest Winner – Caitlin Feener.
Header photo: Alhill42, Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0).
