Candles as Gifts: Spreading the Light
Long before I began making candles of my own, I was famous among friends and family for giving away candles as gifts. It became something of a running joke, but I honestly felt – and still do – that candles make the most wonderful gifts because of their simple elegance, usefulness, and uniqueness.
Today, I am glad to see, more and more people share my views. Through my candle connoisseur friend Charlene, I have got to know a wide cross section of people who have a love of candles in common. One of them is Josip Kukolj, who immigrated to the US from Belgrade about 20 years ago and brought his candle-making enterprise with him. Back then, says Josip, candles were strictly something you saw in posh restaurants and homes where the power supply was not always uninterrupted. “In the last five years,” Josip told me, “my business has grown by almost 60%, and the overwhelming majority of orders are for gift candles.”
From a one-room unit in Lincoln, Nebraska, Josip’s business now occupies the entire ground floor of a building downtown, and he is considering a separate unit to meet his online orders. So it is hardly a surprise that web sites selling candle gifts have mushroomed rapidly in the recent past. In fact, had I not been too scatterbrained to run a business, I would have considered putting my stuff on sale!
Obviously, aromatherapy candles have overtaken traditional candles in the popularity stakes owing to their fragrance and beauty. Besides, rather than traditional candles, people are increasingly opting for gel and soy candles, which not only look better than wax candles, but also last longer and offer more scope for experiment. They are also non-polluting and produce no soot, which makes them cleaner options as well.
One of Josip’s best-selling items is a pineapple scented set of six soy candles, embedded with seashells that enhance their beauty. Among my friends, I have observed a marked preference for my lemon scented, green-tinted gel candles. Plenty of suppliers also offer such innovative items as floating candles, which make for great outdoor decorations. Then there are the spa candles, which are ideal for lighting next to your bath!
Most suppliers include stylish holders and jars along with the candles. That means in addition to beauty, you get great value for money as well! So the next time you buy a gift, why not try candles? Wouldn’t it be much better than a book your friend may never read, or a perfume s/he may never use?
Stampin’ Up! Tutorial~Fall Tea Light Holder.MOD
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Adorama AC Socket with Light Stand Adapter and Umbrella Holder $1.79 The holder is attached with a socket, stand-adapter, umbrella screw hole with a screw for tightening, built-in on/ off power switch, and a 10′ power cable with a wall plug. Can be used at the top of studio light stands with a 3/8 inch or 51 8 inch stud. Its fixing screw can keep the umbrella sitting firmly. On-off switch …. |
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CowboyStudio Premium AC Socket & Cord Set with Umbrella Holder and Light Stand Mount $5.95 The swivel adapter lets you have full control over your flash or slave positioning. Mount your slave to the swivel adapter and then set it on any of your standard mount light stands. The adapter swivels in all directions, making it simple to get the light where you need it, even with difficult angles…. |
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Studiohut DOUBLE AC Flash Light Stand Swivel Mount with Umbrella holder $12.95 A basic requirement for all screw-in flashes or light bulbs, this DOUBLE light holder adds tilt and swivel ability to provide many lighting angles. The built in umbrella holder adds versatility to this holder so that it can be used to provide shoot through light or reflective light sources. Mounts to most standard photography light stand…. |
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Camco 42733 RV Fabric Party Light Holders $6.50 Camco RV Fabric Awning Hooks are sturdy sewn fabric tabs with grommets that slide easily into your RV awning roller bar channel to hold lights, wind chimes and more. When storing awning, just remove the hooks; tabs can be left in place. Includes 7 tabs and hooks…. |
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Camco 42693 RV Grey Party Light Holder $5.16 Camco Fits-All RV Grey Party Light Holders hang party lights, signs, plants and more from your awning roller bar. The Fits-All RV party light holders slide easily into roller bar channel, and each hanger can support up to 15 lbs. Each holder has two sizes of channel insets; fits all automatic roll out awning roller bar channels. Patented. Pack of 7…. |
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Amico Car Truck T10 W5W 194 LED Light Bulb Socket Holder Wire Connector 5 Pcs $8.13 Plug in light bulb extension.Easy DIY installation, No mechanic required.They are perfect for adding extra parking lights, sidemarker lights, license plate lights, interior lights or replace the stock ones.Compatible bulbs: 158, 161, 168, 194, 2823, 2825, 2827, 906, 912, 921, W5W, etc…. |
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ProSource Rechargeable Tea Light Tealight Candles (No Batteries Necessary) – With Frosted Holder Votives $22.95 These candles are safer than the real burning ones, but the “flame” end sets the same mood. Perfect for weddings, parties, hotels, restaurants, bars, clubs, home decor or if you simply want to enjoy a nice romantic evening with that special someone. Rechargeable tea-light-candles are also great for lighting up holiday decorations, jack o’ lanterns, luminaries, etc… Comes in a color retail box…. |
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72 Set of Solid Clear Class Votive Holders With Tea Light Candles $46.99 Set of 72 Clear Glass Votive Holders. Clear votive holders are made of high quality, 1/8″ thick glass. Clear Glass Holders Size: 2.5″ Tall x 2.0″ Wide. 72 Tea Light Candles Included…. |
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Gifts & Decor Desert Angel Tea Light Candleholder Decorative Gift $9.05 A slender seraph shields the light of faith with her bowed wings as she folds her hands in prayer. Stone-look decoration graces your home with a heartwarming dose of hope and faith. Polyresin with glass cup. Candle not included. 5 3/8-inch by 3 7/8-inch by 5 3/4-inch high…. |
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Laptop Buddy Laptop Desk and Cup Holder – Blue (72-698006) $12.27 The Laptop Buddy is truly designed to be your laptop’s new best friend, constantly striving to improve the design and components with each new model produced. For this model, comfort was the primary focus. So we created a base of molding foam balls that easily contour to your lap and enclosed that with a thick, soft fleece casing. The top is constructed from a thick, sturdy piece of wood and given… |
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Round Palewa Soapstone Tea Light Holder (India) $12.77 Rugged and earthy, this engraved tea light holder is a small but mighty statement piece. The perfectly crafted soapstone holder has been hand-engraved with concentric circles that create a mesmerizing pattern. |
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Hand-Carved Flower Palewa Soapstone Tea Light Holder (India) $13.49 Other tea light holders cant hold a candle to our remarkable floral-themed piece. This hand-carved beauty features black soapstone and funky flowers with delightful green and blue petals. |
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Set of 2 Pebble Tea Light Holders (India) $23.84 Materials: Nickelplated brassFinish: Hammered silverSet of two (2) tea light holders |
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Capiz Shell Lotus Dahlia Purple Tea Light Holder (Philippines) $18.99 This gracefully proportioned tea light holder has three tiers of translucent Dahlia purple capiz shells, with goldtone edging and base. Each light holder is handcrafted by artisans in the Philippines. |
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Hand-carved Cone Shaped Palewa Soapstone Tea Light Holder (India) $13.49 Hand carved from Palewa soapstone, sourced from Agra India, that darkens when polished. This tea light holder is created by artisans in India. |
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Hand-Crafted Iron Reindeer Tea Light Holder (India) $28.29 This tea light holder is made of wrought iron with a natural finish. The Iron was cut, shaped and welded by hand for each individual reindeer and made in the princely state of Rajasthan. |
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Heart Engraved Soapstone Tea Light Holder (India) $13.49 Your tea lights have never had it so good. Our hand-carved Palewa soapstone holder puts the fun into functional, with a dramatic black color and intricate pattern. |
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Set of 2 Hand-Carved Palewa Soapstone Tea Light Holders (India) $26.99 Rugged and earthy, this engraved tea light holder is a small but mighty statement piece. The perfectly crafted soapstone holder has been hand-engraved with concentric circles that create a mesmerizing pattern. |
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Kaisercraft Beyond The Page MDF 5-tealight Candle Holder $11.94 Use your own creativity and embellishments to turn this tea light holder into a beautiful piece for your home or office. The MDF is a blank canvas waiting to be transformed and customized to match any decor. |
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Kaisercraft Beyond The Page MDF 3-Tealight Candle Holder $8.09 Use your own creativity and embellishments to turn this tea light holder into a beautiful piece for your home or office. The MDF is a blank canvas waiting to be transformed and customized to match any decor. |