Incense comes in many different fragrances, the most popular being nag champa, sandalwood, patchouli and rose. There are also a wide range of floral and citrus scents available and even incense versions of popular commercial perfumes. The distinctive aroma of incense is produced by a mixture of woods, resins, flowers, spices and essential oil that produce a strong fragrance when burned.

Incense can be bought either in stick or cone form, or as a powder which must usually be burned in combination with charcoal as it will not stay lit on its own. Usually it is burned in a special incense burner which catches the falling ash and protects furniture and other surfaces from being burned.

Incense comes in many different qualities with the higher quality versions usually burning for longer and having a stronger scent but also being more expensive. Most incense is made in India where it is exported for use all over the world.

You can buy incense for your home from a range of different stores including health food stores, alternative clothing stores, candle and scented oil suppliers and even supermarkets. It is also very easy to buy online from a number of specialist websites where you can choose a variety of different fragrances to try out or buy in bulk for a better price. Incense does not usually have an expiry date but should be kept in a cool dry place and you must be careful not to allow it to become damp.

Scented candles can add a perfect touch to change the mood of a party or a special evening. They really add depth and enjoyment to any event. For all a candle offers, it really is a great value for a reasonable price.

For example, consider having a luau theme party with pineapple, coconut or plumeria blossom scents mixing with the smell of the roast pork.

At a Christmas get together, try candle scents of traditional bayberry, cranberry orange, or pine and spruce.

For and intimate evening for two you might select roses, or something a little spicier like jasmine and ginger.

Candles have moved into our outdoor rooms too, and are a perfect touch for outdoor living and entertaining.

In addition to hundreds of available scents, the candles themselves and holders for scented candles can go a very long way to create a room’s mood, with diffuse lighting effects. Consider glass candle holders in soft warm pinks, golds and reds for a romantic look. Blues, turquoise and greens are relaxing.

If mood lighting isn’t what you’re looking for, holders for large, single, all evening candles in pewter, silver or brass, can make lovely visual accents at a more formal gathering.

When it comes to gift giving, from elaborate to casual, scented candles and holders are perfect. They are one thing that no one can have too many of and the choices are so vast, you’ll find something for anyone and any occasion. A couple of small, fruity, flowery, votive size candles may be perfect for your child’s teacher at Christmas or at the end of the school year.

They say scents have a way of triggering memories. A large, long burning scented candle in a keepsake candle holder, like marble, jade, onyx or silver will be cherished long after the first candle is gone and can be a memory maker forever.

The good news for all of us is that nowadays you can easily purchase fantastic scented candles online.

Votive candle holders are inexpensive and plentiful, so coming up with a good supply of them should be easy to do. Clear votive holders can be mixed and matched with gel that is colored for different decorating ideas. A liquid candle dye is typically used to maintain the translucency of the candle. With a clear votive holder and a translucent candle embeds can be used to further decorate each individual candle.

Wicking is very important on a clear gel votive candle. Since the candle is see-through it is necessary that the wicks stand straight and perpendicular to the bottom of the holder. Quality and craftsmanship can be tested by how precise the wicks are inserted in the candle. A straight wick gives a more aesthetic and pleasing candle.

Fragrance can also be added to the candles and if you are making your own candles, the number of different fragrances to use is only limited by your resources and willingness to experiment. Perhaps a more cautious approach would be to order some of the candles in a fragrance you think you would like and then if you are feeling crafty to try and duplicate your favorite ones.

Candles are still around and even though electric lighting is ubiquitous and it’s easier to just “flick a switch” to get light, the warmth and mood that a candle projects just can’t be beat.

Let’s start with palm wax. Palm wax is a good candle wax for long burning but is also the most difficult to work with if your are making candles. This type of wax is almost smokeless and when used with a cotton wick leave little if any soot in the air when lit.  Soy is also another long burning wax but it doesn’t have the greatest scent and therefore isn’t as good as palm wax.

A long, clean burning and drip less wax is Beeswax. Typically beeswax is costly so it’s more of fancy item.  Beeswax is made with no additional scents or fragrances. Similar to beeswax another expensive scented candle wax is bayberry. Bayberry wax is best used for tapers or tarts since most large diameter candles don’t burn as well. Bayberry wax has a dark olive appearance to it and if blended with another wax may have a whitish bloom on the exterior. Bayberry scent kind of smells like hay and won’t do so well mixed with other scents.

One of the older man made candle waxes is paraffin, which is the least expensive. This wax comes in different melt points and can be altered to have various, hardness, clarity and burn rate. Burn times with paraffin are pretty short so most candles today are not made with paraffin. Vybar is usually added to paraffin to harden  the candle and lengthen burn times. If you have allergies you may  want to check first if you’re allergic to Paraffin since it is an  allergen. An alternative to paraffin is mineral oil candles.

Container gel candles and free standing scented clear wax candles are typically Mineral oil based. These candles burn evenly have a good solid burn and can hold more scent that paraffin and thus no allergic reactions of soot from the wick.

Taking the time to know the differences in candle waxes weather you want to make or buy will help you decide which type of wax you need for your particular situation. Gel candles are great for home decor but can be hazardous. A good alternative to a paraffin candle is natural wax but this is more expensive. Most popular type of candle today is the typical paraffin scented candle since it’s the most practical for decoration and scent.

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You can choose to get more task or spot lighting as well from your fixtures, but these will be things more like a recessed lighting fixture or something more exotic like a chandelier.  We’ll talk about these in a moment.  For now, let’s stick with the indirect lighting ideas.  Another less appreciated wall lighting idea is to use something like these tea light holders that you have probably seen.  They come in a wide variety of styles that can suite most any type of interior design that you have.  Most home decor features have one theme that is carried throughout a space.  With tea lights, you can get just the right amount of twinkle from the flame and just let the rest of your home’s decorative features do your design ‘dirty work’ for you.

Now, about the other types of lighting.  We’ve talked briefly about the overhead lighting that you might find in a typical home.  The recessed or ‘can lights’ as they are often called serve a good type of flood light.  This type of light is best for illuminating large areas without wanting to have one main fixture hanging from the ceiling.  They are certainly less esthetically pleasing, but they are definitely functional.  If you want something much more decorative, then you might consider a chandelier.  A chandelier makes a great accent piece and can also provide both functional light as well as ambiance for your space.

Floating candles are available to buy is many different shapes and even more colors, so you’ll need to have a think about what the best type is for your needs. Cheaper wholesale floating candles can be bought in a multi-pack box for less than $4; but if you want something lavish you can buy intense colors and shapes, such as rose petals and other flowers. These can cost up to $10 for a pack of just a few.

You can also buy scented candles. However, if you do this, here’s a word of warning: Only buy these to display where people won’t be eating. If you’re serving food at a wedding reception, the smell of the candle can ruin the taste of the food if it’s too strong.

The next step is choosing a suitable container for the candles. It’s of course always best to pick a better quality container, but always remember that you’ll be replicating the centrepieces for all your tables, so if the bowls are too good a quality, the cost can mount up quickly. One candle can look good floated in a small dish with a stem. Or, for several floating candles, it’s sometimes nice to place just one large bowl at the centre of the table.

And finally you’ll just need to decorate the centrepiece by choosing a base. Mirrored or metallic bases can be really great, especially if you’re using colored water. If you are coloring the water, try for a contrasting color, such as blue water with red candles.

Acquiring gold candles can be pretty straightforward considering there are many varieties and choices out there. Many retailers have a short supply of gold candles on their shelves so heading out online may be your best bet in those situations. The internet holds many different options for gold candles. Plus online you can shop from the comforts of your own home and just click and ship.

Making a gold candle usually involves adding dyes which are infused into the wax. Both soy and paraffin candles are found in this variety.  If scented is what you’re looking for then you can find that as well but most will be unscented. Most are available in every possible shape and size to suit your needs. Tapers for more formal decor or votives type for small uses. As mentioned above you can even get small birthday gold candles for a 50th wedding anniversary cake.

 Solid colored gold candles are available but you can also get candles with many varieties that have a single base type color, like blue, white or red  that has a gold on the outside with multicolored accents. You can even go all out and get candles with words or stencils on them to enhance your decorative environment.

One thing to think about if you choose the color gold for your candles is candle holders that will fit your decorative goal. Most will just assume that gold candle holders would be the obvious choice but if you try silver or blank you’ll find that they look much better. Another good choice is a type of clear crystal or glass which will bounce the light off from the base to the candle and will give you a unique look to your candles. Gold floating candles placed in a bowl of water is also has a cool look to it when the light shines into the bowl and out onto the gold of the floating candles. To close gold candles can create a great environment for any occasion.

The color of scented candles contribute to mood along with the wonderful scent. Candles of today are made with every color under the rainbow which represents a different feeling with every color. Candles probably have as many different scents as colors, it can be mind boggling.

Let’s uncover the meaning behind some colors of scented candles and how each creates its own very own unique mood and relaxing stimulus.

Yellow – signifies victory, learning, wisdom and knowledge and some compare it to a type of solar energy. Yellow create an atmosphere of joy an certainty

White – You guessed it, first comes to mind is peace which we all know. White also represents trust, power, innocence and a soothing feeling. White candles are very simplistic.

Red – Hot, passion, love and fire. Anger, strength and power are also represented with red scented candles.

Pink – symbolized affection, closeness, female in nature, beauty and even romance.

Blue – Similar to while displays peace. Blue also gives the feeling of purity, knowledge and dedication or devotion.

Black – represents defeat, cold, maybe even black magic.

Silver: Let us not overlook silver. One of the most popular for Christmas time is actually known to be more of a neutral color. This is a great choice for meditation, yoga and reflection.

The color along with the aromatherapy can be powerful when it comes to healing and many health of today’s health problems. Many also get into the decorative side use of scented candles. Many cultures also use different colored and scented candles for prayer and rituals. You will see in many ceremonies that colored candles are used as a matter of fact it’s usually on every opening. Each color will represent whatever fits the occasion whether it be peace, love or black magic.

So as you can see, we’ve come a long way with candles. The candles of today have many uses and can symbolize more than just a light source. Some enrich life while others just sooth and relax the soul. So, take this new found knowledge of color and build your own scented candle heaven.

Before starting out you should make sure you have some of the basic scented candle making ingredients and tools used such as wicks, moulds and waxes. Finding the essential oil is key for giving a candle it’s therapeutic properties and thus a crutial compnent in the candle making process. For Aromatherapy type of scented candles soy wax or beeswax are the mose wise choices.

Many great recipes exist in books and online which will provide you with solid aromatherapy candles. Recipes range from a pleasurable and relaxing fragrance or a stress reliever. When you create your candles make sure you mix the oils into the melted wax before pouring into the mould. A 30 to 60 drops of oil to a 8 oz candle is a satisfatory mixture.

Many oils can be found in craft shops or online. Every oil will have it’s own unique scent and purpose. some common types are, Chamomile, frankincense, jasmine and Ginger. Chamomile, like the tea will helpp you relax and calm your nerves. Ginger is believed to enhance memory and frankincense is excelent for meditation. When you get familar with these types of scents you can explore differant combinations and find that best one that suits you.
To create scented candles some will actually pour the scented oils right onto a unscented lit candle.  You can just put a few drops in the melted candle wax located at the base of the flame. This can be done on a candle of any size or shape.  Most oils can catch fire so be careful when doing this.

When you venture out on your journey to create your very own aromatherapy scented candles not only you will enjoy them but all your guests and family memebers as well. In addition to created them for you house you can also make them for gifts or even start you own business. Follow recipes that you find online or create your own using your customized blend of oils and have fun.

When choosing scents that are literally thousands to choose from and you can overwhelming yourself in a hurry.  You can get most scents and fragrance oils at craft stores or you can just go online and find  slew of them. Pay close attention to the types of candles you will be making since soy and paraffin wax scented candles may need more oil to be absorbed so the scent is more strong and will last much longer.

Some tips when looking for new fragrances or scents for scented candles:

Strength: Oils vary in terms of concentration. Some can be weak which means more to be absorbed for more scent. Others are very strong and a few drops will do just fine. Keep in mind only approximately 1-2% of the oil will mix with most waxes.

Manufactured or Natural: Both natural and manufactured oils are available. Natural are cleaner burning are easier on the environment and don’t case allergies.  There is more selection when it comes to manufactured oils. Natural may be more expensive depending on contents.

Reputation: There are tons of distributors but you need to consider the reputation of the company. Look for ones with a good return policy and solid customer reviews. You don’t want to order the wrong thing and then get stuck with it cause they won’t allow you to ship it back. Just double check the service to make sure when you call someone answers and ask about their return policy.

One last thing to look for is see if you can get samples before putting in a sizeable order so you can best get an idea of the smell and if you’re going to like it or not. Even you don’t like what you got at least you didn’t order a whole truckload and find out you don’t like and have to send it all back. You will also get to try out there customer service and shipping times.
Keep in mind that key to great aromatherapy candle making lies in blending just the right type and amount of oils that give the scented candles an great smelling aroma that lasts and lasts.