According to the National
Candle Association, a trade association representing
candle manufacturers and their suppliers, estimates that
approximately $2 billion annually is spent on candles
alone. That number skyrockets when you consider
accessories such as candle holders.
Mostly, consumers
purchase candles as a focal point for their homes, but
increasingly, candles are seen as acceptable and highly
appreciated gifts for a variety of occasions.
National Candle
Association statistics indicate that of those giving
candles as gifts: * 76% would give them for the holidays
* 74% would give them for house warmings * 66% would
give them for hostess/dinner parties * 61% would give
them as thank yous * 58% would give them as birthday
gifts for adults
Decorating a home is one
of the main reasons candles are such popular gifts. The
National Candle Association suggests the following tips
when decorating with candles: * Groupings of taper or
pillars add a compact yet striking complement to any décor.
* One or more pillar candles on a pillar plate
surrounded with flat gray or black stones add an Asian
influence to your décor. * A fireplace can be a
dramatic backdrop when filled with candles * Metallic
and texture-patterned pillar candles add a unique and
intriguing design
Traditional Candles in
Today's Décor
The popularity of candles
ties into the plethora of scents, colors, and shapes
that candles come in today. But exotic candles made in
faraway lands add an even more distinctive flare to any
home décor or gift.
Black
Lombok Pottery Candles, for example, are made on the
Indonesian Island of Lombok and make in the same,
handcrafted techniques of the distinctive earthenware
pottery that has been made there for nearly 500 years.
Sold in online retail
stores such as Antiki.com, these bowls are still
hand-crafted the way they were five centuries earlier.
So too are the Old
India Candle Lanterns that are still masterfully
crafted in India from hand tooled antique brass, bronze
and copper.
"The use of metals
and their production has been one of India's most
ancient sciences," according to Antiki.com.
"Brass and copper are though to possess
health-giving and health healing properties."
In Thailand, artisians
handcraft Mango
Wood Boat Candles from local mango wood, and fill it
with the fragrant scent of plumeria and topped with
handcrafted plumeria flowers. Also in Thailand, Marbled
Canoe Candles exhibit an old-world appeal in a pointed
spear shape and leathery marble finish.
The final shop on our
gift-giving journey is a Bulrush
Reed Candle made in China, where local artisans pour
wax scented with the lush fragrance of vanilla and wrap
it in bulrush reeds. Whatever type of candle give you're
giving, you're sure to find a unique, distinctive gift
at online retailers such as Antiki.com.
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