Candles

The Gift That Keeps On Giving: Bijou Candles

If you have been following this blog for long, you know I am a freak about candles.

Good, high-end, delicious smelling candles. It’s a luxury I have never denied myself because I know the tiny act of lighting a candle transforms my mood in a big way, and that there is significantly cheaper than therapy. I don’t know if it’s the glow of the light or the scent in the room, but it never fails to make me feel happy to be home. I love that. When I worked in an office, I used to light a candle as soon as I got home as a sort of ritual. A transition. Now I work from home, I make myself tidy up the house for 15 minutes and then light a candle as a special reward.
My house has never been this clean!

Now.Let’s get down to it. I have several favorite candle varieties, and I will go to great lengths to get them, but my new favorite winter scents were delivered to my doorway about a month ago. Yeah, I know. Blogger perks. Lucky me!

Bijou candles come from the same folks who create Qsquared plates – the stuff that looks like ceramic but holds up like plastic. They sponsored a post here a few months back wherein I threw all their stuff on the ground to demonstrate it was unbreakable. So that was fu! Now they expanded into candles in beautifully designed containers, and the container is 100% reusable after the wax is gone. Nifty concept, right? I’ll be honest, when I heard about the idea, I was expecting good candles in great containers. I was wrong. The containers are great but the candles are a knock out.

Gift 1: The Candle

Bijou carries oodles of scents, but I’ll tell you about these three. Because they are wintery. And they come in these mod-art, rippling pie crust bowls that are rocking my world. Bijou has a cute quiz to identify your own scent, but I’ll give you my two cents.

Mulled Wine is a “Tangy mandarin orange is spiced with cloves, cinnamon, nutmeg, anise and just a hint of musk”…AND WINE. Really good, really expensive wine. Usually I associate wine smells with things spilled in subways, but this stuff is incredible. Not feminine. It’s a rich, deep, decadent sort of smell that you could burn in any room of your house, October to March. People will not walk in the house and say “What is that candle?” they’ll say “WHAT IS THAT AMAZING SMELL?” If you are a dude (or live with a dude) who doesn’t like foofy smells around the house, this is the candle for you.

Maple Apple is “New England in a jar. Spiced green apples mix with Vermont dark amber maple syrup and are topped up with just a hint of sugar glaze.” If you like vanilla scents but want something different, this is it. It’s a delicious, friendly, Don’t Be Jealous I Have Cookies In The Oven, type of scent. But not too sweet, either. I’m tempted to call it a ‘gourmet pancakes’ type of smell, but that doesn’t really cover it. You’re just going to have to try it out for yourself. Also, I love the white container for Maple Apple so I can eat it with my eyeballs first.

Winter Pine, Winter Pine, I saved the best for last: Winter Pine. I can’t even talk about this. This candle. Okay. I’ll talk. So, I got the package weeeeeks ago, and I lit this for a minute, and it was so good, sooooooo good, I made myself blow it out, put it in a drawer, and save it until the day after Thanksgiving so I could let myself experience it FULL THROTTLE Christmas spirit. That was Saturday and it’s been burning ever since! They sent me a big one and small one, and I was going to give the small one as a gift to my Aunt Annie because she likes pine scents, but I’m too greedy. I’m keeping both. (Sorry, Aunt Annie. I’ll get you another one!) If you are one of those people who wants an artificial Christmas tree but never caves because “the real trees just smell so good!” you can go ahead and ditch that motto. Get a fake tree and this candle. BAM, CHRISTMAS. Shut it down.

Gift 2: The Vessel
The sad part about great candles is that they eventually burn down because you use them so darn much. Right? So what do you do with the container? Oddly enough, one of my all time most popular posts is dedicated to removing wax from glass containers using hot water. That is a great solution for non-tempered glass, but with the Bijou candles, you don’t need any of that mess. You just pop it in the freezer overnight and it the morning it all comes out.Wash it like a regular piece of dish ware and use how you see fit. I’m doing mine up as a nut bowl because it’s December and Santa loves a good nut bowl. It would also look lovely holding rings by the sink, or for bobbles and earrings and such on a bedside table. The fact that they are not-breakable makes them a great solution for places you might not normally feel comfortable keeping a glass or breakable container. A bathroom vanity…a toddler-accessible coffee table. You get the idea. Non-breakable accent bowls are a beautiful thing!

Gift 3: The Wax
Even though these are very long burning candles, there comes a point when you are left with a stub. What to do? Let’s make fire starters!
*Please note, this candle would have burned many hours longer, but I intervened for craft demonstration purposes. That’s how much I love you guys. You’re welcome.

Chop up your frozen wax, put it in mini tart molds or muffin tins, and place it in a 350degree oven for a minute. It might take 2 to 5 minutes depending on how thick the wax is, but it won’t take long so keep an eye on it.

While the wax is liquid, insert some pinecones from the yard (make sure they are dry first) and let the wax firm up. In a couple of hours you’ll have world class fire starters that will make the whole house smell incredible.

You can make these by the dozen, then bag them up to give away as gifts. Or they are just nifty lined up on a mantel, smelling good and looking fine!

Thank you to Bijous Candles.

And thanks to all of YOU for supporting the businesses that make this blog possible. Merry Christmas to all!

Patriotic Luminarias

by PEACHES 12 Comments

My mosquito situation is unreal. I’m one of those people they describe as having sweet blood (which is just a fancy way of saying bug magnet) and as the result of this, citronella candles and I are best buds. Even better; citronella candles in super cute patriotic outfits.

Boom!

Fancy Schmancy Gilded Jam Jars

by PEACHES 26 Comments

Aren’t these pretty? Cheap and easy too. There is something truly magical about candlelight reflecting off real gold. It illuminates with a different, special sort of radiant warmth. Magic like. If you have ever attended a candlelight mass at an old Gothic cathedral, you have seen the magic in action, all shimmery and golden. It’s stunning.

Switching gears from mass to menorahs….Years ago, I fell in love with a DIY menorah I saw in a magazine, assembled from candles in mercury glass votives. I rushed out to the store to pick up the votives, but then saw the price tag….

Seriously, who pays $24 for four sparkly shot glasses?

The overpriced store in question (I won’t be rude and tell you the full name, but it started with Pottery and ended with Barn) also had some lovely golden votives and vases scattered around a harvest table. They interspersed berries and bark and earthenware style ceramics…a really lovely spread, I must say. Decided I liked the gold votives more than the mercury glass and set on home to make them myself.

Two hours later, my golden modern day menorah was born.

You like my pink elephant menorah? More on her next week. I have lots of menorahs to share. Told you I like candlelight 🙂

People can be very intimidated by working with real gold leaf (that’s’ right, it’s REAL GOLD)…but once you realize how friendly and inexpensive it can be, you might just get addicted. You can use this same technique to gild frames, vases, sculptures, doorknobs, garden gnomes, cat beds…

This is a great first-time project for those who have never tried it before. Messy bits and imperfections only add to the charm.

Materials

3 glass mason jars (drinking glasses or a vase would also work just fine)
6 sheets of gold leaf (quality and cost varies…I can pick up a packet of 25 sheets at the art store for $6)
Gold leaf adhesive
Small paint brush
Votive candles

Tip: If this is your first time and you will use it more than once, buy a kit that includes gold leaf, adhesive and varnish. They usually run around $10, depending on leaf quality.
Tip: Gold leaf is very delicate. You will need to do this is a room without any wind/air flow. I would avoid working around small kids, at least the first time you try it.
Tip: If you find that the gold leaf shreds when you touch it, that’s a sign your hands are too moist. Try picking it up with a paint brush, or put on cotton gloves.
Tip: You still a scaridy cat? See this video for a quick and easy demonstration. Don’t be intimidated!

1. Line up your jars or glasses. Make sure they are absolutly clean.
2. Apply gold leaf adhesive to the inside of the jar.
3. Directions vary for every brand, but I like to do a very thin layer of glue all over, then go back to add more, letting it drip and dribble in places. This will help create a scattered/uneven coat. That’s right, messiness counts 🙂

4. Follow adhesive directions, most will require the glue to dry for a while before proceeding further.
5.Tear 6 sheets of gold leaf AND the tissue paper away from the larger packet.
6. Smaller sheets are easier to work with, so I cut my sheets into quarters. You do what works for you.

7. Delicatly lift up one piece of gold leaf and tissue. Chances are it will still to the tissue and you won’t have to touch the gold much at all. If your hands are sweaty or there is a lot of moisture in teh air, wear cotton gloves or clap your hands with baby powder.
8.Insert the piece inside the jar, using the tissue to press the gold to the glass. move it around for a minute to make sure the gold sticks.
9. Remove tissue.

10. Repeat the process until you have covered the jar. Or not. You could just do one patch and that would be neato. You could just do the brim of the glass. Or not. Y’all decide.
11. Remove all the scraggler bits by inserting a rag or washcloth inside teh jar and swirling it around. This should wipe away most of the excess gold crumbs. If you decide there is too much gold, you can go in and scratch it away.
12. Gold crumbs can get kinda messy, so you may want to do step 11 outside, but don’t sweat it too much. Genuine gold crumbs are as dangerous as cracker crumbs. Except, somehow gold crumbs are a lot more fun to talk about.
13. Ta Da! You is a done one. Feel free to varnish the inside, just make sure, if you are making votives, that the varnish is non flammable. A little diluted Mod Podge would do the trick. You could even tint the Mod Podge a color and make it look like colored glass.

Folks, the fun never ends.

Now let’s gild the lily! Tie a piece of simple jute twine around the rim of the jar, and tuck in some garden clippings. Did Y’all see this post of dusty miller on Design*Sponge…wow. I also love using rosemary around votives because the candle warm up the leaves slightly, filling the whole house with the most wonderful fragrance.Lavender is nice too. Just about any sturdy stemmed garden clipping will look good. I love mixing textures like this…the warm metallic gold against the cool velvety leaves…oooooo I could just swoon!

Wouldn’t these make great gifts?

You could gild baby food jars and pair with a few scented candles….or grab some garden trimmings (including these crazy turquoise berries) and a few cream colored roses and you have one stylish little nosegay to sit on top of someone special’s desk.

Golden Happiness, one and all!

Spider Web Luminaries

by PEACHES 5 Comments

Not much time for Halloween hoopla this year, a few festive luminaries go a long way!

Luminaries are so good at creating atmosphere, especially now that the days are getting dark and chilly. Candlelight alone is lovely, but candlelight glowing through crumpled wax paper bags is really something to be seen! The effect is almost like an old parchment paper lamp shade, but cheaper, prettier, and slightly spooky.

Tangent: Wax paper bags are amazing. They are great for wrapping gifts and organizing odds and ends like photos, receipts, and paper scraps. I like to use them to pack a snack and seal it with a ninja turtle sticker. And no, I don’t have children. And yes, I keep a giant roll of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle stickers around the house. What? Don’t look at me that way. I enjoy a well packaged snack. Everything tastes better with ninja turtles. Also, wax paper bags are far more Earth-friendly than plastic baggies, and significantly cheaper when you buy them in bulk. For smaller quantities, you can find them at the grocery store, usually down on the bottom shelf. Y’all have to try them out!

To draw the spider web, just get yourself a permanent marker and go to town. I’m guessing that if you are reading a blog like this, you are probably comfortable with drawing a spider web, but just incase, I did a demo for you just like Mrs. DuCharm showed me back in the day. Just make a cris-cross and loopty-loo each segment. That’s right, loopty-loo I said. We are keeping it technical today.

And there it is! Make a bazillion of these and cover your house with them on Halloween night –a sure fire way to scare the kiddos!

Trick-or-Treat, smell my feet…for anyone in the mood for two minutes of literary candy, read “Haloween: A Love Story” by Rodes Fishburne. A personal favorite.

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