Think of Christmas and the image that most would conjure up is a room illuminated by the flickering flames of scented candles casting oversized, dancing shadows across the walls, logs crackling cosily from a hearth and every available surface adorned with hundreds of twinkling fairy lights.
It’s a tempting scenario, not just because it looks the part at this magical time of year and adds to the festive ambience. But in these times where energy prices have gone through the roof, any alternative light source that might help reduce the electricity bills will be welcome.
The ads on TV are always the ones that offer the most tempting room sets to which we will all aspire. But the reality often carries a hefty price tag particularly if you have a penchant for designer brands which can easily set you back the cost of a week’s worth of electricity, if not more.
If you’re reading this blog post, we’re guessing you probably have little ones in tow and naked flames and children are not a combination we would ever recommend. So we have to say it, even though we know we probably don’t need to; if you do choose to light candles around the house this Christmas, be sure to place them out of reach of little hands, and somewhere they won’t be a fire hazard. Thank you for listening.
So how do you go about creating a festive effect with candles, that doesn’t cost the earth?
Sentinel candles are a great idea and cheap to buy. Our favourites are the 4 hour burn time multi packs from B&M that will bathe a room in light from dusk until it’s time for the kids’ bed time.
For safety, slip the sentinel candles into empty jam jars, old Gu pudding ramekins (most people have at least 20 piled up at the back of the cupboard because it’s too wasteful to throw them away – well here’s your big chance) and line them up generously on shelves, even on a bed of a mixture of freshly hewn holly and ivy for extra good cheer. The result will be instantly enlightening.
If you can’t resist a scented candle, you don’t need to break the bank. Our current faves come from the Quantock Candle Company, on Hippychick’s doorstep – gorgeous hand poured candles made from natural wax and with a choice of enticing scents such as Pear & Freesia, Christmas Spice and Somerset Gorse. Trust us, they smell as the good as the really pricey ones but at £15, these ones are truly affordable.
For an even more competitive price, we love the Hotel Collection candles at Aldi. Available all year round, the Pomegranate and the Lime, Basil and Mandarin are spookily similar to the Jo Malone originals. But at £3.49 for the Aldi one compared to Jo Malone (£55) there’s no competition in our book. They also have wonderful ‘guest’ scents at Christmas. We love the more masculine ones in the black jars such as Cedarwood, Vanilla and Pepper which have a wonderful rich aroma, reminiscent of the distinctive smell of churches at Christingles.
The moral of the story is that if you’re lucky enough to be gifted a genuine Jo Malone for Christmas, lucky you. But we suggest you keep this for extra special me-time and substitute your Aldi candles for the ordinary every day.
Wax melts are a great idea if you’re looking for aroma without the price tag. You get more bang for your buck, as there’s no wastage and they can be very effective. We also think that battery operated candles are really effective too, particularly for adorning the centre piece of the festive dining table so granny won’t singe her sleeve when she’s reaching for the gravy.
Christmas lights always look gorgeously festive but can be pricey as well as infuriating to untangle. How many evenings have we all wasted spending hours trying to untangle last year’s metreage –Only to find that they no longer work? Of course, the trick is to wind them back up into the original packaging to keep them pristine for the following year. But this is easier said than done, particularly when a three year old insists on getting involved.
If you are planning to invest in a new set –Solar Christmas lights for outdoor use are better for the environment and will help reduce your carbon footprint without detracting from your festive display. For indoor, opt for LED bulbs which will also consum3 less energy, produce less heat, charge more rapidly, and last longer than incandescent bulbs.