Candle lovin' - How to care for your candles

Buying candle after candle is one of my guilty pleasures. I have them in every room. I currently have 22 large unburnt candles in my ever-increasing collection. (Perhaps I should change guilty pleasure to over-the-top obsession). 

Yankee Candles are my fave but I'm drawn to any that smell good enough to eat. 

Good candles aren't cheap however I think they're worth every single penny. If you're going to part with your hard earned cash on a candle there are some very simple things to do to get the absolute most out of your purchase. 

Yes, you can just light it and leave it, but if you want your candle to last longer, to throw off more scent and not to smoke follow these easy steps! 

Trim the wick

When you buy a candle the visible wick is often too long and needs trimming. You want the wick to be about 1/4 inch. Why? Well, a too long wick causes the candle to smoke. 

It's a myth that cheap candles smoke and expensive ones don't. It's not about the candle itself but the wick length. 

Don't forgot to trim it throughout its use as well. Keep it short to stop the smoke and to extend the life of the candle. It will also stop the black 'mushroom' build up you get on a wick too. 

How to trim the wick: 

You can use sharp scissors which is easy when the candle is brand new but as you burn it the easiest and best thing to use is a purpose made wick trimmer. 

This might seem a bit extravagant but it really isn't. My wick trimmer was only £4.99 from Yankee Candle. The good thing about a wick trimmer as it cuts the wick in one easy snip and then easily lifts out the bit you've cut off. 

Burn time

Don't you hate it when a large candle tunnels? You know what I mean - when it just burns down in the middle leaving most of the unmelted wax in a thick ring around the edge. This is a total waste if candle and it's really easy to stop. 

If your candle tunnels it simply means that each time you light it you're not leaving it to burn for long enough. A large jar candle takes around 3 hours for the surface to melt, and this is what you want. 

If you light a large jar candle and blow it out after an hour it will tunnel. Each and everytime you want the top of the candle to completely melt so you need to leave it burning for a good 3 hours. 

If you want to light a candle but you know you're only going to let it burn for an hour don't light a large jar, go for a votive or scented tea light instead. 

Put it out, don't blow it out

Blowing out your candle will also cause it to smoke. You need to put it out, using something like a candle snuffer. 

I use a metal butter knife. Just push the wick into the melted wax and immediately lift it out again. This will stop the smoke and the jar/holder turning black. 

Rotate your candles

You know after you've worn the same perfume for a while you just stop smelling it on yourself? Well the exact same thing applies to scented candles. 

If you burn the same smell continuously the chances are your nose will just get used to the scent and you'll stop noticing it. Rotate your candles and you'll enjoy the scent for the entire candle's life. 

Votives 

Votives are the short and chubby candles. To get the most scent, burn them in a purpose made votive holder or tight fitting candle container. 

A votive holder allows the candle to melt evenly, stops wax wastage and therefore gives you the maximum scent throw. If you don't put a votive in a holder the wax will just pour over the edge and make a great big waxy mess. 

Other important candle-ly stuff 

Never ever leave a lit candle unattended & keep them well out of reach from children & pets. 

Always protect the surface the candle is sitting on, they can get pretty hot. 

And finally don't stand directly over a lit candle, especially if you're wearing a lot of hairspray!! 

So there you go, how to give your candles some lovin' in just a few easy steps. 

What's your favourite candle brand? What candle scent do you enjoy the most? 

To find out how to easily turn your dead candle jars into some seriously good storage click here. 

I'm off to light a Yankee!

Love Emma 

XOXO 

Making a house a home

Making a house your home is actually very simple and you don't need a second mortgage to do it either. 

Whether you're about to move into student digs or you're already living in your dream abode it really doesn't take much & it doesn't have to be expensive to inject some life into your rooms. Little touches can make a big difference, no matter the size of space.  

Accessories are a great way to add some colour, style and to show off your personality. If you shop wisely you can also rotate and change up your added extras, season to season or just when the feeling strikes, as many times as you like. 

I'm no interior designer by any stretch of the imagination but here are 5 simple ways I like cheer up my living space! 

Plants & flowers 

There's nothing nicer than a pretty plant or some fresh flowers. Bringing life into your home can really brighten up any space. Bunches of flowers are beautiful but if you choose a flowering or interesting looking plant it will last so much longer. Supermarkets stock really inexpensive and unusual plants so make sure you check out your local. My large spiky plant was under £10 from Tesco. 

Candles

I'm a massive candle fan. Huge. Bordering on obsessive. I have candles in every single room. I like they way they look but love the way they smell even more. 

Yes, some can seem pretty expensive but when you think a large  £20 Yankee Candle will burn for over 150 hours it really is good value for money. I love burning food scented candles or ones coordinate with the current season. 

Yankees are one of my faves but WoodWick bring an added extra as they make a fabulous crackling sound when they burn, almost like an open fire. Perfect for the evening. 

Pictures & artwork 

Artwork can add interest and really showcase your personality. You needn't spend a lot either. 

Choose pieces or pictures that make you smile or remind you of a time or place. You could even make some artwork yourself, it's really not difficult. 

I picked up my shoe pictures from a street seller in New York for a few dollars and the frames were only around £5 each. The 'E' button in a box-frame was made by my good friend Lucie & the animal canvases were painted by my 7 year old daughter for her new baby brother's room. The blank canvases were only around £7 each from a craft shop. 

Cushions & throws

Cushions, pillows and throws are a fantastic way to add colour and really change up a sofa, bed or chair. 

The 'Hello', 'Lovely' & flamingo cushions were only £6.99 each from Dunelm Mill. At that price in a few months I can afford to buy some more and switch them up. 

Again a cute touch is coordinating cushions to go with the seasons. I love me some Christmas cushions! Arrange a nice selection of cushions on your bed to give it a real hotel look. 

TK Maxx has a great range of cushions and throws and their stock changes all the time. (Get something you like when you see it as the chances are it won't be there when you go back). 

Touches to make you smile 

I really love little accessories dotted here, there and everywhere. I've got hearts hanging from practically every door and window handle. These little extras can be picked up super cheaply and look really cute. 

I got the 'I Love you to the moon and back' sign for a few pounds from eBay. Search 'shabby chic' and the results are endless! 

So there you go, those are the tips and tricks I use in my home. Luckily my husband doesn't mind a bit of pink or the 500 hearts hanging around our house!

What's your favourite way to cheer up your home? What's your best room accessory? 

I'm off to plump up some cushions! 

Happy home-ing 

Love Emma 

XOXO 

Upcycle those dead candles...

I love candles. Lovvvve them. I'm a particular sucker for candles that come in glass jar containers. 

I have candles in every single room, so many that I practically have shares in Yankee Candle. Really. I even have a bacon Yankee Candle in the kitchen (it stinks by the way). 

When a candle reached the end of its beautiful smelling life I always found it hard to chuck it away, it seemed like such a waste. I mean, surely I could do something with the glass container? 

I've discovered how to give these jars a second life by upcycling them into something useful (or something to keep your children entertained for a good hour or so!). The trickiest bit is knowing how to get that stubborn inch of un-meltable wax clean out of the bottom. It's really rather easy and this is how! 

Stick the glass candle jars into your freezer for a good few hours, over night is best. 

The cold makes the wax contract meaning that it's super easy to pop out/break it up with a butter/blunt knife. (Please be careful). 

Lift the wax pieces out. (& if you're anything like me you'll sniff them longingly to remember their scrummy smell before bunging them in the bin... Strange. Yep.) 

Next you need to remove any labels. Peel them off best you can and then use hot water, washing up liquid and a bit of elbow grease. 

If there's any sticky residue left you can wipe it off with some nail varnish remover and cotton wool. (The cheaper the acetone the better. Don a disguise and go to the pound shop). 

Next I like to stick my jars in the dishwasher. I find this removes any remaining wax smears (probably not the best for the dishwasher but hey let's just ignore that bit). 

Once they're washed you're then ready to turn them into a whole host of handy things! Use them as they are or go wild and decorate them however you fancy. A simple bit of ribbon makes a cute touch.

Here are some ideas: 

Make-up brush holder.

Cottonwool pad pot.

Pen pot. (My imagination went into over drive with this one clearly!)

Loom band jar. (My house is covered in these pesky elastics so it's nice to encourage my daughter to store them neatly, plus she can see what bands she has).

Keep-your-kids-entertained-craft-project pot. 

Use acrylic/glass paint & let your children's artistic side shine. (Don't forget to protect your table!). 

So there you have it. Pretty decent containers made from something you would normally chuck away. 

Happy upcycling gang, love Emma xoxo 

PS Mmm, Bacon! *shudder*