Lighting Up the Holidays? Prevent Fires With These Candle Safety Tips

Whether you use candles for one of winter’s many holidays, or just want to embrace your inner Chip and Joanna Gaines, make sure your decor complies with fire safety tips.

Ready to deck the halls? At this time of the year, more and more homes see the glow of candles on tabletops and mantles.

Decorating styles abound, and reasons for using candles are as unique and diverse as the cultures we represent.

Some folks light candles nightly for Hanukkah or Kwanzaa; others light them weekly for Advent. If you’re Scandinavian, you might even carry a wreath of candles on your head on December 13th. Make sure your choices comply with fire safety protocol, whether you celebrate one of winter’s many holidays, or just want to embrace your inner Chip and Joanna Gaines to craft your own decor.

Below are DIY ideas on how to add the warmth of candles to your home this year.

But first…safety

Before sharing decor tips, let’s look at why it’s vital to take precaution. The National Fire Protection Association has found that more home fires occur this time of the year than in any other. Disregarding manufacturer instructions could also result in bodily injuries. Some tips to keep in mind are:

• Never leave a candle unattended.
• Trim the wick to 1/4 inch before lighting.
• Use a candle holder that will collect wax as it melts.
• Don’t place candles near curtains, blinds or other flammable decor.
• Keep burning candles out of reach of children and pets.
• Only use heat-resistent candle holders.
• Place burning candles at least three inches apart from one another.
• Only use candles in well-ventilated rooms.
• Use a snuffer to extinguish a candle.
• For more candle safety advice, click here.

Creative, safer ways to display candles

• Use battery operated lights that flicker like real candles or other alternatives for children.
•  Place taper candles into sand-filled, bead-filled or colorful stone-filled glass jars.
• Anchor pillar candles into stones, pink lentils or black-eyed peas.
• Place candles in decorative glass hurricanes.
• Arrange a pillar candle and its glass holder inside a wide cylinder vase and surround with cranberries.
• Make beeswax candles, which contain no paraffin or chemicals, and place into holiday candelabra.
• Use floating candles in a bowl of water.

Note: always adhere to product manufacturer safety instructions. This post is intended to provide general information to our readers. None of the information contained in this post should be construed to constitute legal or medical advice. Do not rely exclusively on any of the information contained in this post. Always seek further assistance from a legal or medical professional where necessary.