How To Use Outdoor Candles

One of the best parts of these warmer months is getting to enjoy relaxing evenings outdoors. If you have a patio or a deck, or even if you have just a small yard, finding ways to decorate can be a fun way to show your creativity and create the perfect hang out space for you and your friends.

Using candles is a beloved way to warm up the atmosphere of a room, and they are a beautiful source of light for indoor spaces. Scented candles release fragrance that fills a room and creates a cozy, refreshing feeling in your home. However, candles don’t have to be trapped inside.

How to Decorate Outside With Candles

Most candles, including a majority of ours at Keystone Candle, are made for use indoors. This is because regular candles have small wicks that match the size of the candle and burn in a slow and even manner. These small wicks therefore, are not able to withstand strong breezes. Additionally, their best results come from being in a stable environment.

It is possible to take these indoor candles into the great outdoors, but they may require relighting if they get blown out by the wind. Yet, there are some steps to take that can help keep your candles burning smoothly while outside. These include using high walled containers for votives and tealights, and hurricane glasses for pillars and tapers. For more information about how to use hurricane glassware, check out our blog, “Why You Shouldn't Use Hurricane Cylinders for Your Candles”.

While these methods can work for traditional indoor candles, there are candles that can naturally handle the elements outside.

How Outdoor Candles Work

Outdoor candles are made specifically for use outside on those evenings when you just need a little candlelight ambiance. They are made with a thicker wick that can withstand a cool evening breeze and give you consistent flame. One note about this thicker wick is that simply blowing it out may not be as simple as you are used to. However, you can still use a candle snuffer to extinguish the flame. Additionally, due to the larger wick, these candles will produce more soot and they should not be lit indoors.

These candles, made with a larger wick, still use real wax as traditional indoor candles do, and they behave the same way as regular pillar and jar candles. This means that extreme summer heat can cause them to melt, and freezing winter air can cause them to crack. Therefore, when the weatherman says that the temperatures are going to fluctuate to a degree that is very hot or super cold, consider bringing your outdoor candles inside to preserve their structural integrity.

As with all candles, before you light it, make sure not to leave wick trimmings or anything other debris in the candle as they can be a fire hazard. Similarly, when enjoying your outdoor candles, keep the flame away from any flammable materials.

So, now that you know about outdoor candles, let’s look at how to use them well to create that perfect outdoor space where you can unwind in the evening.

How To Use Outdoor Candles

Using outdoor candles to decorate your patio, deck, or backyard is essentially the same as your interior design. Fundamentally, you can follow the same basic principles to create a beautifully decorated space both inside and outside your home. For example, picking a few key colors, adding some different textures and patterns, and using various materials are core pieces of making a space inviting and feel like your own.

When choosing what outdoor candles you will use, you have a couple of options. You can purchase the candles for their scent or as a simple light source. If you are looking to avoid scented candles, our Unscented White 6 x 6 Outdoor Candle is a great option for adding ambiance without fragrance. If you want a candle to provide some fragrance, you can enjoy the French Vanilla 6 x 6 Outdoor Candle. Furthermore, our citronella candles are a great way to add a pleasant citrusy fragrance while also acting as a bug repellent. Strategically placed citronella candles can reduce the number of bugs around while also giving a beautiful light and fragrance to your outdoor space. The citronella scented candles are available as a pillar candle, in metal buckets of various colors, and in our standard 64-oz size jars.

Set your outdoor candles on a plate or tray to protect your tabletops from any accidental drips or heat. Additionally, as the citronella bucket candle melts, the metal will get quite warm. Therefore, make sure you do not touch the metal bucket after the candle has been lit for some time.

You can create beautiful centerpieces with your outdoor candles or set them around your area in unique and elegant arrangements. No matter how you choose to decorate with these candles, your space will have a gorgeous candlelight ambiance.