Candlelight Jack-O-Lanterns

Halloween is a great time of year to bring out your favorite candles for a little candlelight ambiance. The flickering flames add the finishing touch to your costume party, and they are the last piece you need to illuminate your carved pumpkins. Whether you are planning a party or creating the coolest jack-o-lantern for your front porch, there are some safety tips to keep in mind while preparing to use real candles this Halloween.

The last thing you want haunting your house this year is the threat of a fire breaking out, so we have listed 3 simple tips to give you peace of mind as you plan your parties and trick-or-treating.

Proper fire safety comes down to a few key elements: proximity to flammable materials, placement on a flat surface, and never leaving the flames unattended. 

Candle Flames and Fabrics do not Mix

Keeping your candle flames away from flammable materials is pretty self explanatory, but there are some added details to pay attention to around Halloween.

One of the most common sights at this time of year is a costume. Themed parties, group outfits, and dressing like your favorite characters is a fun way to display your interests and have fun with your friends. However, the flowing dresses, billowing capes, big wigs, and long sleeves are something to keep in mind when planning your candle decor for your Halloween party. You wouldn't want to set your guests on fire, so keeping your candles out of the way where no one can bump into them is the first part of fire safety.

The other aspect of fire safety is making sure that your stringy spider webs, fabric bats, and draping ghosts cannot come into contact with any of the flames. As you plan your decor, pay attention to the height of your candles and ensure that anything you hang is secure and won't fall into the flames. In addition to keeping things away from the flames, you also need to ensure that any drafts or strong breezes cannot blow anything into the candles. Not only does planning your decor appropriately help you create the spookiest displays, but it prevents those designs from becoming a part of a horror story.

A good rule of thumb is to give your candles 1 ft of space around them to keep the area clear of anything flammable.

Giving your candles the space they deserve is a great way to make sure your night is perfectly spooky.

Another element of using real candles is making sure they are on a flat steady surface.

Kid's dressed like sheet ghostsKid's dressed like sheet ghosts

Keep Your Candles on a Level Surface

Candles require a flat surface to melt evenly; a tilted candle will leak melted wax which can be a monster to deal with. Therefore, make sure that your candles are level on a flat area.

This is particularly important for your candlelit jack-o-lanterns. Decorating your front porch for Halloween is such a fun way to engage with trick-or-treaters, and having your spooky carved pumpkins illuminating your doorway is a great way to add some light to your space. As you plan to hand out candy, you'll want to consider how kids tend to race from one house to the next in order to fill their plastic pumpkins, tote bags, and pillowcases with the maximum amount of candy. In their haste to get all the sweets from the neighborhood, your jack-o-lantern may be a casualty of the sugar rush. Make sure to set it out of the way on a flat area so the kids don't accidentally knock it over.

Once you have your carved pumpkin in a safe spot on a flat surface, you'll want to make sure that your tealight or votive candle can sit safely in the center without getting too close to the actual pumpkin. Carved pumpkins dry out relatively quickly, so you need to ensure that the flame will not catch the jack-o-lantern on fire by giving it the space it needs. When choosing a candle to illuminate your pumpkin, most people generally use a tealight. They are small and give off a subtle light for your pumpkin. If you want something a little more dramatic, a votive candle will give off a slightly brighter light. When using a votive candle, you will need to have a votive cup to keep the wax contained and to allow the candle to burn properly.

In summary, keeping your pumpkin level and your candle in the center of your jack-o-lantern is the best way to create a spooktacular Halloween display.

There is still one more aspect of candle burning that is the most important to ensuring a beautiful night without any accidental fires.

Pile of candy cornPile of candy corn

Never Leave Your Lit Candle Unattended

We've said it before, we'll say it again, and we'll say it even after that. The most important thing to do when lighting your candles is to not leave the candle burning unattended. This doesn't mean you have to stare at it 100% of the time, but it is good practice to extinguish the flame when there won't be anyone nearby to monitor it. Stricking another match is nothing compared to the peace of mind and safety that comes with extinguishing your candle when you leave the room.

What does keeping your candles attended at Halloween look like?

  1. Your party stays with the candles while they are lit. If your event is moving locations or even just changing rooms, extinguish the flames. You can transport the candles to your new location and relight them there if you choose.
  2. Your jack-o-lantern needs a chaperone. Sit outside and hand out candy to the kids. If you need to go inside and leave the candle, blow it out. Relight it when you get back outside.
  3. Extinguish all of your candles before you go to bed.

This is the single most important part of fire safety. Never leave your burning candle unattended. It keeps you in control of the candle's flame and allows you to make sure nothing truly scary can happen.

Have the Best Halloween Decor

While these may feel pretty logical, it is necessary to be reminded of proper fire safety to ensure a great candle experience this Halloween. Giving your candles their own space to be lit without the possiblity of coming into contact with flammable materials creates an ambiance that you do not need to be concerned about. Keeping your candles on a flat, level surface gives them a foundation to burn evenly for a boo-tiful glow all evening. Never leaving your candles unattended means you can keep an eye on them and have peace of mind, ensuring that you will be able to prevent any accidental fires.

Halloween is generally spooky, but you don't want to become your neighborhood's house of horrors due to an accidental fire. Follow these 3 tips to ensure a frightfully safe time.