No matter what size or type of candle, a glass candle holder will not only make it look its best, it will probably save your furniture from melted wax. Only the most poorly designed glass candle holder will allow the melted wax to get away, and those are not popular for that very reason. Properly designed glass candle holders hold the melted wax and thus give the candle the longest burning time possible.
So, how do you tell if a glass candle holder is properly designed? That’s pretty simple from a functional point of view. A properly designed glass candle holder makes it easy to light the candle, and holds the melting wax. Simple. Aesthetically, a proper design is a little more complicated.
First, what kind of candles are to be held? The requirements for taper candles are quite different that those for a votive or pillar candle. For tapers, usually one, three or five candles are arranged together, and the whole lifted up off of the table. This allows more light to envelope the surroundings. The odd number is more pleasing to the eye, and the long, thin tapers bring the eye up from the table top, to the people around the table. This is why the taper candelabra is so often found on dining tables and buffets.
Glass candle holders for pillar candles are generally very simple. A candle plate that keeps the candle off of the table, with a slight rim to keep any leaking wax on the plate, and a design pressed into the plate from below to decorate any part of the plate showing is all that is necessary. Several pillar candles can usually be placed on a single candle plate, allowing the arrangement to be the magical odd number. Additional non-flammable items can also be placed on the candle plate.
Glass candle holders for votive candles and tea light candles generally form a cup into which the candle is placed. These candles seem to flow more as they melt, so enclosing the wax is more important. By placing the light down inside the cup, votive candle holders allow the beauty of the glass to be appreciated better than other forms of glass candle holders. The drawback of most votive candle holders is that you have to expose your fingers to the flame as you try to light the candle. Frequently the holders have just enough room for part of a hand to get into the cup, and the flame of the match or lighter is aimed at the hand trying to light the wick. Some votive candle holders have a metal candle holder that hangs from the rim of the glass portion, which you can lift out to light the candle. Then the metal component is replaced, the candle is safely below the rim of the candle holder and the glass pattern shows up best. And no burned fingers.
All in all, glass candle holders promise the best of design and functionality. The marriage of light and glass brings each to a higher level of beauty, which is not a common happenstance. If you like candles, look for the best glass candle holders you can find to truly show off the beauty that is light and glass together.
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