Lighting Ideas

Candles come in just about any size and shape you can imagine, so pine cone candles shouldn’t be any kind of surprise. They’d look pretty funny if you actually burned them (all those little ridges would melt quickly, I’d imagine), but if you’re just looking for some rustic decorations for your log home or country kitchen, then they could be nice.

The candles stand 4″ high and are available from Plow & Hearth. A set of 3 will cost you $30.

If I bought all the cool candles and candle holders I found on the Internet, I wouldn’t have any room in my home for me, but that doesn’t mean I can’t write about them.

These alabaster candles and lanterns caught my eye, thanks to the interesting swirling color and the assymetrical shapes. Apparently, the holders are carved right from the banks of the Nile. “The deep secrets of this warm and luminous stone have been handed down through the generations since its earliest use. Ancient Egyptian legend speaks of the magical powers alabaster maintains when lit. The Phoenicians used lit alabaster to ward off evil in their entranceways. Centuries later, the Muslims used the magical presence of this stone to build the entire Mohamed Ali Mosque, from floor to ceiling. Today these glowing alabaster lanterns and romantic votives remain magical to us, ensuring a relaxed and romantic atmosphere.”

All that history in one tiny candle holder. Not bad, eh?

You can purchase them from D.I.G.S.

I like the idea of solar lighting–anything that uses the sun’s energy for power is okay in my book… and you don’t have to lay any complicated underground wiring for solar lamps either–but there seem to be a lot of… let’s just say… tacky lights on the market this year. Case in point: the solar toadstool.

It’s on sale at Target (not surprising) for $40, and it reminds me a lot of the Smurf houses (though I don’t recall the Smurfs living in glow-in-the-dark domiciles). According to the product description, the lamp is actually supposed to lure toads inside, where they can hang out at night instead of damaging your vegetation. I don’t know… do you gardeners have big toad problems?

Despite its solar claim, the toadstool lamp does require a battery, so keep that in mind if you decide to buy one.

Target

I’m always drawn to candle holders (and have far too many of them cluttering up the mantle, bookshelves, and other knick-knack-collectors), so this prism lantern caught my eye. Place an ordinary votive inside, and the flame creates a rainbow of color to reflect into the room. How does it work? Here’s the blurb from the product description:

“Usually a prism is a glass crystal that separates light into all the colors of the spectrum (rainbow). For the first time, a holographic film is encapsulated inside the glass of a lantern. The hologram bends and reflects the candles light into multiple, 3-dimensional rainbows, endlessly flickering and changing color and shape.”

The candle lantern can be used indoors or outdoors, and it’s available for $30 at Amazon:

Prism Lantern

Here’s a candle holder for those who purchase tealights by the 100-pack, enjoy nature and nature-inspired household items, and like buying eco-friendly products that help out the environment. Yes, all that in one product!

Viva Terra’s Recycled Metal Tree of Tealights is a holder that “artfully illuminates a table setting while adding its own sculptural interest.” It features “graceful and sensuous metallic branches” that “fan out from a wood base to securely hold tea lights that cast a warm, inviting glow.” And it looks neat too.

You can buy the tealight tree online for $115 (and don’t forget to pick up some beeswax tealight candles while you’re at it):

Viva Terra