Everything You Need To Know About Pillar Candle Holders

So you just brought home your gorgeous pillar candles. And you have a few perfect potential spots to place them. 

So you try them here. 

And then you try them there. 

Then you try one here and then two there. 

Nope that’s not right. 

You take back the two from there and the one from here and you put them everywhere.

But that’s definitely not it either. 

So you grab the three candles that you spread out everywhere and you place them all together Right. Back. Here. Exactly where you first started out. 

And yup. That’s it. Perfection. A beautiful trio of various sized pillar candles.

You step back and admire their beauty. How they add grace and elegance to your space.

But now a question pops into your brain. 

One that has taken over and won’t let go.

A question that you didn’t even think about when you made your purchase.

The answer is simple.

It depends.

That’s right. It depends upon where you want to place your candles and if they’re being used for decorative purposes only. Once you take those questions into consideration, then the answer is simple. 

Pillar candles are a type of candle that is characterized by their thick base. Unlike their thin cousin the taper candle (no candle shaming allowed here), pillar candles have a sturdy base that allows them to stand upright on their own on any flat surface without the need for a holder. They come in various sizes, shapes, and colors, but they all have one thing in common…they don’t need to have a holder.

Now just because they don’t need a holder, doesn’t mean that you’re not going to want to use a holder.

Which goes back to the question, “where are you going to place your pillar candles and for what purpose will you be using them?” 

Let’s just get the safety factors out of the way first.

A holder can catch any dripping wax from your pillar, which will reduce damage to the surface it's sitting on and prevent any potential fire hazards. Plus it will help keep your furniture or any other surface from heat and wax spills.

But can you use pillar candles without holders? Sure. But who wants to add another serving of worry to their plate? And let’s be honest, if you’re anything like me, do you really need another thing to clean? I have a hard enough time putting away the clean laundry that’s on my bed. 

Okay, great. So we’re on the same page. Pillar candle holders it is!

Which brings me to…

Now as you’ve probably gathered, I love pillar candles. After all, I am writing an article on them. And I have used so many different kinds of candle holders to place my pillars on. Even if I choose not to burn my pillar candles, I still love placing them on a holder. But exactly which kind of holder depends upon the size. 

I have large round holders that serve as a base where I can place several pillars at once. I have also placed a collection of various sized pillars on their own individual pillar holders made from several different materials including stone, wood, marble, metal, and glass. It really depends upon what color the candles are and how I’ll be showcasing them.

Here is a list of a few of my favorite places to buy pillar candle holders:

1. Etsy- There are so many great options on this site. I have found beautiful brass vintage holders on here that give a gorgeous look to black or white pillar candles. I also love these handmade ceramic pillar holders for a more organic and casual look.
2. Candlestock- They have lots of great options on this site. Like this Gold Leaf Claw Foot Round Candle Tray, perfect for placing a trio of various sized pillar candles on. 
3. Jamali Garden- When I have an outdoor dinner party, I love placing pillar candles in protective glass just in case it gets windy and these square holders are perfect. Plus they have a mirror base which reflects the light from the candles beautifully. 
4. Target- These hurricanes are another great find and only $15!
5. Cost Plus World Market- For a contemporary look, try these metal pillar holders. I also love these marble and gold pedestal stands for an upscale look. And these metal pillar plates are simple and super cost effective. 
6. West Elm- I love these gold pillar holders. Simple and chic.
7. Pottery Barn- These are beautiful, tall and elegant. 
8. Home Depot- These come in a set of three and give me all kinds of 70’s vibes. 
9. These fancy colorful plates from Williams Sonoma are a whimsical way to showcase a set of pillar candles. The base is six inches and you get four plates. Just enough to create a pretty trio of varying sized pillars and one plate left over to eat that delicious chocolate croissant while you watch your candles flicker before you. 
10. And my absolute favorite place to get pillar candle holders is from Thrift Stores and Antique Shops. I love finding unique pieces that no one else will have and I absolutely love anything vintage. I’m a history nerd, what can I say?

Black pillar candle holders make a bold and elegant statement, especially if the pillar candles are showstoppers. At SpiritHoods, we recently added animal pillar candles to our collection. They are beautiful and look like statues, adding a bit of art and personality to your space. Check out my blogs, “Animal Pillar Candles: Everything You Need To Know”, "What is a Pillar Candle," and  “Where to buy Pillar Candles,”  where I break down all the facts about our line of 100% organic, toxic free, and hand- crafted pillar candles.

I have the Jaguar candle on my desk and found this awesome black candle holder from Michael’s Craft Store which pairs beautifully. The base is 6” so all of our animal candles fit perfectly on them. The height adds a bit of drama and really showcases them as art, not just candles.

This one from Walmart is 4” so it will fit the:

• bunny pillar candle 
• the cobra pillar candle
• the raven pillar candle
• the snowy owl pillar candle  

And this one from CB2 is under two dollars and works with most of our pillar candles. Sure, it’s a cute bento plate, but it does the job! And the square shape looks nice with round edged pillar candles.

• As mentioned above, avoid drafts. Drafts can disturb the flame, causing uneven burning and dripping. 
• Trim the wick. Make sure to trim the wick at ¼ before lighting. A longer wick can cause the candle to burn inefficiently which leads to drips. Get yourself a wick trimmer and snuffer set cuz you is fancy now. This one from Urban Apothecary is great and will do the job. (And if you have an extra 1200 dollars, this one from 1808 is gorgeous! If you buy it, please take a picture of yourself trimming your pillar candle wick and tag us, I want to see it IRL.)
• Make sure you burn your candle long enough. You want to allow it to burn so that the candle creates a wax pool that extends across the diameter of the candle, but be careful to not let the pool get too deep. The ratio is usually an inch in diameter, for every hour that you burn the candle. This will create a nice even pool melt which prevents tunneling and reduces dripping.
• Always place your candle on a level, stable surface. An uneven surface can cause the wax to pool on one side of the candle, increasing the risk of dripping.
• And last but DEFINITELY not least, make sure you are using a high quality candle. There are so many cheap candles that not only will burn quickly and unevenly, but are full of all sorts of toxic ingredients. At SpiritHoods, our animal pillar candles are hand made in Canada from 100%  soy wax and sustainably sourced ingredients, including food grade paraffin and lead-free cotton wicks for a slow clean burn. Plus they are 100% vegan and cruelty-free. And as always, we give back 10% of net profits to saving endangered animals and their habitats. So you can feel really good about shopping with us.

And if you choose the rabbit, owl, wolf, or cobra pillar candle, check out my blogs about animal guides. 

We want to see where you placed your candles. Tag us on all your socials @Spirithoods