Votive candles are a classic favorite for candle lovers. Originally, and still used as, a special candle that is lit to symbolize a religious ceremony, remembrance or prayer in honor of someone. Today, votive candles are the building blocks of the candle store. You can light a candle at home in honor of YOU sometimes. Why "burn that candle at both ends" all of the time, anyway? (Had to use it.) Treat yourself to a nice candle now and then. 

The first thing to decide is if you want just candlelight or candlelight with fragrance. We suggest that dinner at home or at a restaurant feels just a bit more special with a little candlelight - don't you agree? Unscented candles are a good choice. 

If you are looking for candles and fragrance, scented votives are a great way to add the romantic touch of candlelight along with your favorite fragrance. Honestly, describing fragrance is like trying to describe color - it's so personal, it's just ridiculous. You know immediately when something has a great aroma, like flowers or spices, or like something baking in the oven. Sometimes fragrance can remind us of a special event or even a place. A facial powder compact always reminds me of my Grandma. Recreating that feeling is that unique characteristic of fragrance. There are fragrance designers just like there are clothing designers. Maybe not something you have given much thought to - but that hint of fragrance in your favorite soap or shampoo - somebody had to create it - right? 

Most fragrance manufacturing companies design fragrances for foods, perfumes and lotions and, of course, candles. Yes, there are different types of fragrances depending on the application, different levels of quality depending on the manufacturer. Ever hear that phrase "cheap perfume"? Don't go there.

When you really think about it, you are treating yourself well when you choose a fragrance that is "you" and a well made candle for yourself and your family. Sometimes scented candles are even used in business offices to help customers feel calm and welcome. Candlelight may just be good for you in a general sort of way, when you dim a few electric lights and light a candle or two, the soft light has a calming effect. What do we see in movies when the guy wants to set a romantic mood? He lights candles!

Here are some tips to get the maximum experience from your votive candles.  

1) Make sure you always burn your candles in a votive cup because votives are designed to liquefy as they burn and the cup collects all of that liquid wax to give you the full burn time. You want to make sure they won’t drip on any furniture or household belongings. 

2) Before you light your candle, make sure you remove the label from the bottom and the little metal tab from the previous candle at the bottom of the votive cup. 

3) If you still have a little wax left in the bottom of the cup: try freezing it for 15 minutes and you will be able to chip the remaining wax out easily - OR - put the votive cup in a warm water bath and pretty soon that wax will soften so you can wipe it out. 

4) This is THE most important tip: NEVER LEAVE A LIT CANDLE UNATTENDED. Even with a votive candle contained in a votive cup, don't light it and leave it. Pay attention to your lit candles!

5) Remember when you choose your votive candles, choose handcrafted quality. Armadilla Wax Works has many awesome scents, colors, and they burn for 15 hours at a time. Many fragrances are "designer" blends made exclusively for us. Nobody else has Desert Rain or Midnight Bloom!

So pick your favorite, follow these tips and enjoy!

Candle Factory Store is Open!

Country Sunflower Wedding Theme

One of this year's hottest wedding trends for 2013 is the shabby chic style country wedding. Very popular for the summer and fall seasons, these casual yet classy country weddings often feature yellow sunflowers or perky daisies in a multitude of colors.

The country wedding is often held on a rural country farm or in a weathered wooden barn and use the natural surroundings of that location as a beautiful backdrop with rolling green meadows with charming fences and wildflowers.

Set the tone for your rustic nuptials with a custom Country Wedding Save the Date Announcement or Country Wedding Invitation so that your guests know what to expect upon their arrival. Create a coordinated marriage set when you add matching custom postage stamps and envelope seal stickers. A Wedding Collection by Lora Severson Photography at Zazzle.com offers a wide array of Country Wedding Invitations featuring barn wood, cowboy boots, hay bales, horseshoes, wagon wheels, sunflowers, daisies and more to suit your decor. 

This fun theme can then be followed with sunflowers or daisies to decorate the barn, hay bales and red checkered table cloths. Add some ambiance to the venue with some coordinating candles from Armadilla Wax Works Candle Factory Store.  Candlemakers since 1971, Armadilla Wax Works has some of the most beautiful and unique candles I have ever seen. Add some floating candles to your reception tables to create a warm glow and to complement your wedding flowers.  

Choose from floating floral candles shaped like sunflowers, daisies, roses, pansies, daffodils or dahlias - you certainly will find a candle to match your bridal bouquet or reception centerpieces!

We're Crazy About Daisies!

Crazy Daisy promotion

Buy 12 Medium Daisies receive 1 Medium FREE!

Buy 12 Mini Daisies receive 2 Minis FREE!

     Show this blog post at checkout at our Prescott or Flagstaff stores, or order online and type CRAZY DAISY in the comments at checkout.

     Daisies are beautiful and cheerful floating individually in a candle vase, or put a variety of Medium and Mini Daisies in a bowl for a quick and easy centerpiece or table decor.  Also a great idea for gifts, and for spring or summer party or wedding centerpieces!

     Email us your Daisy decor or centerpiece idea and we may post it on our page!

Bargain Basement Candles for Your Wedding?

     Many brides and inexperienced event planners look at candles as a final detail, something they will pick up at the last minute from the closest craft store.  A candle is a candle, right?  Well, not really.  What they don't take into consideration are the burn time of the candle and the overall quality which includes not only the aesthetic value when the candle is unlit, but also how well it burns.  

     A bargain candle may seem like a bargain when it's sitting unlit in the box, but during your wedding or party if that candle sputters or smokes, or simply goes out...not such a bargain, and it's amazing how much a small detail like that can put a damper on the bride or groom's mood.  Months of buildup, the big day is here, and of course you want everything to be perfect.  If a few tables worth of your candles create a problem, it's a big deal.  

Months of buildup, the big day is here, and of course you want everything to be perfect

     In addition, many craft store or bargain floating candles are over-dipped.  What this means is that they are white all the way through and then dipped into the colored wax so they appear colored.  When that candle is lit at first it looks fine, but very quickly the colored wax begins to melt away, leaving a colored shell with a white candle.  This is fine if, for example, your wedding is pink and white; but what if it's pink and navy? 
     
     Let's say your wedding or party is going well, everyone is having a great time, the music is good and you decide to keep it going another hour (wedding planners tell us this happens more often than we would think).  The band or DJ agrees to stay, the venue approves the extra time, and all is well until - one by one - your candles begin to go out.  And now you have a choice: Let your guests sit in the dark, turn on bright overhead lighting and kill the mood, or buy more candles from the venue if they are available.  Many brides come to us, or request that their event planner use Armadilla Wax Works candles, because they were at an event where the candles failed and they don't want that to be an issue at their reception.  

Many brides come to us because they were at an event where the candles failed and they don't want that to be an issue at their reception. 

• We know your day is special.  
• We believe you have the right to expect that your tables are perfectly lit with romantic candlelight framed by the colors you choose.  
• We understand that you want to have the candles lit before the party begins, and not have to think about them until they're blown out at the end of the event.  
• We have tested and re-tested our candles to be certain the quality is always outstanding and they burn perfectly for the length of your party.  
• Our candles are a solid pour of one color, never over-dipped, because we think if a bride wanted pink and white candles, she would order pink and white candles.  

     Quality matters.  Choose wisely.

Are you ready for Spring?

Are you ready for Spring? We certainly are! And we have poured a parade of beautiful Spring Flowers to help you get ready too. Dazzling Dahlias, Perky Pansies, Sassy Sunflowers...you get the picture! 

Armadilla Wax Works Spring Flowers

Don't stop at one, pick a bouquet of our Spring Flowers and decorate as Mother Nature does...a pink flower here, a yellow flower there...create a garden of pretty candles in your home.  Light a candle, click your heels three times, and Spring will arrive!

How to Use Candlelight at Home

How often do you use candlelight, and how do you use it?  Are your candles gathering dust on a shelf or sitting in a lonely closet?  

Candlelight is a fabulous mood enhancer and can make any dinner or evening at home special.  Restaurants, and of course event planners, use candlelight to create a specific mood - romantic, uplifting, fun, playful....  Going out to dinner at a candlelit restaurant is wonderful, but we can't go out every night, so why not follow the professionals' lead and use candles to create a special atmosphere at home?


We featured photos from Thee Wedding Warehouse as well as from Scott's Restaurant and Bar so you can get an idea of how elaborate or how simple creating a specific mood with candlelight can be.  Also you'll notice a variety of ideas from our staff using a bowl, glass or other holder and a floating candle.  A votive in a votive glass is another simple, yet beautiful, option for adding sparkle to your table.  Looking for a glow without the sparkle?  Try a Wax Luminary or freestanding Pillar candles. 

Our floating candles burn from five to seven hours, meaning that a single candle can be used for several dinners.  Our votive candles burn for an incredible 15 hours!  And you can use any type of glass - a wine glass, martini glass, mason jar, juice glass, a bowl, you name it!  Candles are an affordable way to create ambiance and the design potential is unlimited!  See  our Pinterest Boards for more inspiration! 
 
Be sure to attend our DIY Spring Centerpiece Demonstration at our Prescott Store on Saturday, March 16, 2013 at 1:00pm where Hope Randal of Pure Elegance Event Design will show you step-by-step how to create a beautiful Spring centerpiece!