Is A Candle Set A Good Gift?
Candles make for an extremely popular gift choice for many reasons. According to Spoken Flames, candle gift sets are considered “the perfect gift” because they offer a classic, multipurpose item that can be used for relaxation, home decor, and self-care. Candles are ubiquitous gifts that have a timeless appeal. Their warm glow and inviting scents create an ambiance that nearly everyone can appreciate. Beyond their aesthetic qualities, candles are beloved for their versatility and how they can transform a space. A candle gift set allows the recipient to enjoy an item that serves practical purposes while also providing sensory pleasure. With customizable scents, vessels, and packaging, candles make for a thoughtful yet affordable gift that caters to individual tastes and preferences.
Aesthetic Appeal
Candles can add a sophisticated and stylish decorative touch to any home or living space. Candle sets often come in aesthetically pleasing containers made of glass, ceramic, metal, or other materials that can complement a room’s existing decor (https://lepetitdep.ca/en/blogs/back-end/reasons-to-give-scented-candles-as-gifts). The candle holder itself becomes part of the gift, adding visual interest and flair. Many high-end candle brands like Diptyque, Boy Smells, and Jo Malone London are known for their creative and eye-catching vessel designs.
Giving a set of candles can provide the recipient with multiple containers to artfully display around their home after the candles have been used. The decorative candle jars can even be repurposed to hold small trinkets, office supplies, cotton balls, or other items. With their stylish holders, a set of candles offers both beauty and function.
Personalization
One of the best aspects of gifting a candle set is the ability to customize it with the recipient’s favorite scents (source). Many retailers offer a wide variety of scent options, from fruity and floral to woodsy and spiced. This allows the gift giver to create a candle set tailored specifically to the recipient’s personal preferences.
According to Lucky Penny Candles, their personalized candle sets allow you to “create a distinctive scent profile that’s aligned with the personality and passions of your gift recipient.” They emphasize that the ability to customize the fragrances makes it a meaningful, thoughtful gift.
In summary, the customizability of scent is a major advantage to gifting a candle set. It transforms a generic gift into a personal, memorable one that matches the recipient’s unique tastes and personality.
Usefulness
Candles have practical uses providing lighting and ambiance. They are especially useful during power outages when other sources of light are unavailable1. Candles also create a warm and cozy atmosphere, helping people to relax2. They can transform any space into a more inviting and calming environment. For these reasons, candles make thoughtful and useful gifts.
Relaxation
Scented candles can promote relaxation and self-care through their calming aromas (Spokenflames, 2022). Certain scents like lavender, chamomile, and eucalyptus are known for their stress-relieving properties. When inhaled, these soothing scents send signals to the brain that help lower heart rate and blood pressure. Lighting a scented candle as part of a nightly routine can cue the body it’s time to unwind. Breathing in familiar, pleasant fragrances also has an emotional impact – they can evoke happy memories or positive associations that further enhance feelings of calm.
Companies like Moodcast and 96North design candle collections intended to “indulge in serenity” (Moodcast, 2022). Their candles feature relaxation-boosting scents like cedarwood, neroli, and ylang ylang. With regular use, these scented candles can be powerful tools to counteract daily stressors. Setting aside time to light a candle, savor its aroma, and practice mindful breathing delivers momentary tranquility while also building lifelong relaxation habits.
Affordability
When it comes to affordability, candle sets offer options at nearly every price point. You can find simple sets with just a couple of basic candles for under $10. Or if you want something more elaborate with luxury scents and materials, there are high-end brands that offer beautifully packaged sets for over $100.
In between those extremes, there is a wide selection of mid-priced candle sets ranging from $20-60. This is the sweet spot where you can get a nicely presented arrangement of 4-6 quality candles for a reasonable price. The candles will often be in coordinating scents like vanilla, lavender, citrus, etc. Many brands like Yankee Candle, Bath & Body Works, and Nest New York have lots of choices in this mid-range category.
The affordability and variety of candle sets makes them accessible at many budgets. You can find options to suit the recipient and your own budget constraints. Even at the lower end, a thoughtfully chosen candle set makes a great gift.
Suitability
Candles make great gifts for a variety of occasions. They work well as birthday, holiday, housewarming, or hostess gifts. Candles can help celebrate events like baby showers, weddings, anniversaries, and graduations. The scent and ambiance of a candle makes it a thoughtful gift that shows you care.
According to Amazon, “This candle is suitable as a gift for your family on Thanksgiving, Christmas, new home, new houses, housewarming …” (source). The warm glow and welcoming fragrance of a candle conveys your best wishes whatever the occasion.
Candles are versatile enough to be suitable for nearly any gift-giving situation. Their broad appeal and ability to set a mood makes them a crowd-pleasing option.
Downsides
While candle sets can make nice gifts, some may view them as generic or impersonal. As this article points out, some feel that candles are a “basic” or uninspired gift option. There’s a sentiment that candles are gifted when the giver doesn’t know the recipient well enough to choose a more personalized or meaningful present. Additionally, if the recipient doesn’t enjoy scented candles or already has plenty, they may not get much use out of a candle set gift. Gifting candles requires knowing the recipient’s preferences. For those who want a gift that shows thoughtfulness, candles could miss the mark.
Safety
While candles can make thoughtful gifts, there are some safety concerns to consider. The most obvious is having an open flame around children or pets. According to the National Fire Protection Association, candles cause around 8,000 home fires per year in the U.S. Children should always be supervised around burning candles. Pets may also knock over unattended candles. It’s best not to gift candles to homes with young children or pets unless you know they will be used responsibly.
Proper precautions should be taken, like keeping candles away from flammable materials and not leaving them burning unattended. Make sure the recipient understands basic candle safety before gifting. With care, the risks can be minimized. Place candles in safe holders on stable, nonflammable surfaces. Trim wicks to 1⁄4 inch before lighting to avoid high flames. Extinguish candles when leaving a room or before sleep. With cautious use, candle gifts can be enjoyed safely.
Conclusion
In summary, candle gift sets can make for a thoughtful and enjoyable present if chosen carefully. Their aesthetic appeal, ability to be personalized, usefulness, relaxation properties, and affordability make them a popular gift choice. However, it’s important to consider the recipient’s preferences, safety issues like allergies and open flames, and potential downsides like limited reuse. With proper selection for the intended recipient, candle sets can delight gift givers and receivers alike.
