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14 Thrilling, Unusual Halloween Candle Ideas You Need to See

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festive halloween candle ideas

Want a spooky glow around your house for Halloween? Transform your space this season with these creative & eerie Halloween candle ideas!

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Halloween Candle Ideas

The soft glow of candlelight makes for the perfect way to decorate around the house for Halloween. You can make candles look creepy & spooky, with dripping wax and gory props.

halloween taper candles, votives on sideboard with pumpkins, cobwebs

Or, candles can take on a chic, classy or cute vibe with your Halloween decorations. Adorable Halloween candle holders or sleek, elegant Halloween candles are all great to use for less scary looks.

What are some ways to incorporate candles into your Halloween decor? Keep scrolling for some popular Halloween candle ideas!

Halloween Candle Displays & Arrangements

halloween candle display with taper candles, skull, flowers
via Flickr

One great way to use decorate for Halloween using candles is to use them with other decorations in a big display. If you have a sideboard or console table in your space, this can be the perfect area for a Halloween candle display.

In the photo above, orange taper candles are set in black candelabras. A decorative skull, leaves, fall florals and other props are used to create an elegant Halloween look.

The taper candles work great here as they give the Halloween sideboard display some height.

Classy Halloween Candles

Halloween Candle Centerpieces

halloween centerpiece with candles, pumpkins

Do you have a coffee table in your living room? If so, you’ll probably want to decorate it for Halloween. Coffee table decorations often involve candles as they can add a pretty glow and warmth to the space.

In the photo above, a tray is used to group lighted jack-o-lanterns, vases and pillar candles on top of candle holders on a coffee table. Trays are great to use on coffee tables as they help create a focal point for the space while grouping smaller decor items together.

halloween pillows, couch, candle centerpiece, bats

You can also do a tray containing just candles to create a fun Halloween “candle garden”. Wax pillar candles are great to use as they get the nice wax drip effect that is popular for Halloween candle ideas.

If you don’t want to use real wax candles for safety reasons, consider using LED candles instead for your Halloween coffee table centerpiece.

DIY Pool Noodle Halloween Candles

pool noodle halloween LED candles, raven, skeleton, mirror, black pumpkin

One Halloween craft that has become popular in recent years is to create candles using pool noodles. The basic idea is to cut the pool noodle into various lengths so the candles will be different heights. An LED tea light is mounted to one end of pool noodle piece.

Finally, the pool noodle is painted and coated to look like a dripping wax candle. Grouping these DIY pool noodle candles together on a sideboard, mantle, fireplace hearth or on some shelving makes for a fun way to decorate for Halloween. Be sure to add some cobwebs over your candles, too.

halloween pool noodle candles with shelves, pumpkins, cobwebs, ravens

HGTV has a great step by step tutorial on how to do this on their website. For how to style DIY pool noodle candles, check out more ideas on Pinterest.

Finally, for those looking for done for you options, check out these cool Halloween candle clusters on Grandin Road.

Empty Jar Halloween Candle Ideas

empty jars decorated for halloween candles

Another fun DIY craft to try is turning empty jars into Halloween candle holders. You can do this with any empty jar you might have on hand. Or consider using mason jars for a more rustic look.

Paint, markers, decals, etc. can be used to decorate the outside of the jar for Halloween. If you want to get a good glow from your candle jar, make sure to decorate it in a way to still allow some light to shine through.

If you’re worried about the decorations being too hot for the flame, use LED votive or tea lights inside of the jar instead of real wax candles.

Mason Jar Candle Holders

Halloween Candles for Tablescapes

halloween flameless candles on tablescape

Do you have a dining room table that you like to decorate for the holidays and seasons? If so, consider creating a nice Halloween tablescape with candles. This is the perfect way to get a “haunted dinner” kind of vibe or to wow your guests at a Halloween dinner party.

In the photo above, Luminara Halloween flameless candles are used with a black table runner, black candle holders and other spooky decorations to create an elegant Halloween tablescape.

Luminara Halloween Flameless Candles

Fireplace Candles for Halloween

melted candles for halloween by fireplace

A great spot in your home for Halloween candle decor is a fireplace area. Candles work well in this space year round, but during Halloween, they can really create a moody ambiance.

If you have a non working fireplace, consider using candles inside of it as a way to decorate. Another idea is to create a candle display on the side of the hearth. In the photo above, decorative storage crates and baskets are used to hold a grouping of Halloween candles. Fake cobwebs, leaves and pumpkins add to the spooky scene.

Halloween Candles For Mantels

halloween candles, spiderwebs on mantel

Another good spot for Halloween candles is on top of a fireplace mantel. Taper candles especially can give some height to you mantel decor. You can create a big candle display on your mantel, or tuck candles in between other spooky, decorative objects.

Just be sure to watch out for flames getting too close to certain decorations. When in doubt, stick with flameless candles as a safer alternative to real wax Halloween candles.

Halloween Candles on Shelves

shelves with jack o lanterns, halloween candles, skeletons

Do you have shelves in your home where you like to display decor? Or maybe you have some extra shelves in a curio cabinet or dining room hutch? If so, consider decorating your shelves for Halloween using candles.

The soft glow of the candle light helps to light up the shelves and decorative objects. If your shelves aren’t very high, then it might be risky to use real wax candles on them. Use your best judgement on the risk of a fire and consider using Halloween flameless candles instead.

Hanging, Floating & Flying Halloween Candle Ideas

Another fun Halloween candle idea is to having candles floating, flying and hanging throughout your space. Fans of Harry Potter will recall candles in Great Hall floating throughout the air.

You can get the same look in your home by using flameless taper candles and clear fishing wire. This is a fun way to decorate a covered front porch for Halloween as well.

Flameless Taper Candles

Halloween Candle Holder Ideas

silver jack o lantern candle holder
via Flickr

One of my favorite Halloween candle ideas is to use fun candle holders. I always keep a lookout for cute candle holders in stores like Home Goods, Grandin Road or Anthropologie Home.

No only do they serve to hold various size candles, but they also count as a decorative object within a Halloween display, arrangement or centerpiece. I also like to mix and match Halloween candle decor that I’ve collected for a new display each year.

Halloween Candle Holders

Halloween Candles With Hands

halloween tea light candles, holders, fairy lights

One take on Halloween candle holders is to use “hand” style versions. These candle holders often look like bones that hold up a candle for a creepy display.

You can also find Halloween candles in the shape of hands that will melt the fingers down as they burn. Such a different, fun take on Halloween candle decorations!

Halloween Candle Stands

halloween pillar candles on holders with bat, spider

I’ve talk a lot about using candles as a way to add height to your Halloween decorations. This can easily be achieved using tall candle stands. You can find candle stands specifically designed for Halloween, or consider making your own using candle stands you already have.

In the photo above, a small spider decal was added to the white pillar candle stand. The fake bat decoration leaning against the pillar candle adds a festive touch to the look. I also like using faux cobwebs wrapped along candle stands for a creepy vibe.

Halloween Taper Candles

taper candles on table with halloween decorations, jack o lanterns

Taper candles are popular to use for Halloween decor because they drip wax as they burn. For some reason, dripped wax looks really creepy and elegant at the same time, creating a nice ambiance for Halloween (instead of just a mess!).

You might think of just using orange, black and white taper candles for Halloween, but to be honest, there are some really cool Halloween taper candles on the market these days.

From hand painted Halloween taper candles to taper candles that drip “blood” (red wax) as they burn, it can be worth it to shop around a bit if you’re going to use tapers for Halloween candle decorations.

Halloween Taper Candles

Halloween Glass Jar Candles

halloween jar candles with small pumpkins

Finally, for those that just want a quick, easy way to decorate for Halloween and smell festive scents, consider using basic Halloween jar candles.

You can find fun Halloween jar candles at most home decor stores and certainly online. What I like about jar candles is that they can be cleaned out a used again by pouring new wax or with LED tea lights. So if you find a Halloween jar candle you like, hold onto it once it’s done burning.

Halloween Jar Candles
halloween harry potter jar candle

From Harry Potter jar candles to “witches brew” apothecary jars and everything in between, you can’t go wrong with displaying Halloween jar candles around your home as a way of decorating for Halloween with candles.

What are some Halloween candle ideas you’re thinking of trying this year? Are you going to buy Halloween candles or create your own? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below!

More Halloween Decorating Ideas

For more Halloween decorating inspiration, tips and styles, check out these posts:

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