I consider novelty candles candles that are unique, elaborate, decorative, whimsical. But I typically wouldn’t burn them, simply because they’re so pretty.
I remember going to a fair in Minnesota. I found a booth selling candles shaped like little wizards, elfs and dwarfs. They were so cute. I bought one little figure that was sitting down and I gave him to my mom to sit on her bookshelf. But I wouldn’t have dreamed of lighting it!
Although I don’t carve candles, I admire the handiwork of those who do. I can come close to their craft by using one of the many hundreds of uniquely designed molds. There are candle molds shaped like just about anything that walks, crawls, flies, grows or is man-made.
These lovely candles can be shaped like every flower and plant, animals, celestial bodies, ordinary household items, creatures of the sea, birds of the air. You name it and there’s probably a candle in that shape. I’ve even seen candles shaped like various parts of the human anatomy, from feet to ears to skulls.
I like to make novelty candles to match the seasons and holidays. Tree, star and angel shapes for Christmas, hearts for Valentine’s Day, flowers for spring, snowflakes for winter. I’ve had requests for candles shaped like a lighthouse and a saddle.
The list of shapes goes on and on. But my point is that you might want to buy these candles because they’re lovely to look at. But if you burn them, they turn into little blobs of wax, which defeats the purpose of having such a beautiful work of art!