6 Cool Ways to Decorate With Battery-Operated Candles, From Now Until the New Year

Photo: New Africa via Shutterstock

As November rolls around and people bring out their holiday décor, many choose to display candles to cultivate a warm, inviting atmosphere throughout the holiday season. Candles can brighten a room, shift the mood, provide soothing scents, and offer a pop of color. However, some homeowners shy away from using open-flame candles because they come with a fire safety hazard.

Battery-operated candles provide a great alternative to traditional candles that are aesthetically pleasing, says Kanika Bakshi Khurana, principal interior designer and founder of Kanika Design in San Mateo, California. “In addition to providing a less hazardous option for displaying during holidays, battery-operated candles provide a practical solution for those who may be too busy with other activities,” explains Khurana. Also, they don’t leave soot or wax on surfaces like traditional candles do, and you save money from not having to continually purchase replacement candles once they burn down completely. “The added feature of being able to control how long each candle is lit through timers and remote controls provides additional convenience in using these types of candles,” she adds.

Here are several battery-operated candle ideas for decorating your home this winter season.

1. Create a layered candle display on the fireplace mantel.

Battery-operated candles can be used to safely illuminate items displayed on your fireplace mantel. Khurana recommends creating a layering of candles on the mantel by using multiple battery-operated candles of varying heights and combining them with assorted décor items, such as greenery, pine cones, or branches for an element of depth in the winter design. “When using flames that have a gentle flicker, you will find this candle arrangement to be more visually appealing, particularly when lit at night,” she says.

2. Add a cozy glow to bookshelves and built-in cabinets.

Bookshelves and built-in cabinets—and the items displayed on them like framed pictures and sculptures—are often stunning during the daylight hours but offer no visual interest when darkness falls. Khurana suggests placing small, battery-operated candles inside decorative glass vases or on open shelves with your books and ceramics. “The light will create a warm ambiance for the area and make the surrounding objects appear as if they are illuminated,” she explains. And with battery-operated candles, you won’t be stuck trying to get candle wax out of your vase or jar the next day.

Photo: New Africa via Shutterstock

3. Welcome guests with window and entryway candlelight.

Set up a safe, inviting environment for guests by displaying battery-operated candles instead of open-flame candles in windows and throughout your entryway. “An entryway can be one of the first areas in your home where you use battery-operated candles to set the tone for when people enter your house,” says Khurana. “It is easy to arrange two or three flameless candle pillars on a console table with some other objects, a small seasonal flower arrangement, and a decorative mirror, which will help reflect the light created by the candles and enhance the welcoming atmosphere.”

4. Style a winter dining table with flameless candles.

Flameless tapers and other types of candles are perfect for creating that warm, candlelight vibe at your holiday dinner table, while providing peace of mind for you and your family as they dine with you, says Khurana. “Place each taper into a vintage brass holder (mixing high and low) down the middle of your holiday dining table and add a simple arrangement of fresh greenery and/or seasonal fruits to create a stunning holiday centerpiece.”

Photo: New Africa via Shutterstock

5. Elevate the ambiance in a bedroom with flameless candlelight.

Using battery operated candles, you can create a warm and cozy atmosphere in your bedroom without setting an actual candle near your bedding or curtains, notes Khurana. She suggests placing two of these small candles together on a dresser or beside a photo frame on a nightstand and adding a vase between them. “This will help you slowly shift from being awake during the day to being relaxed at night,” she says.

6. Fill decorative lanterns with flameless candles.

Flameless candles also look fabulous inside lanterns, which come in a wide variety of sizes, materials, and colors. “A couple ways I have used this idea is to place a large lantern next to a fireplace or to group two lanterns of varying sizes together at the base of an entryway console,” says Khurana. “To create a more elegant look for your lanterns, you can choose from antique brass, black metal, or natural wood options, and instead of using bright and cool-toned light bulbs, use warm white candle lights.” For out-of-reach spots, you can even choose remote-controlled flameless candles for easy operation.