Matthew Mead Matthew Mead

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Summer living wouldn’t be the same without candlelight—those warm, languid evenings when sitting on the porch, deck or patio can be extended well beyond the arrival of evening in the glow of soft twinkling light.

When my wife and I were first married, we lived in a Cape Cod-style home out in the country. We had no porch or screen house, but we did have a great granite slab patio and a beautiful fern garden. In New England, however, there is rarely such a thing as outdoor summertime living without some type of screened enclosure. It seems that as soon as the air is warm enough for shirtsleeves, we are attacked by pesky biting black flies, mosquitoes and the tiny no-see-ums, too microscopic to be noticed but irritating enough to leave itchy and annoying bites especially around the neck and ears. In spite of this, during summers at our first little home, we longed to entertain friends and enjoy some time outdoors.

I have always loved entertaining friends by candlelight.

Let’s face it, the flickering warm light of a burning candle covers a world of decorating blemishes and bathes everything in its enchanting shadows. So, with they joys of candlelight in mind, we decided to throw an outdoor gathering just at twilight for a small circle of friends. We discovered that candles didn’t only enhance the atmosphere—they increased everyone’s comfort level.

Keeping bugs at bay and creating a warm and inviting environment involves some planning. We thought through our plan and found simple devices that really worked. Torches and lanterns dotted the perimeter of the yard, floating candles and flowers found homes in the birdbath, and a mix of citronella-infused candles—handmade by my wife in myriad styles and containers—kept bugs away in an ultra chic way.

Types of candles
Poured sand candles provide a beautiful accent to patio coffee and side tables. Recycled metal containers like old galvanized buckets can hold chunky, hard-working citronella candles. A mix of floating candles in a birdbath makes good use of an outdoor water-tight container, creating a focal point and fending off black flies. Pillars are great for the center of the table displayed on platters or single dessert bowls or dishes.

The best places for candles
Place citronella torches and lanterns eight to ten feet from where guests are sitting around the perimeter of your party and begin lighting them one to two hours before guests arrive. Place citronella candles in metal buckets down low to release a barrier of citronella protection from the ground up. If you’re serving food, set up a buffet inside the house, away from the candles and their residue. Follow safety guidelines for burning candles and fully extinguish them before leaving the outdoor area.

Make your own candles
Making candles is a fun and easy craft project that you can enjoy with a partner or friend. Save old coffee or soup cans for melting wax in a makeshift double boiler that will keep cleanup quick and simple. The candle aisle at the local crafts store will enchant you with kits, shapely molds and all the supplies you need. For great essential oils, check your health-food store or visit atlanticspice.com

Floating candles
These easy-to-make candles use mini-muffin pans as a mold—melt wax and add crayon colors of your choice. Spray mold with candle mold non-stick spray or olive oil. Then place metal-based wicks in each muffin tin and fill with wax. Let set several hours. Remove from mold and float in a decorative bowl, watertight tray or bird bath.

Recycling candles and containers
Don’t forget to recycle and reuse—old pillar candles can be melted and colored with crayons to create new pillars. We use recycled soda cans with their tops removed (use a can opener for this process). Spray mold with candle mold non-stick spray or olive oil, place a metal-based wick in the bottom and fill with melted wax infused with citronella. Remove from can and place in old muffin tin for a decorative display.

Sand candles
Make decorative edged candles using beach sand and ridged or shapely objects like a milk glass vase or a drinking glass with a hexagonal shape. Fill a large metal roasting pan with wet sand. Place glass or vase into sand to create your mold. Remove object and place metal-based wick at the bottom of the mold. Fill with wax and let set several hours. Remove candle from sand and use a paintbrush to remove excess sand. Place on a platter with shells, sand, sea glass and starfish.

Our evening outdoors proved to be enchanting and enjoyable and happily pest-free. We’ve repeated the gathering many times in our current home in a more urban area with the same success. We’ve also come to enjoy the many natural scents, such as rosemary, pine, lemongrass and geranium, that you can add to candles when you make your own. Now that we have a porch, we’ve discovered that this is an exceptional place to enjoy them, and we’ve begun to hold candle-lit events there.

Once your candles are made, it’s fun to find clever ways to display and arrange them. Candles can be used creatively in centerpieces. I begin by placing little saucers under each candle to keep wax from dripping and ruining table linens. I’m constantly on the lookout for dessert dishes, glass floor protectors, pinch bowls, anything that I can place under the candles that has a bit of style and will add to the beauty of the table.

Here’s one centerpiece idea that is simple but makes for an interesting and lovely piece. Group candles on a platter, tray, or metal liner and add a decorative base around them. Try items such as marbles, sea glass or shells. I have a copper tray that holds water, so I often place the candles in it, add a couple inches of water, and float flower blossoms like roses, peonies and pansy blossoms.


Matthew Mead is an author, stylist and producer whose work appears regularly in Country Home magazine and other lifestyle publications. Check out his style Web site, matthewmeadstyle.com.