Recently, a friend brought me a pair of really wonderful Celtic-themed metal candleholders from Wales, where she had gone on holiday. On a trip to Los Angeles, however, I spotted candleholders that looked almost exactly the same at a fairly obscure candle supplies store, so evidently Celtic themes candleholders are obviously quite common in the country, though I dont have the heart to tell my friend so.

That brings me to the popularity and increasing variation of candleholders in the market today. Even a few years ago, a candleholder was something you used to stick a candle in, period. These days, candleholders are home decoration items in their own right, quite apart from whether you wish to burn candles in them.

Inevitably, my fondness for candles has now grown to encompass candleholders as well, and I catch myself browsing the Net to find unusual designs in candleholders that I might want for myself, or as a gift.

During my searches, I have discovered that the pillared style is still the most popular when it comes to candleholders, though there is nothing traditional about their designs any longer. Typically, most candleholders are made of metal, wood, or glass. For example, I ordered the most beautiful set of frosted glass pillared candleholders the other day, which I am quite sure I will not burn a candle in. However, they are just perfect for the mantelpiece and besides, frosted glass protects the wood as well.

When made of metal, candleholders bear extraordinary carvings, while wooden candleholders can be used as the perfect accessories to your wooden furniture. The best thing about candleholders today is that they can accommodate candles of almost any shape, because they almost always have a fairly wide base and can hold oddly shaped candles very well. Also, there are candleholders that can securely hold more than one candle at a time, so you get great value for money.

Speaking of money, candleholders are wonderful as budget gifts too, because they are relatively inexpensive, which means you can buy quite a few without overstraining your wallet. I remember gifting a wrought iron candleholder set to my niece a few months ago. You wouldnt believe how good it looks as a centerpiece in her new home, even though I say so myself!

These days, I find myself very taken with quirky candleholders shaped like flowers, dolphins, and even cows! I found a lovely set of pewter dolphins the other day, and have added them to my wish list. And I have my eye on a set of copper dandelions. Now lets see