Pillar candles are all about options. The very first choice to make is scent, and although most people look for scent in a candle, there are also many varieties of unscented pillar candles available.

In fact, that's part of the charm of pillar candles - the huge freedom you have to choose what is just right for you.

As an aside, remember that although pillar candles and votives can sometimes look alike at first glance, there are differences between them.

Pillar candles are genuine freestanding candles, which really should be burned in a plate-type holder, whereas votives are container candles without the container, and must be used in a suitable holder as they liquefy completely when burning.

Pillar candles are available in so many shapes and sizes - tall, short, fat, thin, tapered, square, round, triangles, pyramids - the list is almost endless. You can choose between paraffin wax, beeswax or soy.

The pricing options are equally varied - wholesale pillar candles, discount pillar candles, even those simply described as cheap pillar candles. The way through this maze of options is to ask yourself some questions. Choose unscented pillar candles if food is involved · Unscented pillar candles or scented? Non-scented pillars are the only real choice if food is involved. · Do you want a completely clean-burning candle? Select beeswax pillars or soy wax pillar candles. · Where are you going to site them? Can the décor stand tall pillar candles, or would shorter ones be better? · Do you want the candles to blend in unobtrusively with the existing color scheme, or make a striking contrast? · Do you want to use pillar candles all the same color, or would a palette of complementary colors work better? · Are you going to use the candles singly, in small groups spaced well apart, or as a striking mass display? If it's numbers you're after, think discount or wholesale. · Do you need them as a centrepiece (very popular at weddings)? · Can you use varying heights to create more impact, or would you be better off with all candles the same size? · Would small and cute be better? In which case unusual shapes can work well - small ball candles, pyramids, and so on. · Should you mix and match? You could use a range of complementary colors with the same shapes, or the same color in the same shapes, or different shapes in complementary colors, or... You get the idea.

Obviously, only you can provide the answers. But once you start asking yourself the questions, even those who think they are uncreative often discover unsuspected depths within themselves.

And the wonderful thing about candles is that they are so forgiving. Their gentle light and warmth seems to appeal to some instinct deep within all of us, and you're most unlikely to make any mistakes. Look for solid color throughout pillar candles

Hand-poured candles, whether they are scented pillar candles or unscented pillar candles, are denser than those made by machine and so burn more cleanly; others are made only when ordered, in order to guarantee maximum "freshness". Some pillar candles have a solid color throughout, while others have a white core and a colored outer.

The ones with a white center tend to be stronger, as solid colors absorb more sunlight and heat, and could bend more easily, particularly if left in the sunlight.

One tip - remember that candles, particularly pillar candles, have a "memory".

The first time you light a pillar candle allow it to burn long enough to create a pool of wax that covers the diameter of the candle - in other words, the complete top surface of the candle.

If you don't, the next time you use it the candle will burn only as wide as the first pool created, and it won't burn as evenly as it should.

Eventually you'll end up with a candle with a tunnel through it that will become increasingly difficult to light (although the translucent effect can be attractive, if a little wasteful).