Hello everyone,
In setting up our electric window candles today, as I do every Christmas season, I am once again very frustrated by their light weight and reluctance to sit still! Not only is it annoying when trying to keep them in place, but I am very concerned about the fire hazard should they fall down. Does anyone have any inexpensive ideas for keeping them weighted down and in place?
Thank you!
Thanks for all of the great suggestions, ladies. I should have mentioned that I was trying to avoid tape because I didn't want to damage the painted sills, and I also have a very old home, so some windows don't open (thus no ties or ribbons). I liked the museum putty idea, but couldn't find any quickly, and I also read on-line that it's very sensitive to humidity/temperature (old house again) - so I went with the blue poster tack. This may be sensitive to the environment as well, but so far, so good! Again - thanks for all of your creative ideas.
Hi A.
Use two sided tape on the base, velcro or set them with clear push pins....hope that's helpful to you!
Merry Christmas!
I use clear packing tape and put a loop underneath the candles to keep them in place. If they're being stubborn, I tape them from above. BUT I just bought battery powered LED candles at KMart online. They were marked way down and I got free shipping.
We just use those twist ties (for garbage bags or bread packages). Tie them around base of candle, open window and put ends of the twist ties under the window. Then lock the window shut. No cost and has been effective for us.
I also found this frustrating. I secure them to the widowsill with painters tape. If your windowsills are not painted regular shipping tape will keep them from moving out of place. I wouldn't feel that it would be as safe by weighting them down as they can still be knocked out by just brushing against the cord.
N.
Stationery stores (Staples, Office Max) and art supply stores (Mchael's, AC Moore) sell stuff called Sticky Tack or similar products (one has "putty" in the name) for putting posters on the wall without leaving a mark, or for anchoring the bottom corners of pictures so they don't tilt on the wall. Stick a ball of it under the candle and press it to the sill.
3M makes a series of removable hooks with Command adhesive - you can buy just the Command strips (they sell them as refills) and skip the hooks. It's sticky on 2 sides - press one to the candle, then peel and press the other side to the sill - the strip will have a tiny "tail" you leave sticking out - after the holidays, hold the candle with one hand and pull the tail gradually but steadily, and it will disconnect from the sill with no mark.
The ribbon idea will work if you have windows that open (and it will look pretty), but the above will work on other windows that don't open.
I use masking tape. Keeps them in place and won't ruin the window.
We have these great things, the are clear plastic "anchors". On end slips around the candle and the other tucks under the window which when you close the window keeps them secure. They work great, and come in a pack of 20 for a few dollars. I think you can find them at Walmart, Target, Home Depot...any places that sell the lights. The are also some suction cup holders that secure to the glass and the candle again slips into a C-shaped clip that holds them in place, these are good for non-opening windows.
I finally splurged on LED battery ones for the same reason. For a few years, I used electrical tape, folded it over and stuck it on the bottom of the base and then taped it to the sill. My paint did not peel and it saved me the frustration of them falling over each evening when I turned them on.
They also sell straps that loop over the stick and go under the window. Those worked for a season and then ripped.
package tape, run it under the window.
tape or that poster goo you can get, Nat
My in-laws are required by the Historical Society in their town to have candle lights in their windows, and my FIL simply tapes them to the window sill.
We tie a ribbon to the base leaving a long tail, and then put the tail of the ribbon under the window, and lock the window. The ribbon tightens, and holds the candle up. We had to do it this way because in most of the windows of our house we have very narrow sills, so tape was not an option.
Museum Putty! You can get it at the Container Store.
(You're gonna love this stuff!)
Happy Holidays!
Hi A., I, too, was quite nervous about this and finally chose the following solution: I place a heavy book on the cord between the candle itself and the edge of the sill - then I drape a pretty holiday napkin over the book (cloth napkins stay on better than paper, but you can use paper and put a small piece of scotch tape under it to stick it to the book). Then it looks decorative while holding the candle in place. Hope this helps. E. Taft
If you have a flat surface under the bottom of your lights, you may want to try either small pieces of velcro on each end or if you can find tape that is sticky on both sides. Make sure your surfaces are cleaned first.
I use a small piece of double sticky tape on hte bottom. get it at walmart for $2 in the paint dept.
there are these little platic rings that attach around the base and you open the window and close it on the other end of the plastic (sort of like the ties that come in the box with the trash bags).... it keeps the candles in place and not moving at all. has worked great that past 3 years for us.,
I use duct tape on the ones that don't stay in place. I have broken 4 bulbs this year already.
