Faux flames, wood wicks and soy wax are new kids on the candle block

Candles can crackle like a wood blaze, burn with eco-friendly soy wax or electrical energy and provide dollops of style for our homes.

This is in addition to adding that all-important warmth and light during hard-to-bear Midwest winters.

Candles have always been important for setting the mood in homes, but now they are available in an unprecedented range of colors, aromas, materials and shapes, said Joan Suzio of Interiors by Decorating Den in Libertyville.

The lowly tealight probably gives you the most bang for your buck, said Suzio. You can put tealights in any small glass containers, but be sure to mass several together.

She loves pillar candles because when the flame burns down it creates a soft glow through the wax. And outdoor lanterns 24 or 30 inches tall holding a collection of pillar candles are increasingly popular as greeters for evening entertaining.

Another idea comes from Lily Chelemengos of Tiger Lily Collection in Oak Brook. The designer recommends gathering bottles that look like small wine bottles and using them for candle holders. She wraps each with silver-colored wire mesh screening you can find at hardware stores or even a little clear kitchen plastic wrap. Crinkle the edges and add raffia or honeysuckle vine. You can also put whatever suits your theme inside the bottles from sand to flowers to shells.

Chelemengos reminds you to group the bottles of different heights in threes, or create collections of threes by combining them with vases of flowers.

Here are some candle varieties and holders that could attract your attention:

• If you miss the sound of a fireplace or campfire, try a candle with a wooden wick. It adds the cozy snaps of burning wood. WoodWicks from Virginia Candle Company come in soy wax versions, too.

• Proponents of candles made from soybeans say they burn cleaner than petroleum-based candles and are a renewable product. Of course, there are ways to grow soybeans and make candles that are not environmentally friendly.

• And candles made of real wax but with LED bulbs instead of flames glow charmingly without the danger of setting the tablecloth on fire. These are particularly welcome in homes with active children or pets.

• Even if you keep up with candle trends, you might have missed the fact that candles can be attractive, and candleholders creative and stunning. Check out Pottery Barn's Circles, for example, which needs only wall space and votives to make a dramatic statement.

While flames have fascinated people since earliest days, they bring a special message to our high-tech world, said Suzio.

"They are something natural, soothing and restful," she said. "Everything else is electric and computerized."