The Cute Party Essential You Only Need to Buy Once and It’ll Last Forever

No matter who you are or how old you’re turning, a birthday is a celebration. This sort of celebration usually involves candles and cake (or, if you’re my grandpa, a tower of cream puffs). When you’re young, it’s common to see one candle per year of age stuck into your birthday cake — but as the years accumulate, individual candles often get swapped out for number-shaped candles to save space. 

There’s nothing wrong with this, but it does mean you may find yourself scrambling at the convenience store right before your friend’s party starts because that “3” candle you swore you had turned out to be half-melted. One surefire way to prevent such a situation is by getting “forever number candles.”

First off, I should clarify that these “forever number candles” aren’t technically candles at all, but metal number-shaped cake toppers designed to hold one candle per number. Once the candle part is lit and blown out, simply remove it from the holder, wipe off any stray wax drippings or cake bits, handwash the holders, and put away them away for another day. 

You can see these numbers in action in a video by creator Cat Arcodia, who uses a set of aluminum ones she purchased from Amazon. The set comes with 20 cake toppers: two of each number, from zero to nine. Each topper is 4 inches tall and 1.5 inches wide, although the part you stick into the cake is much thinner. She adorns them with slender, metallic, rose gold candles, which add an elegant touch to a white cake with strawberries.

Unfortunately the specific set Arcodia uses is currently out of stock, but there’s a similar one available on Amazon right now. This Mariposa Number Candleholder Set is handcrafted with 100% recycled aluminum; reviewers call it “beautiful and great quality” and note that “the silver finish adds a touch of elegance, making it perfect for any celebration.”

Just one set of reusable candleholders will have you prepared for any birthday or anniversary. Use them for a toddler’s third birthday, a grandparent’s 82nd birthday, your parent’s 30-year anniversary, or even to commemorate a local business that’s been around for 100 years. And even if you forget candles to go with them, you’ll still have a festive cake topper that can be used again and again.