Find out how much wax and fragrance oil a batch of container candles needs. Enter the jar's fill volume or its inside dimensions, the number of candles and your fragrance load, and get the weights in grams and ounces with a wick size hint.
Last updated:
Container size from
Water it holds up to your fill line.
Batch & wax
g/ml
%
6–10% is typical; check your wax's maximum.
Enter your values to see the result.
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How to use the Candle Wax Calculator
Measure the container: fill it with water to where the wax will stop and note the volume, or enter the inside diameter and fill height.
Enter the number of candles in your batch.
Choose your wax or enter its density from the supplier.
Set the fragrance load and whether your recipe counts it against the wax or the total.
Weigh out the wax and fragrance shown, and use the wick hint as a starting point for a burn test.
Candle wax and fragrance formulas
Fill weight (g) = fill volume (ml) × wax density (g/ml); container soy and paraffin waxes are about 0.86 g/ml when melted, beeswax about 0.96
Fragrance as % of wax: wax = fill weight ÷ (1 + load), fragrance = wax × load
Fragrance as % of total: fragrance = fill weight × load, wax = fill weight − fragrance
Volume of a round container = π × (diameter ÷ 2)² × fill height; 1 cm³ = 1 ml and 1 US fl oz = 29.57 ml
Example: six 8 fl oz jars hold 6 × 236.6 ml = 1,419.5 ml. At 0.86 g/ml that is 1,220.8 g of blend. With an 8% fragrance load measured against the wax, the wax is 1,220.8 ÷ 1.08 = 1,130 g (39.9 oz) and the fragrance oil 90.4 g (3.2 oz).
Wax per container (soy, 8% fragrance of wax)
Fill volume
Blend weight
Wax
Fragrance oil
4 fl oz (118 ml)
102 g (3.6 oz)
94 g (3.3 oz)
7.5 g
6 fl oz (177 ml)
153 g (5.4 oz)
141 g (5.0 oz)
11.3 g
8 fl oz (237 ml)
203 g (7.2 oz)
188 g (6.6 oz)
15.1 g
10 fl oz (296 ml)
254 g (9.0 oz)
235 g (8.3 oz)
18.8 g
12 fl oz (355 ml)
305 g (10.8 oz)
283 g (10.0 oz)
22.6 g
16 fl oz (473 ml)
407 g (14.4 oz)
377 g (13.3 oz)
30.1 g
Wax densities vary a little by blend; your supplier's data sheet gives the exact value. Weigh ingredients rather than measuring by volume.
Frequently asked questions
How much wax do I need for an 8 oz candle jar?
A jar that holds 8 fl oz of water to the fill line holds about 8 × 29.57 × 0.86 ≈ 203 g (7.2 oz) of melted soy wax and fragrance. At an 8% fragrance load (of wax weight) that is about 188 g of wax and 15 g of fragrance oil.
How do I calculate wax from container volume?
Wax weight = fill volume × wax density. Wax is lighter than water, so multiply fluid ounces by about 0.86 to get ounces of soy or paraffin container wax, or multiply millilitres by 0.86 to get grams.
How do I calculate fragrance load?
Most candle makers measure fragrance as a percentage of the wax weight: fragrance = wax weight × load. 1 lb (16 oz) of wax at 8% takes 1.28 oz of fragrance oil. Some recipes use a percentage of the total blend instead; the calculator supports both and keeps the total within the jar.
What fragrance load should I use?
Around 6–10% is typical for container candles, and many waxes are rated to hold up to 10–12%. More fragrance does not always mean a stronger scent throw, and going above your wax's maximum can cause oil to seep out.
What size wick do I need?
Wick size depends mainly on the container diameter, as well as the wax, fragrance and dye. The calculator suggests a size range by diameter; containers wider than about 4 in usually need two or more wicks. Always test-burn a candle before making a large batch.
How do I measure my container's volume?
Fill it with water to the level where your wax will stop (usually about half an inch below the rim), then pour the water into a measuring jug or weigh it: 1 g of water is 1 ml.
Does this work for pillar or wax melt molds?
Yes. Enter the mold's volume or inside dimensions. Choose a pillar wax density if your supplier lists one, since pillar blends are slightly denser than soft container waxes.
Are all the tools on FreeToolCabin tested for quality and accuracy?
Yes! Every tool on our site undergoes automated Q/A testing in real browser environments to ensure high precision, correct output, and zero errors. If you happen to spot a bug or have a suggestion, please contact us at [email protected] and our team will review it right away.