How much candle wax do I need?
Fill a container with water to where the wax will reach and type how much it holds. Add the number of candles and the fragrance load, and the calculator gives the wax to melt and the fragrance oil to add, in total and per candle.
- Wax to melt
- 6.63 oz
For 1 × 8 fl oz: melt 6.63 oz of wax and add 0.53 oz of fragrance oil.
- Fragrance oil
- 0.53 oz
- Total fill
- 7.16 oz
- Wax per candle
- 6.63 oz
- Fragrance per candle
- 0.53 oz
- Water weight per container
- 8.33 oz
Wax to melt: 6.63 oz. For 1 × 8 fl oz: melt 6.63 oz of wax and add 0.53 oz of fragrance oil.
How to calculate
A candle wax calculator: how much wax and fragrance oil to melt for your containers, from the water each one holds, the wax-to-water ratio and the fragrance load.
Example with the default inputs (Container holds 8 fl oz, Number of candles 1, Fragrance load 8%, Wax-to-water weight 0.86): For 1 × 8 fl oz: melt 6.63 oz of wax and add 0.53 oz of fragrance oil.
Method: Fill = water the container holds × 0.998 kg/L × wax-to-water weight; wax = fill ÷ (1 + load); fragrance = wax × load; × the number of candles.
- Wax and fragrance oil weigh about 0.86 of the same volume of water; the ratio can be changed for your wax.
- The fragrance load is a percent of the wax weight, as most wax makers state it.
- Water weighs 0.998 kg per liter at 20 °C; the container is measured to the fill line.
Worked examples
Each example is checked against the calculator on every build.
- Container holds 8 fl oz, Number of candles 1, Fragrance load 8%, Wax-to-water weight 0.86 gives Water weight per container 8.33 oz, Total fill 7.16 oz, Wax to melt 6.63 oz.Source: Tinware Direct, How To Calculate Wax For Candle Containers (the wax and fragrance weigh about 86% of the water the container holds; fragrance load is a percent of the wax weight), https://tinwaredirect.com/blogs/tips-advice/how-to-calculate-wax (retrieved 2026-10-03); USGS Water Science School, Water Density (about 0.998 g/cm³ at 20 °C), https://www.usgs.gov/water-science-school/science/water-density (retrieved 2026-10-03)
- Container holds 6.763 fl oz, Number of candles 12, Fragrance load 10%, Wax-to-water weight 0.86 gives Wax per candle 5.5 oz, Fragrance oil 6.61 oz.Source: Tinware Direct, How To Calculate Wax For Candle Containers (the wax and fragrance weigh about 86% of the water the container holds; fragrance load is a percent of the wax weight), https://tinwaredirect.com/blogs/tips-advice/how-to-calculate-wax (retrieved 2026-10-03); USGS Water Science School, Water Density (about 0.998 g/cm³ at 20 °C), https://www.usgs.gov/water-science-school/science/water-density (retrieved 2026-10-03)
How it works
For one container that holds a volume V of water, a wax-to-water weight r (default 0.86) and a fragrance load L percent:
- Water weight: W = V × 0.998 kg per liter (fresh water at 20 °C).
- Fill (wax and oil): F = W × r.
- Wax: F ÷ (1 + L ÷ 100).
- Fragrance oil: wax × L ÷ 100. Wax + oil = F.
- Multiply by the number of candles for the totals.
1 US fl oz = 29.5735295625 mL; 1 oz = 28.349523125 g exactly. Weights show in ounces in US units and grams in Metric.
Rules
- The container holds 0.1 fl oz to 10,000 fl oz (typed in fl oz, mL or cups); 1 to 100,000 candles; a fragrance load of 0% to 50%; a wax-to-water weight of 0.5 to 1.5.
- Values are used as the exact decimals typed.
Worked examples by hand
One 8 fl oz jar, 8% fragrance. V = 8 × 29.5735 = 236.588 mL; W = 236.588 × 0.998 = 236.12 g. F = 236.12 × 0.86 = 203.06 g (7.16 oz). Wax 203.06 ÷ 1.08 = 188.02 g (6.63 oz); oil 188.02 × 0.08 = 15.04 g (0.53 oz).
Twelve 200 mL jars, 10% fragrance. W = 200 × 0.998 = 199.6 g; F = 199.6 × 0.86 = 171.66 g. Wax per jar 171.66 ÷ 1.1 = 156.05 g; oil 15.61 g. For 12: 1,872.6 g of wax and 187.3 g of oil.
Other questions people ask
How much wax do I need for a candle?
Weigh or measure the water the container holds, then take about 0.86 of that weight: wax is lighter than water. An 8 fl oz jar holds about 236 g (8.33 oz) of water, so the wax and oil weigh about 203 g (7.16 oz).
How much fragrance oil do I add?
Fragrance load is a percent of the wax weight. At 8%, 100 g of wax takes 8 g of oil. The calculator splits the fill so that wax plus oil fills the container: wax = fill ÷ 1.08 and oil = wax × 0.08.
What fragrance load should I use?
Most container waxes hold 6% to 10% fragrance, and some up to 12%. Use your wax maker’s maximum; too much oil can seep out or burn poorly.
Why 0.86?
Candle wax and fragrance oil are less dense than water, so the same jar holds less weight of wax than of water. 0.86 is the rule candle suppliers use; change it if your wax maker gives another figure.
Does the fill include the wick?
No. The wick takes very little space. Measure the water to the fill line, usually about half an inch below the rim.