Before you buy candle wax, you should figure out how much candle wax you’re going to need to make candles!
Once you’ve picked out your candle containers, you’re faced with the puzzle of knowing how much candle wax you’ll need to make each homemade candle.
This step can be confusing, so confusing; in fact, some will stop at this step without a good way to solve the puzzle. Pushing their candle making dreams aside.
Let us lift the cloud of confusion and solve the puzzle for you with a quick candle wax calculator.
With so many options to choose from for candle containers, a candle wax calculator makes even the most tricky candles easy!
It doesn’t matter what candle vessel you choose. Our candle wax calculator can tell you exactly how much candle wax you’ll need to make all the candles you’ve been dreaming of. Allowing you to figure out how to make candles in any container in a matter of seconds. How’s that for quick?
Before using a candle wax calculator to measure wax for candle making, you’ll need just one important piece of information – the size of your candle container. Meaning how much volume can your candle container can hold.
The quickest way to measure how much wax is needed for a candle is to flip the container over and check for a label or imprint of the ounces it holds. You’ll often find this on jars and mugs. If you can’t find a label or imprint, then simply fill the container with water. Then pour the water into a glass measuring cup to get the total ounces.
From there, deduct for fill line as needed or a quarter to half an ounce to leave room for a candle melt pool. Then divide that number by 20 to get the actual weight of wax the container will hold, not volume because candle wax is less dense than water. Therefore, it takes more wax to equal the same amount of weight in water. This equates to the fact that by volume, wax weighs 20% less than water.
So don’t miss the important step of dividing the volume by 20. Place that amount into a candle wax calculator below.
Don’t know how much fragrance to use? Get a quick answer without our fragrance load calculator. And if you’re adding anything else like coffee beans, dried flowers, or herbs – include it in this amount too.
There are many different types of wax for candle making, and each has its own qualities. Paraffin wax is the most common for commercial use as it is the cheapest candle wax. However, it is not well embraced due to it being a by-product of crude oil refinement.
Beeswax is the oldest wax used to make candles, and many would argue that it is the best wax for candle making. It blends well with other types of candle wax and can be purchased in blocks or pastilles that melt very easily.
Coconut and palm wax are fairly new to the candle making world. And each is hard to find. Coconut wax is relatively soft, creamy, and has a lower melting point in comparison to other waxes. Like beeswax, coconut wax blends well with other types of wax. You can buy coconut wax in flakes or slabs.
Palm wax is preferred for making candle pillars. It lends a unique texture to candles, and it does very well when adding color to candles. It is sold in wax flakes by the pound.
Many candle makers choose soy wax because it is not only environmentally friendly compared to paraffin wax, but it is also more affordable than other natural candle waxes. Soy wax is a great choice for making container candles. You can buy soy wax in flakes by the pound. Find our soy wax candle making guide here.
Beeswax and soy wax lasts longer than other candle wax types. Each has a slow burn and a very long burn time altogether. By comparison, soy wax candles will last up to 50% longer than paraffin wax candles due to their cooler burn temperature. And it’s not uncommon to find soy candles labeled with a 50-hour burn time.
Yes, you can mix different candle waxes. Some of the best candles are made from blending candle waxes. By combining candle waxes, you can have the best of both worlds! Take this coconut soy wax blend, for example; the coconut wax gives a creamy soft finish to the tops of container candles. At the same time, soy wax adds to the hardness and long-lasting burn time of the candle.
Paraffin wax is considered the best for distributing a strong scent throw. However, due to the density and lower burn temperature of soy wax, it distributes scent more evenly and can last up to 50% longer than candles made with paraffin wax.
Pin this candle wax calculator now, so the next time you’re trying to figure out how to make candles in a unique container, you can come back here to figure out how much wax you’ll need in a flash!
New to candle making? Quickly learn candle terminology with our Candle Making Swipe Files and more in the Simple Living Library.
