How many candles from 1 kg of wax?

The formula: jar volume × 0.85

Melted wax weighs a little less than water, about 0.9 g per millilitre. But a jar is never filled to the brim, and the fragrance takes part of the volume. In practice we count about 85 g of wax per 100 ml of container, the same figure as in our candle wax guide.

The formula is then very simple:

• Wax per candle (grams) = jar volume (ml) × 0.85
• Candles per kilo = 1,000 ÷ wax per candle, rounded down

To find the volume of an unmarked jar, fill it with water up to where the wax will stop, about 1 cm below the rim, and weigh the water: 1 g of water is 1 ml. Do the same for a silicone mould.

Table: candles per kilo of wax

For the most common jar sizes, with fragrance at 8 % of the wax weight:

The numbers are rounded down, so you always have a little wax left. With 1 kg and 200 ml jars, five candles use 850 g; the remaining 150 g make one small 150 ml candle or a few wax melts.

For a candle in a jar, use a container wax such as soy wax 4130. For a candle that comes out of a mould, measure the mould with water the same way and choose the harder soy wax 4120.

Does fragrance change the amount of wax?

Barely. The 85 g per 100 ml figure already leaves room for the fragrance: 85 g of wax plus 7 g of fragrance make 92 g of blend, which fills roughly 100 ml. So the number of candles per kilo of wax stays the same.

What changes is how much fragrance to buy. We advise 5 to 10 % of the wax weight:

• at 5 %: 50 g of fragrance per 1 kg of wax, for a light scent;
• at 8 %: 80 g, a good starting point for a first test;
• at 10 %: 100 g, the maximum; beyond that the candle can sweat or burn badly.

A 30 g bottle is enough for about 500 g of wax, not for a kilo. If you pour several kilos, our candle fragrance oils also come in 250 ml and 1 litre.

What does a 200 ml candle cost to make?

Here is the cost of one 200 ml candle (170 g of wax, 14 g of fragrance, one wick and its base), worked out from the current prices in our catalogue:

We count 1 ml of fragrance as about 1 g, and the cheapest fragrance in each size. The jar, label, packaging and delivery are not included: they depend on your choices. The amounts in this table are worked out from our catalogue, so when a price changes, the table changes too.

Delivery in 2 to 3 days anywhere in Morocco, 25 to 45 MAD depending on the city, free from 450 MAD. Minimum order 70 MAD, cash on delivery.

What you need to pour 1 kg of wax

• 1 kg of soy wax 4130, 125 MAD;
• 5 to 11 wicks depending on the jar size: ready-to-use cotton wicks no. 27 come in packs of 100 (5 MAD), with wick bases to hold them;
• 50 to 100 g of fragrance oil;
• heat-resistant glass jars, a pan for a double boiler and, ideally, a thermometer.

To try before buying a kilo, the beginner candle making kit (199 MAD) holds 500 g of 4130 wax, 10 wicks, a pigment in the colour you choose and 30 g of fragrance: enough for two to three 200 ml candles.

Next, read which wax to choose for your candles and how to choose the right wick.

Frequently asked questions