When starting any new project it is important to calculate how much material will needed. You don’t want to be in the middle of your project only to run out of wax and not be able to complete it. Luckily with proper planning you can calculate exactly how much wax and scent you will need for any candle project!
The most important thing to know is how much wax does your jar or mold hold? If you are not sure you can look on the website of the retailer you purchased it from or weight how much water fits in the jar. Keep in mind when weighing how much water fits in the jar the wax is usually heavier so you will not fit as much wax in the jar. Now that you know how many ounces of wax fits in one jar or mold you take that amount and multiple it by how many jars or mold you have to fill. You then take this number and divide it by 16 to equal how many pounds of wax you will need.
(Wax amount that fits in 1 jar/mold) x (Amount of jars) = (ounces of wax needed) / 16 oz = ___ lbs. of wax
Example: I have 100 jars each hold 8 oz of wax. 8 oz x 100 jars = 800 oz. 800 oz./16 oz. = 50 lbs. of wax
Keep in mind you will most likely not pour exactly 8 ounces of wax in each jar. Therefore you may have some wax leftover or you may need slightly more wax to compensate. Remember not to fill your jar to the top with wax, when the candle is lit it will develop a melt pool which could then overflow out of the candle.
Determining how much fragrance oil you will need for your project is slightly more complicated because it can vary depending on the type of wax being used. Gel candle wax is usually scented a 1/2 oz per lb. While paraffin and soy waxes are about 1 oz per lb. It is best to check with your supplier on what their suggested amount of scent is for your particular wax. To calculate the total fragrance you will need to take that suggested amount per lb. and multiple it by how many pounds of wax you will be using (the amount we calculated above). This will give you the total amount of scent, make sure you are weighing this out when making your candle because different oils will weigh different amounts.
Have fun creating candles!