Quick answer1 lb of soy wax makes approximately 2 candles in 8 oz jars, 3 candles in 6 oz jars, or 4 candles in 4 oz votives. Add 8–10% fragrance oil on top of the wax weight. Use the calculator below for any batch size.
One of the most common candle making questions — especially before placing a first supply order — is how much wax you actually need. The tricky part is that jar sizes are labeled in fluid ounces (volume), but wax is sold by weight. Because wax is less dense than water, those numbers don't match up directly.
Candles Per Pound of Wax (Soy 464)
This table assumes a standard 8% fragrance load and soy 464 density (0.865 g/ml). Yields are the number of filled candles per pound of wax.
Container Size
Wax per Candle
Candles / 1 lb
Candles / 5 lb
Candles / 10 lb
4 fl oz votive
3.61 oz
~4
~22
~44
6 fl oz
5.41 oz
~2–3
~14
~29
8 fl oz jar
7.22 oz
~2
~11
~22
10 fl oz
9.02 oz
~1–2
~8
~17
12 fl oz
10.83 oz
~1
~7
~14
16 fl oz pint
14.43 oz
~1
~5
~10
Wax Needed by Batch Size
If you know how many candles you want to make, this table tells you how much wax to buy. Based on 8 fl oz jars with soy 464 at 8% fragrance load.
Batch Size
Wax Needed
Fragrance Oil (8%)
Total Pour Weight
6 candles (8 oz)
2.71 lb / 43.3 oz
98.4g / 3.47 oz
47.0 oz
12 candles (8 oz)
5.41 lb / 86.6 oz
196.8g / 6.94 oz
93.6 oz
24 candles (8 oz)
10.83 lb / 173.3 oz
393.6g / 13.89 oz
187.2 oz
48 candles (8 oz)
21.66 lb / 346.6 oz
787.2g / 27.77 oz
374.4 oz
Why Jar Ounces ≠ Wax Ounces
A common source of confusion: a jar labeled "8 oz" doesn't hold 8 oz of wax by weight. The label refers to the jar's fluid ounce capacity — how much liquid it holds by volume. Since wax is less dense than water, the same volume of wax weighs less.
Soy 464 weighs roughly 0.90 oz per fluid ounce of space. So an 8 fl oz jar holds about 7.2 oz of soy wax by weight. Paraffin is slightly denser (~0.93 oz/fl oz). Beeswax is denser still (~1.00 oz/fl oz). The calculator handles this automatically.
🔢
Add 10% to your wax order
Always buy more wax than you calculate. Account for waste, second pours to fix sinkholes, test candles, and batch variations. A 10% buffer is standard.
🧮
Calculate FO separately
Fragrance oil is calculated as a percentage of your wax weight, then added to the batch. It's purchased separately. At 8%, you need about 1.28 oz of FO per pound of wax.
📦
Wax flakes vs. blocks
Flakes melt faster and don't require cutting — worth the small price premium for most makers. Blocks are cheaper per pound for large batches but add prep time.
💡
Account for second pours
Soy wax often sinks in the center as it cools, requiring a small top-off pour. Keep ~10% of your batch melted for this step. It's easier to make one extra candle worth of wax.
It depends on your container size. For 8 oz jars with soy wax, each candle needs about 7.2 oz of wax. So 1 lb (16 oz) of wax fills roughly 2 jars. Use the batch size table above or the calculator to find your exact amount.
5 lbs of soy 464 makes approximately 11 candles in 8 oz jars, 14 candles in 6 oz jars, or 22 candles in 4 oz votives at 8% fragrance load. The exact count varies slightly depending on how full you fill each container.
Container sizes are in fluid ounces (volume) but wax is weighed in ounces by weight. An 8 fl oz jar holds about 7.2 oz of soy wax by weight (since soy wax is less dense than water). Always calculate wax amounts by weight, not by the label on the jar.
Because jar sizes are in fluid oz (volume) and wax is measured by weight. Soy wax is less dense than water, so it weighs about 0.90 oz per fluid oz of space. A 12 fl oz jar label doesn't mean it holds 12 oz of wax by weight — it holds about 10.8 oz by weight.
Flakes are strongly recommended for beginners. They melt evenly, don't require cutting or chopping, and are easy to measure by weight. Blocks are marginally cheaper per pound for large-scale production, but the prep time and uneven melting make them impractical for most hobby makers.