Candle Making Kits
Candle Making Supplies Checklist
Not just what to buy, but how much of each, so the quantities match and nothing runs out first.
We have not burned these candles and we do not claim to have. Here is what we did instead. Links to Amazon earn us a commission at no extra cost to you — disclosure.
| # | Product | Best for | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  The Candlemaker's Store Natural Soy 464 Wax, 10 lb FlakesTop pickGW 464 is the reference soy for container candles, and that is its real advantage: when a wick chart says ECO 8, it was written with a wax like this in mind, so you get the behavior the chart predicts. | The wax most published wick charts are calibrated against | Check price#ad |
| 2 |  SHOWIN Thick Glass Candle Jars with Wood Lids, 7 oz, 16 packSeven ounces in thick glass with a wooden lid, sixteen to a box. This is the size that lines up with the standard soy wick charts and the quantity that lets you actually test a wick. | The jar most beginner recipes assume | Check price#ad |
| 3 |  ECO 10 Pre-Waxed Wicks for Soy Candles, 100 pcsECO is the series whose charts are published for soy directly rather than adjusted from paraffin, which makes it the easiest series for a beginner to size correctly on the first try. | 3 to 3.25 inch soy containers, on the US charts | Check price#ad |
| 4 |  P&J Fragrance Oil Autumn Set, 6 scentsSix named autumn scents rather than six unnamed bottles. Being able to re-order the one that worked, by name, is the difference between a hobby and a lucky accident. | The holiday season the site's readers are actually buying for | Check price#ad |
| 5 |  EricX Light Candle Making Pouring Pot, 4 lb capacityA pouring pot with a proper spout and a handle that stays cool is the difference between a controlled pour and wax down the outside of the jar. Everything else on this page can wait; this cannot. | The one piece of equipment that is not optional | Check price#ad |
| 6 |  TempPro TempDip Digital Candy Thermometer with Pot Clip, 10 inch probeThe clip is what makes this useful for candles: it holds the probe in the wax at a fixed depth so you can read the temperature continuously instead of dipping and guessing. | Reading wax temperature without buying a melter | Check price#ad |
| 7 |  DINGPAI 20 Candle Wick Holders and 180 Wick StickersThe cheapest fix for the most common cosmetic failure in a first batch. A wick that drifts off-center while the wax sets gives you a candle that burns down one side of the jar and stops. | Keeping the wick where you put it | Check price#ad |
Most supply checklists list items without quantities, which leaves you buying a bag of wax and a bottle of fragrance that turn out to be wildly mismatched. The list below is quantity-matched: buy it and everything runs out at roughly the same time.
The matched first order
| Item | Quantity | Why that amount |
|---|---|---|
| Soy wax | 5 lb | 80 oz, which fills sixteen 7 oz jars with a little spare |
| Jars | 16 x 7 oz | Uses almost exactly 5 lb of wax |
| Wicks, chart size | 100 | Enough for six batches, and burn testing consumes them |
| Wicks, one size up | 100 | The comparison candle. Testing needs two sizes |
| Fragrance oil | 4 oz | Scents about 50 oz of wax at 8 percent, so two thirds of the bag |
| Wick stickers | 180 or more | One per candle, and you will waste some |
| Wick centering devices | 20 | Reusable. Twenty lets you pour twenty at once |
| Pouring pot | 1, 32 to 44 oz | One melt is four to six candles |
| Clip thermometer | 1 | The published pour temperatures need reading |
Buy first
- Wax, named, with published temperatures. Golden Wax 464 is the default because its numbers are published in three places.
- Containers, one size, so all your wicks match.
- Wicks, two adjacent sizes from the chart for your measured diameter.
- Wick stickers. Non-negotiable.
- A heat source. A pouring pot in a pan of water is the cheapest that works properly.
- A thermometer. Without it the published temperatures are decoration.
Buy second
- Fragrance oil, named so you can re-order it. See best fragrance oils.
- Wick centering devices. Cheap, reusable, and they fix off-center wicks completely.
- A wick trimmer. For the candles once they exist.
- A digital scale. Fragrance load is a weight percentage, not a volume one, and eyeballing it defeats the arithmetic.
Do not buy yet
- A large electric melter. Until a batch does not fit in one pot melt, it buys nothing.
- Dye. It adds a variable while you are learning what normal looks like.
- Molds. They need a pillar wax, not the container wax you just bought.
- A heat gun. Useful for leveling rough tops, and entirely optional until you have rough tops.
- More than one fragrance. One scent, ten candles, is a better experiment than ten scents, one candle each.
Top pick · The wax most published wick charts are calibrated against
The Candlemaker's Store Natural Soy 464 Wax, 10 lb Flakes
Golden Brands (GW 464)
GW 464 is the reference soy for container candles, and that is its real advantage: when a wick chart says ECO 8, it was written with a wax like this in mind, so you get the behavior the chart predicts.
Published specifications
- Melt point
- 115 to 120FSource: The Candlemaker's Store listing
- Melt point (maker figure)
- 113 to 118FSource: CandleScience product specification
- Heat to
- 170 to 180F, never above 200FSource: Cal Candle Supply published GW 464 instructions
- Add fragrance at
- 170FSource: Cal Candle Supply published GW 464 instructions
- Pour at
- 140FSource: Cal Candle Supply published GW 464 instructions
- Maximum fragrance load
- 10 percentSource: Cal Candle Supply published GW 464 instructions
- Quantity
- 10 lb flakesSource: Amazon product listing, read 2026-09-02
What that means
Two suppliers publish slightly different melt points for the same wax, 115 to 120F and 113 to 118F. That two-degree gap is normal for a natural wax and it is why you read your own pour temperature rather than trusting a single number.
Ten pounds is 160 ounces of wax, or roughly forty 4-ounce candles at the usual fill. That is a real supply, not a sample.
464 is a soy blend with additives that reduce frosting and hold fragrance better than straight soy. It is not the most natural wax on the shelf and it is not sold as one.
Good
- Every published temperature you need is documented, by more than one supplier
- The wax most wick charts assume, so chart recommendations behave as predicted
- 10 percent maximum fragrance load, which is at the top of what soy holds
Less good
- Contains soy-based additives, so it is a blend rather than pure soy
- Ten pounds is more than a first-time maker will get through
Skip this one if
You want to find out whether you enjoy this before committing to ten pounds of anything. Buy a one-pound bag first.
Pick 2 · The jar most beginner recipes assume
SHOWIN Thick Glass Candle Jars with Wood Lids, 7 oz, 16 pack
SHOWIN
Seven ounces in thick glass with a wooden lid, sixteen to a box. This is the size that lines up with the standard soy wick charts and the quantity that lets you actually test a wick.
Published specifications
- Capacity
- 7 ozSource: Amazon product listing, read 2026-09-02
- Count
- 16 jarsSource: Amazon product listing, read 2026-09-02
- Lids
- WoodSource: Amazon product listing, read 2026-09-02
- Glass
- Described as thickSource: Amazon product listing, read 2026-09-02
- Internal diameter
- Not published on the listing
What that means
Seven fluid ounces of container takes roughly 5.6 ounces of soy wax by weight, at the 0.8 fill factor soy runs at. Sixteen jars is therefore about 5.6 pounds of wax - close to a 5 lb bag plus what stays in the pot.
The listing does not publish an internal diameter, and diameter is what the wick chart needs. Measure across the inside of the glass with a ruler before you order wicks.
Thick glass matters for a real reason: thin glass near a large flame is a crack risk, and a cracked candle jar is a fire.
Good
- Quantity matches a 5 lb bag of wax almost exactly
- Thick glass, which is a genuine safety point
- Lids included, so candles can be given as gifts
Less good
- Internal diameter is not published, so wick sizing needs a ruler
- Sixteen jars is a commitment to one size
Skip this one if
You are still testing which jar size you like. Buy one small pack of two sizes rather than sixteen of one.
Pick 3 · 3 to 3.25 inch soy containers, on the US charts
ECO 10 Pre-Waxed Wicks for Soy Candles, 100 pcs
ECO series
ECO is the series whose charts are published for soy directly rather than adjusted from paraffin, which makes it the easiest series for a beginner to size correctly on the first try.
Published specifications
- Series
- ECO, flat coreless cotton with paper filamentsSource: Amazon product listing, read 2026-09-02
- Quantity
- 100 piecesSource: Amazon product listing, read 2026-09-02
- Length
- 6 inches, pre-waxed with tabSource: Amazon product listing, read 2026-09-02
- Published range (soy)
- 3.0 to 3.25 inch containersSource: Lone Star Candle Supply ECO soy chart
- Alternative published range
- up to 2.76 inchesSource: Wedo metric ECO chart
What that means
The two published ranges above disagree by nearly half an inch for the same wick, and both are printed by people who sell it. That is not an error on anyone's part; the US charts are soy-adjusted and the Wedo chart covers soy and paraffin together.
Practically: if you are in a 3-inch soy jar and you use the US charts, ECO 10 is the starting wick. If you use Wedo's, you want ECO 14 in the same jar. Test both.
The paper filaments in an ECO wick make it curl and self-trim, in the same way CD does. Both are coreless, so there is no metal or zinc in the flame.
Good
- Charts published for soy directly, not adjusted from paraffin
- Coreless and self-trimming
- The series most commonly stocked with soy kits
Less good
- Published guidance varies by up to two sizes between suppliers
- Needs a size up again in beeswax
Skip this one if
You are burning paraffin. The LX and zinc charts are the ones written for it, and an ECO sized for soy will be too large.
Pick 4 · The holiday season the site's readers are actually buying for
P&J Fragrance Oil Autumn Set, 6 scents
P&J Trading
Six named autumn scents rather than six unnamed bottles. Being able to re-order the one that worked, by name, is the difference between a hobby and a lucky accident.
Published specifications
- Scents included
- Brown Sugar, Apple, Harvest Spice, Vanilla, Forest Pine, SnickerdoodleSource: Amazon product listing, read 2026-09-02
- Count
- 6 bottlesSource: Amazon product listing, read 2026-09-02
- Intended uses
- Candle making, soap making, diffusersSource: Amazon product listing, read 2026-09-02
- Recommended load
- Not published on the listing
What that means
Named scents matter more than they look. Kit fragrance oils are usually unlabeled, so when one of your candles turns out well you have no way to make it again.
The listing does not publish a recommended fragrance load, so use the wax maker's figure instead. Golden Wax 464 publishes a 10 percent maximum, and most makers land between 6 and 8 percent.
Forest Pine and Harvest Spice are the two that hold up at a high load. Vanilla in soy tends to discolor the wax to a cream over a few weeks, which is a cosmetic issue rather than a fault.
Good
- Six named, re-orderable scents
- Season-appropriate range for gift candles
- Sold specifically for candle making rather than diffuser-only
Less good
- No published recommended load or flash point on the listing
- Vanilla discolors soy over time
Skip this one if
You want one scent in quantity. A six-bottle sampler is the wrong purchase if you already know you want to make twelve of the same candle.
Pick 5 · The one piece of equipment that is not optional
EricX Light Candle Making Pouring Pot, 4 lb capacity
EricX Light
A pouring pot with a proper spout and a handle that stays cool is the difference between a controlled pour and wax down the outside of the jar. Everything else on this page can wait; this cannot.
Published specifications
- Capacity
- 4 poundsSource: Amazon product listing, read 2026-09-02
- Spout
- Dripless pouring spoutSource: Amazon product listing, read 2026-09-02
- Handle
- Heat-resistingSource: Amazon product listing, read 2026-09-02
What that means
Four pounds of capacity is more than one batch needs, and that is deliberate: a pot filled to the brim is a pot you cannot pour from safely.
The pot sits in a pan of simmering water. It is a double boiler with a spout, and that is all a home candle maker needs to hit the published 170 to 180F melt range for soy.
Good
- Actually controls where the wax goes
- Doubles as your measuring vessel
- Works on any stove, no dedicated appliance needed
Less good
- Needs a saucepan of water underneath
- No temperature reading of its own
Skip this one if
Your kit already included a pot. It will do the same job.
Pick 6 · Reading wax temperature without buying a melter
TempPro TempDip Digital Candy Thermometer with Pot Clip, 10 inch probe
TempPro
The clip is what makes this useful for candles: it holds the probe in the wax at a fixed depth so you can read the temperature continuously instead of dipping and guessing.
Published specifications
- Probe length
- 10 inchesSource: Amazon product listing, read 2026-09-02
- Mounting
- Pot clipSource: Amazon product listing, read 2026-09-02
- Display
- Large LCD, instant readSource: Amazon product listing, read 2026-09-02
- Waterproof
- Stated as waterproofSource: Amazon product listing, read 2026-09-02
What that means
Candle wax and candy sugar work in the same temperature band, which is why candy thermometers are the standard tool here. There is no candle-specific thermometer worth paying extra for.
A ten-inch probe reaches the bottom of a deep pouring pot without your hand being over the steam.
This plus a pouring pot costs less than an electric melter and teaches you more, because you are watching the number move rather than setting it.
Good
- Clips in place for continuous reading
- Long probe keeps hands away from steam
- Cheapest route to hitting published pour temperatures
Less good
- One more thing to wash
- Batteries
- Does not control the heat, only reports it
Skip this one if
You bought a digital melter. It already reads the temperature for you.
Pick 7 · Keeping the wick where you put it
DINGPAI 20 Candle Wick Holders and 180 Wick Stickers
DINGPAI
The cheapest fix for the most common cosmetic failure in a first batch. A wick that drifts off-center while the wax sets gives you a candle that burns down one side of the jar and stops.
Published specifications
- Contents
- 20 stainless steel wick centering devices, 180 wick stickersSource: Amazon product listing, read 2026-09-02
- Material
- Stainless steelSource: Amazon product listing, read 2026-09-02
What that means
Kits usually include a handful of stickers and no holders at all. The holder is the part that keeps the wick vertical and centered for the twenty minutes it takes the surface to skin over.
Twenty holders means you can pour twenty candles in a session rather than pouring two and waiting.
Good
- Solves off-center wicks completely
- 180 stickers is a real supply
- Reusable metal, not a consumable
Less good
- Not needed if your kit already included holders
- Only fits jars within the holders' span
Skip this one if
Your kit shipped centering devices already. These do exactly the same job.
Kitchen things you already own
- A saucepan for the water bath under the pouring pot.
- A digital kitchen scale. Fragrance load is measured by weight.
- Newspaper or a silicone mat. Wax on a worktop is a job.
- A metal spoon or spatula for stirring. Silicone works; wood absorbs fragrance.
- Scissors for trimming wicks, until you buy a trimmer.
The printable version
- Measure the inside diameter of your chosen jar in inches.
- Look that diameter up on the wick chart for soy.
- Order: 5 lb wax, 16 jars, 100 wicks at the chart size, 100 one size up, 4 oz fragrance, stickers, 20 centering devices, a pouring pot, a clip thermometer.
- When it arrives, pour two test candles with the two wick sizes and burn-test them before pouring the other fourteen.
How these picks were made. Published specifications compiled from the sources listed below, the arithmetic shown on the page, and live Amazon prices. No product here has been burned by us. Read the method.
Common questions
What supplies do I need to make candles?
Wax, containers, wicks sized to those containers, wick stickers, a heat source and a thermometer. Fragrance oil, centering devices and a scale are the next four, and dye can wait indefinitely.
How much fragrance oil do I need for 5 lb of wax?
At 8 percent, 5 lb of wax (80 oz) takes 6.4 oz of fragrance oil. Two 4-ounce bottles cover a whole bag with a little left over.
How many jars does 5 lb of wax fill?
About fourteen 7-ounce jars, or twelve 8-ounce jars. Multiply capacity in fluid ounces by 0.8 to get wax weight per candle, then divide 80 ounces by that.
Do I need a scale to make candles?
Yes if you want repeatable fragrance loads, because load is a percentage by weight. You can pour a first candle without one, but you cannot make the same candle twice.
What is the cheapest way to start making candles?
A pound of soy wax, a hundred wicks in one size, a few jars, and a pouring pot in a saucepan of water. Skip fragrance and dye entirely on the first pour; getting the pour and the wick right is the whole exercise.
Sources
Read next
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Kit vs Buying Supplies Separately
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Candle Making Equipment List
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Candle Wick Size Chart
ECO, CD, HTP, LX, zinc and wooden wick sizes from four published charts, cross-referenced by container diameter with every publisher named.
How to Make Candles
The complete candle making walkthrough: equipment, wax and fragrance arithmetic, published temperatures, the pour, the cure and the fixes.
How Much Fragrance Oil Per Pound of Wax
Fragrance load arithmetic: the formula, a table by batch size, the published maximum for GW 464, and why load is a weight percentage.