Handmade candles are consistently underpriced. Walk through any craft market and you will find beautiful, well-made candles selling for £6–£8 that cost their maker nearly that much to produce when all costs are properly counted. The reason is almost always the same: material costs are calculated, doubled or tripled, and that becomes the price. Labour is either forgotten or valued at nothing.
This guide covers every real cost in a handmade candle and gives you a framework for setting a price that is sustainable.
Wax is typically the largest material cost. UK prices in 2026:
A standard 200ml candle uses roughly 150–170g of wax. At soy wax prices, that is £0.60–£0.87 per candle in wax alone. Buying in bulk reduces this significantly — a 20kg block versus small bags can halve your per-candle wax cost.
Fragrance oil is typically the most expensive material cost per candle. A mainstream scent runs £4.17–£6.28 per 100ml bought in bulk, with exotic or rare fragrances considerably higher. A typical fragrance load for soy wax is 6–10% of the wax weight — so a 170g candle uses 10–17g of fragrance, costing roughly £0.50–£1.10 depending on fragrance price and load.
This is the number most candle makers underestimate. Fragrance oil often ends up being more expensive than wax in a properly scented candle.
A small cost but worth tracking precisely. A pack of 200 wicks at £14 costs £0.07 per wick. Multi-wick candles multiply this accordingly.
Container cost varies enormously by style. A basic tin for an 8oz candle: £0.70–£2.50. An ornate glass vessel: £1.50–£5.00. Your container choice directly affects your floor price and your ability to charge a premium.
Box, tissue paper, label, warning sticker, and any branding materials typically add £0.40–£1.20 per candle depending on specification. CLP (Classification, Labelling and Packaging) compliant warning labels are a legal requirement for selling scented candles in the UK — factor them in from the start.
This is where candle businesses lose money. Making a batch of 20 candles typically involves:
That is 2–2.5 hours of active time for 20 candles — 6–7.5 minutes per candle. At UK minimum wage of £12.21/hr, that is £1.22–£1.53 per candle in labour. At a skilled craft wage of £18/hr, it is £1.80–£2.25 per candle.
Electricity for heating wax, equipment depreciation (melting pot, thermometer, heat gun, scales), insurance for craft sellers, market fees or platform commissions — a reasonable overhead allocation for a small home candle business is £0.50–£1.50 per candle depending on scale and channel.
| Cost Element | Budget Candle | Premium Candle |
|---|---|---|
| Soy wax (170g) | £0.67 | £0.87 |
| Fragrance oil (10–12g) | £0.50 | £1.10 |
| Wick | £0.07 | £0.15 |
| Container | £0.90 | £3.50 |
| Packaging & label | £0.50 | £1.00 |
| Labour (6 min @ £15/hr) | £1.50 | £1.50 |
| Overhead | £0.60 | £0.80 |
| Total cost | £4.74 | £8.92 |
| Retail price (40% margin) | £7.90 | £14.87 |
A budget candle with a tin container and standard soy wax needs to sell for around £8 to achieve a 40% margin. A premium candle with a glass vessel and exotic fragrance needs to sell for £15+. If you have been selling either for less, you have been subsidising your customers.
Getting the fragrance load right matters for both quality and cost control. Too little and the scent throw is weak. Too much and the fragrance pools on the surface, creates safety issues, and wastes expensive oil.
Standard fragrance load guidance for soy wax: 6–8% for container candles, up to 10% for strong scent throw. For a 200ml candle with 170g of wax, 6% load = 10.2g of fragrance oil. At a mid-range fragrance cost of £5.50 per 100ml, that is £0.56 per candle in fragrance.
The calculation changes with every batch — different wax weights, different fragrance prices, different containers. Tracking this precisely rather than estimating it is the difference between knowing your margin and guessing at it.
Calculate wax weight, fragrance load, cost per candle and suggested retail price for every batch. Tracks all your materials and gives you accurate numbers instantly. Instant download, works offline.
See WickCraft Pro — £15 →Your price needs to work for your sales channel as well as your costs. Craft markets, Etsy, and wholesale all have different margin requirements:
Know your channel before you set your price. A price that works for direct sales often does not work for wholesale without adjusting your cost structure first.