Candle dyes are readily available for purchase in the market in the form of dye blocks, liquid coloring agents, and color chips. There are three types of candle dyes, namely solid dyes, liquid dyes, and pigments. However, if you would like to make your own candles at home, you can also make your own candle dyes from ingredients available from your kitchen shelf or garden.
Botanical Coloring Agents
Herbs and Spices
Herbs were originally the favored coloring agent used to make candle dyes. Some common herbs which proffer various colors are sunflower seeds, which give a purple hue, elder, which gives a blue shade, and dandelions, which give a red color. Spices are a favorite with many candle makers as, besides giving color to the wax, they also lend a subtle fragrance to it. Dyes made from ground spices are often used to create aromatherapy candles. Some of the most popular spices used in candle crafting are cinnamon, cloves, rosemary, parsley, aniseed, saffron, paprika, and turmeric. The latter three spices offer a golden-yellow hue to the candle dye while parsley and rosemary offer a green shade.
Flowers, Fruits, and Vegetables
The petals of flowers can be dried and crushed to produce bright dyes. Roses lend various colors like red, yellow, and orange, depending on their color; lavender gives a purple-pink hue, hibiscus gives a red shade, madder root gives a peach color, and hyacinth gives a blue color. Fruits and vegetables can also be mashed to produce various colors. Blueberries, huckleberries, and blackberries give a purple-black color, while strawberries and raspberries give a red-pink hue. Beetroot can also be used for a deep red-maroon shade, artichokes give a green color to the dye, the skin of onions can be used for an orange shade, and lemon peels give a yellow color.
How to Get Various Candle Dye Shades
You don't need to make dyes in all the possible colors. The three base colors of yellow, red, and blue, a solid dark color like black, and an intermediate hue like green can be used to create new shades. For example, you can mix yellow and red to get orange, blue and red to get purple, and blue and yellow to get green.
Process of Creating and Adding Candle Dye to the Wax
Once you have selected your coloring agent, begin by heating it in oil by using the infusion method. To do this, simply place the leaves, petals, or herbs in a coffee filter, muslin cloth, or cheese cloth. Heat and melt wax on a boiler, then steep the cheese cloth in the melted wax. After a few hours, the color should seep through into the hot wax. Some botanical substances easily clog the candle wick and can prevent adequate burning. Using the oil infusion method can help prevent this clogging. The cheese cloth or filter can help you avoid having to manually remove any plant residue from the heated candle wax once the dye has appeared.
Instead of using the muslin cloth method, you can also produce candle dyes by putting your chosen coloring agent in a saucepan and placing the pan in a low-temperature water bath. Crayons can also be used to lend color to the wax. Simply add colored crayon shavings to the heated wax, ensuring that no bubbles form. A teaspoon of your preferred essential oil can be added to the wax to create scented aromatherapy candles, if desired. You now have your colored wax.
To complete the candle, place a wick in a wick holder into the mold and pour the dyed wax on top, allowing the candle to cool and form the required shape. This should take about 24 hours.
Tips for Making Candle Dye
Adding a small quantity of black-colored dye to the wax along with the colored dye you are using can give your candle a richer hue.
To avoid patches and specks in the candle dye, pour in your dye when the wax is sufficiently heated up.
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