How to Use Candle Dyes

Making your own candles can be a rewarding hobby, giving you a chance to give personalized gifts to your family and friends. Using candle dyes and scents allows you to truly customize each candle with favorite and meaningful colors. Follow the steps to learn how to use candle dyes.

Instructions

1. Choose and purchase candle dyes or wax dyes to mix for your colored candles. Decide between powdered dye, wax color blocks or liquid dye.

2. Heat paraffin, beeswax or other wax as suggested by the manufacturer. Make sure the candle containers are clean and ready with wicks.

3. Add color to the heated wax, stirring to mix together. If using powder, keep stirring to uniformly disperse the flakes. If using liquid slowly pour 5 to 6 drops per dry pound of wax.

4. Pour the heated wax, after mixing in any scents, into the candle containers and allow to dry and harden.

Tips & Warnings

• Use colorants that are wax soluble and allow for the color to fade as the wax hardens.

• Avoid spilling candle dyes as they are concentrated and stain.

• Avoid using crayons to color wax. You may use these to get rid of broken crayons or to get a specific color, but beware that crayons can clog the wick with the pigment and cause the candle not to burn as well. They also tend to settle to the bottom of the container unless you pay more attention to stirring.