Most waxes are white or off-white in color which can be great for a natural looking candle. Adding color to a candle can enhance its presence and help to create a theme. Coloring a candle can transform it into different decor. There are several ways to color a candle including liquid dye, color blocks and diamond dyes. All of these methods have different strengths and weaknesses, it comes down to personal preference for the most part. Colors can also be blended to create whole new color in the wax. The cooled wax will be lighter in color then when it’s melted. The best way to test the color of the wax is to pour a little amount onto a white piece of paper and let it dry. This color may be slightly lighter because of the white background and density, however, it will give you a good general idea. Make sure to write down and save the amount of color you use in different batches of candles so you can duplicate it down the road.
Liquid candle dye comes in many different colors and has easy use without having to measure. Liquid color dye can come out a little more opique in the wax and can be messy if liquid dye gets anywhere besides in the wax. Generally 1-6 drops of liquid dye is sufficient per pound of wax. Adding more dye then the wax can hold could create the dye to leach out of the candle.
Candle/Dye block colors come in a variety of colors and are rectangular in shape. This dye option tends to be the least expensive out of all three. Dye blocks are the most difficult to use because you need to shave or cut off the dye before adding it to your wax. In doing this it can be hard to measure exactly how much color you are adding therefore over adding is possible, which would impair the burn. Without having a precise method of measuring replicating the color again could present difficulty.
Diamond dyes are similar to color/dye blocks but there are pre-measured and easy to use. In a pound of wax add less then one chip for light color, a whole diamond dye for medium color and multiple chips for dark color. Do not add more then 5 diamond dyes per pound of wax as it could interfere with the burn of the candle.
Overall choosing a candle coloring method is personal preference. Liquid dye, candle/dye blocks and diamond dyes all work great in their own ways. Keep in mind if you are candle carving they use pigments and not any of the above listed options.