Color Mixing Guide for Candle Makers

Color Mixing Guide for Candle Makers

Red, yellow and blue are considered primary colors, this is because these are the basic colors used to mix all others.

The primary colors are blended to make secondary colors:
Red + yellow = orange
Yellow + blue = green
Red + blue = purple

Varying the proportions of primary colors will give you different shades of the secondary colors. For instance, red with just a hint of yellow will give you a cherry red.

The color wheel below will help you blend dye chips to achieve the final color results you are looking for.

When mixing colors for candle making, you must remember you are starting with whatever color your wax is, not with color. Therefore, a touch of red in white wax will give you a lovely pink hue. You must always take into account the color of your wax and its opacity when deciding how much dye and which color to use to get the results you want.

Red and blue are both very over powering dyes and can take over your color; proceed slowly.

Start with making pastels colors, and remember you can purchase a whitener, which will make the final color less translucent.

Although adding a bit of black will darker the color, be very cautious, as it can ruin your final results.

Once you have become proficient in making pastel colors, you can move on to the full-bodied colors. Remember that you want to blot out the white base with color, so you will need a lot more dye.

All candle colors fade with time, although you can purchase an ultraviolet inhibitor, which helps to prevent candles from fading.

If you are into using nature to scent your candles through the use of essential oils (and I hope you are!), you may also be interested in using botanicals to dye your candles. Candle color must be oil soluble, so soak your botanicals in oil or melted candle wax and expect relatively pale colors.