Candles: Coloring

Candle colorants need to be soluble in oil or wax.  We recommend using the dyes especially made for candles.  Start with a few basic colors since these can be mixed to produce additional colors.  You can also make natural dyes by infusing herbs/spices in oil.  Good botanicals to try are annatto seeds (orange), turmeric (yellow-orange), paprika (red), beet (violet-red), plant leaves (green).  Use very small amounts of dye to achieve pastel, translucent candles.   

Another way to color candles is to start with a white or lightly colored candle (a core candle or a premade candle base) and simply overdip or paint the base with colored wax.  For instance, you can take a plain white ball base and 'glue' on colored wax pieces until the base is covered such as when making a millefiori design.