The hard part about making a black candle is figuring out how much candle dye to use to get truly black candle wax. It’s a Goldilocks problem – use too little and you get a grey candle. Use too much and you get a black candle that doesn’t burn well (because excess dye can clog the wick). Here’s how to get it just right:
4 Tips to Make a Black Candle
Here are 4 tips that will help you make a black candle. If you want to see these tips in action, there is a tutorial in the next section.
1 Use Paraffin Wax, Not Soy Wax
Paraffin wax takes color better than soy wax. If you put the same amount of dye into a batch of paraffin wax and batch of soy wax, you’ll see that the paraffin comes out black and the soy comes out slightly grey. If you want to use a blend of waxes, a parasoy blend is fine as long as it has more paraffin than soy. Avoid using 100% soy wax if you want to get a truly black candle.
2 Use Liquid Candle Dye, Not Wax Dye Chips
Liquid dye is always going to give you a more intense color than dye chips. I’ve tried black dye chips several times and have never been able to get anything other than a dark grey shade no matter how many I add.
3 Add Stearic Acid to Boost the Opacity
Stearic acid is a candle additive that improves the opacity of whatever color you use. In most of my tutorials, I say that stearic acid is optional. For a black candle (or any other intense color), don’t skip it! I recommend using 10% of the wax weight – e.g. if you are using 6 ounces of candle wax, use 0.6 ounces of stearic acid.
4 Test the Melted Wax on White Paper Before You Pour
If you add even 1 drop of black dye to the melted wax, it’s going to look nice and dark in the melting pitcher. You’ll need to test it out on a sheet of paper to make sure that the candle wax is actually black before you pour. Just dip a spatula into the melted wax and place a dot of it on a piece of white paper. Wait about a minute and you’ll see what shade the wax dries down to. If it is still grey, you’ll need to add more dye. If it is black, you are ready to pour.
What You Need to Make a Black Candle
To make a black candle, here are the ingredients you will need:
- Candle Wax – I’m using a blend of 70% paraffin wax and 30% soy wax that I created on my own. I’d recommend this parasoy container candle blend if you just want to order one item.
- Candle Wick – Wick sizes vary by container size, but here are some good wicks to check out. Measure your candle container and make sure to size appropriately (wick height and diameter). You’ll also need a wick sticker and a wick bar to center it.
- Liquid Candle Dye – I used liquid candle dye, not dye chips.
- Stearic Acid – I used 10% of the total wax weight.
- A Piece of White Paper – To test out the color before you pour.
Step-by-Step Guide to Making a Black Candle
STEP 1: Melt the wax. Add the wax and the stearic acid to the melting pitcher. Turn on the heat and melt until the wax reaches about 180 degrees Fahrenheit. This temperature may vary if you are using a different wax blend so check your wax’s packaging for the melting point.
STEP 2: Set up the candle container. While the wax is melting, wick the candle jar. I just added a sticker to the bottom of the wick, found the center, secured the wick in place, then centered it with a wick bar.
STEP 3: Dye the wax. The label on my liquid candle dye instructed me to use 7 drops per pound (16 ounces) of candle wax. Since I melted 13 ounces of wax, I knew that I would probably need between 4 and 6 drops. Start with less than you think you need and work your way up.
STEP 4: Test the color until you get black candle wax. I started with 4 drops of dye and then tested the color. You’ll never be able to judge the true color just by looking into the melting pitcher so take a drop of wax and put it on a white piece of paper. I’m using a dropper tool, but you can just dip a spatula in the wax and drip a little onto the paper. The wax dried to a slightly black color, but I wanted a more saturated color so I added 2 more drops. I tested the color again and was happy with the shade. Don’t go crazy with the dye. Too much dye will clog the wick and the candle won’t burn properly.
STEP 5: Pour the candle wax into the jar. After the wax cools to the correct pouring temperature, pour slowly into the candle jar. My pouring temperature was about 155 degrees Fahrenheit. This may vary based on the wax type you’re using. After you pour, all you have to do is wait!
STEP 6: After the candle cures, trim the wick and enjoy!
Top 4 Takeaways
- Use paraffin wax or a paraffin wax blend. It takes color better than soy wax or beeswax.
- Use stearic acid to boost the opacity.
- Test the color on a piece of white paper before you pour.
- Don’t over-do it. Too much dye will clog the wick.
I hope these tips help you to make a black candle that looks good and burns well.
If you want to see another tutorial where I make a black candle, watch this video. NOTE: I purposely used too much black dye in this arch candle because I didn’t intend to burn it. It made a great decor piece, but was not a super functional candle!
