All Minecraft Dyes: How to craft & uses

Jessica Filby
Minecraft dye and uses

If you’ve been wondering how to bring a splash of vibrancy to your Minecraft world with customized colorful items, you’re in the right place! Here’s the ultimate guide on crafting all 16 dyes in Minecraft, as well as what you can use them for, from coloring to crafting and even trading.

When it comes to sprucing up your Minecraft world, dye is your best friend. From creating colored wool for pixel art to adding a dash of personality to your leather armor, their uses are endless. That being said, some of the game’s dyes are a little bit more complicated to create than others.

With that in mind, let’s explore how to craft every single dye in the game and take a look at what these colorful items can be used for in your Minecraft world.

How to make dye in Minecraft

Minecraft dyes

There are 16 dyes available in Minecraft with each providing the player a different color. Naturally, some are harder to make than others so here’s how to craft every dye in Minecraft.

DyeHow to make it
RedA poppy, a red tulip, or a rose bush.
YellowDandelions or sunflowers,
BlueA cornflower or lapis lazuli.
BrownCocoa beans.
GreenSmelt cactus blocks.
WhiteBone meal.
BlackAn Ink Sac or a Wither Rose.
OrangeCombine red and yellow dye.
PurpleCombine red and blue dye.
CyanCombine blue and green dye.
Light GrayCombine gray dye with white, or use two bone meals and an ink sac.
PinkMix red and white dyes.
LimeMix green dye and white dye together.
GrayCombine black and white dye.
Light BlueCombine blue and white dye.
MagentaCombine purple and pink dye.

What are dyes used for in Minecraft?

Dyes have so many uses in Minecraft and can be used to spice up your life, world, and even the home you choose to build.

Bring Life to Your Wool Blocks

These versatile blocks can be dyed any color in the Minecraft spectrum. Thankfully, crafting colored wool is easy too – simply combine any color dye with a wool block in your crafting table and you can create whatever you want, from woolen mansions to pixel art masterpieces.

Jazz Up Your Leather Armor

Dyed armor in Minecraft

With Armor Trims on the way, many wonder whether they can jazz up their armor without needing to find any special item. Thankfully, so long as you’re wearing leather, you can use dye to create a unique style. Mix any leather armor piece with your chosen dye and you’ll be the talk of the server in no time.

Paint Your Pet Collar

If you’re planning on having an army of dogs in your server, it’s well worth color-coding their collars so you can tell which is which. Simply use your dye on a tamed wolf’s collar and let your furry friend strut around with a pop of color.

Light Up Your World

Light up your world (quite literally) with a series of colorful candles. All you need to do is combine any dye with a candle on your crafting table and create a cozy, colored ambiance in your Minecraft home.

Flaunt Your Banner Designs

Lastly, you can create banners. Whether you’re claiming territory, decorating your castle, or signaling secret messages to your mates, banners are the way to go. They’re customizable with dyes and can be personalized to match your intended design.

There you have it, that’s everything you need to know about dye in Minecraft including how to craft it and what it’s used for. While looking for your favorite color, take a look at some of our other handy Minecraft guides and content:

How to make a grindstone in Minecraft | Best Minecraft seeds | Best Minecraft house ideas |  How to make a beehive in Minecraft | All Minecraft cheats and commands | How to make a grindstone in Minecraft | How to install the best Bedrock shaders in Minecraft | How to get Honeycomb in Minecraft | How to make Lanterns in Minecraft | How to breed horses in Minecraft & tame them | Minecraft teleporting guide | Minecraft Villager jobs guide | How to make paper in Minecraft | How to make a lead in Minecraft

About The Author

Based in Cumbria, England, Jessica is a Senior Games Writer who joined Dexerto after stints at Game Rant and The Gamer. You can find her covering everything from Minecraft, CoD, Disney Dreamlight Valley, Pokemon Go and more. You can contact Jessica at jessica.filby@dexerto.com