How to obtain every dye color in Minecraft survival mode
Here’s how to get all 16 dye colors and what to use them on.
Ethan Ken 
Part of the fun of Minecraft is definitely the building. Creating colorful builds or dying sheep different colors are definitely fun ways to show off your creativity. In creative mode, every dyed block, item, or entity is just a click away, but in survival mode, it takes time to gather every dye in the game. Here is how to acquire all 16 dye colors in Minecraft survival mode.
Note: This guide is optimized for Java Edition. Bedrock Edition is similar enough to use this guide for, but has the following discrepancies: Lapis Lazuli instead of Blue Dye, Bone Meal instead of White Dye, and Ink Sacs instead of Black Dye
Obtaining Dyes
There are three different types of dye when it comes to methods on how to get them. Primary dyes mean that they can only be created from a worldly source like a flower, cactus, or Ink Sac. Secondary dyes are only able to be created by mixing two existing dyes together. Versatile dyes, on the other hand, are able to be created by both worldly sources and dye mixing methods.
Most of these dyes are made from a crafting square or table. The few that have an alternative method are marked with said method in parentheses after the item used to create the dye.
Red Dye | Primary
- Poppy
- Rose Bush
- Red Tulip
- Beetroot
Orange Dye | Versatile
- Orange Tulip
- 1 Red Dye and 1 Yellow Dye
Yellow Dye | Primary
- Dandelion
- Sunflower
Lime Dye | Versatile
- Sea Pickle (smelting)
- 1 Green Dye and 1 White Dye
Green Dye | Primary
- Cactus (smelting)
Cyan Dye | Secondary
- 1 Green Dye and 1 Blue Dye
Light Blue Dye | Versatile
- Blue Orchid
- 1 Blue Dye and 1 White Dye
Blue Dye | Primary
- Lapis Lazuli
- Cornflower
Purple Dye | Secondary
- 1 Red Dye and 1 Blue Dye
Magenta Dye | Versatile
- Lilac
- Allium
- 1 Purple Dye and 1 Pink Dye
- 1 Red Dye, 1 Blue Dye, and 1 Pink Dye
- 2 Red Dye, 1 Blue Dye, and 1 White Dye
Pink Dye | Versatile
- Peony
- Pink Tulip
- 1 Red Dye and 1 White Dye
Brown Dye | Primary
- Cocoa Beans
Black Dye | Primary
- Ink Sac
- Wither Rose
Gray Dye | Secondary
- 1 Black Dye and 1 White Dye
Light Gray Dye | Versatile
- Azure Bluet
- Oxeye Daisy
- White Tulip
- 2 White Dye and 1 Black Dye
- 1 White Dye and 1 Gray Dy
White Dye | Primary
- Bone Meal
- Lily of the Valley
Dye Uses
Dyes are mostly aesthetic and can be used to alter all of the following items, entities, and blocks:
- Banners
- Beds
- Candles (coming soon)
- Carpets
- Concrete Powder
- Concrete
- Firework Stars
- Glass Blocks
- Glass Panes
- Leather Armor**
- Leather Horse Armor
- Sheep* (Including Baby Sheep)
- Shulker Boxes
- Terracotta (which can be glazed)
- Wool
Related: How to make terracotta in Minecraft
*Note: Dyes will mix the same way as they would in a crafting table when breeding two sheep that are compatible. Example: Breeding a red and yellow sheep will create an orange baby sheep. This will give you access to wool of the new color, but no dye itself.
**Note: Leather Armor can take more colors than the rest. You are able to mix two dyes together.
Overall, dyes are a completely optional part of your Minecraft journey. But if you, like us, like to journey in style, gathering them and putting them to good use is worth the extra work.