Boil the roots with water to create the dye bath.
How to make Red Dye in Minecraft
This Minecraft tutorial explains how to craft red dye (formerly called rose red) with screenshots and step-by-step instructions.
In Minecraft, red dye is one of the many dyes that you can make. There is more than one way to craft red dye.
Let’s explore how to make red dye.
Supported Platforms
Red dye is available in the following versions of Minecraft:
| Platform | Supported (Version*) |
|---|---|
| Java Edition (PC/Mac) | Yes |
| Pocket Edition (PE) | Yes |
| Xbox 360 | Yes |
| Xbox One | Yes |
| PS3 | Yes |
| PS4 | Yes |
| Wii U | Yes |
| Nintendo Switch | Yes |
| Windows 10 Edition | Yes |
| Education Edition | Yes |
* The version that it was added or removed, if applicable.
NOTE: Pocket Edition (PE), Xbox One, PS4, Nintendo Switch, and Windows 10 Edition are now called Bedrock Edition. We will continue to show them individually for version history.
Where to find Red Dye in Creative Mode
Minecraft Java Edition (PC/Mac)
Here is where you can find red dye in the Creative Inventory menu:
| Platform | Version(s) | Creative Menu Location |
|---|---|---|
| Java Edition (PC/Mac) | 1.8 – 1.11 | Materials |
| Java Edition (PC/Mac) | 1.12 – 1.19 | Miscellaneous |
| Java Edition (PC/Mac) | 1.19.3 – 1.20 | Ingredients |
Minecraft Pocket Edition (PE)
Here is where you can find red dye in the Creative Inventory menu:
| Platform | Version(s) | Creative Menu Location |
|---|---|---|
| Pocket Edition (PE) | 0.14.1 – 1.1.3 | Miscellaneous |
| Pocket Edition (PE) | 1.2 – 1.19.83 | Nature |
Minecraft Xbox Editions
Here is where you can find red dye in the Creative Inventory menu:
| Platform | Version(s) | Creative Menu Location |
|---|---|---|
| Xbox 360 | TU35 – TU69 | Materials |
| Xbox One | CU23 – CU43 | Materials |
| Xbox One | 1.2.5 – 1.19.83 | Nature |
Minecraft PS Editions
Here is where you can find red dye in the Creative Inventory menu:
| Platform | Version(s) | Creative Menu Location |
|---|---|---|
| PS3 | 1.26 – 1.76 | Materials |
| PS4 | 1.26 – 1.91 | Materials |
| PS4 | 1.14.0 – 1.19.83 | Nature |
Minecraft Nintendo
Here is where you can find red dye in the Creative Inventory menu:
| Platform | Version(s) | Creative Menu Location |
|---|---|---|
| Wii U | Patch 3 – Patch 38 | Materials |
| Nintendo Switch | 1.04 – 1.11 | Materials |
| Nintendo Switch | 1.5.0 – 1.19.83 | Nature |
Minecraft Windows 10 Edition
Here is where you can find red dye in the Creative Inventory menu:
| Platform | Version(s) | Creative Menu Location |
|---|---|---|
| Windows 10 Edition | 0.14.1 – 1.1.3 | Miscellaneous |
| Windows 10 Edition | 1.2 – 1.19.83 | Nature |
Minecraft Education Edition
Here is where you can find red dye in the Creative Inventory menu:
| Platform | Version(s) | Creative Menu Location |
|---|---|---|
| Education Edition | 0.14.2 – 1.0.18 | Miscellaneous |
| Education Edition | 1.0.21 – 1.17.30 | Nature |
Definitions
- Platform is the platform that applies.
- Version(s) is the Minecraft version numbers where the item can be found in the menu location listed (we have tested and confirmed this version number).
- Creative Menu Location is the location of the item in the Creative Inventory menu.
How to Make Natural Red Food Coloring
You know those veggies that will stain anything they come in contact with? Well, you can use them to your advantage to make natural food coloring.
There are two kinds of food dyes you can make: liquid dyes work well with purées, frosting, and creams, whereas powder dye is the way to go when it comes to sturdy doughs, for example.
- Beet: make fresh beet juice or buy organic beet powder, depending on what you want to use the dye for. Cut three red beets into thin slices. Place the chunks in a pot and cover with water, then bring to a boil. Let everything simmer until the beets have lost their dark red color and soaked up most of the water. Take out the beets and add them to your next meal. Preserve the leftover juice and use as food dye. You can for instance use it to make a wonderful red velvet cake. Curious? Try this Vegan Red Velvet Cake Recipe.
- Raspberries and strawberries will give you a lighter, rose color and add a sweet fruity note that goes well with just about any desert. Simply place the berries in a pot, add the same amount of water and let everything simmer until you get a soft paste. Stir regularly. You can also put your fresh or frozen berries in a blender and mix them until they’re soft. Use the fruit puree as is, or pass the berries through a straining cloth and use the juice that comes out. Raspberry dye looks and tastes great with fillings and frostings, ice cream and other deserts. For instance, try them with this No Bake Vegan Cheesecake Recipe.
- Instead of using raspberries or strawberries you can also choose red currants to get a light red color and black currants for a darker red. Simply remove the currants from the stems and boil them following the steps described above.
- You can achieve a rich crimson color by boiling pomegranate seeds with a matching amount of water (e.g. 1 cup of seeds with 1 cup of water) and, once the water has taken on the color of the seeds, straining it into a glass. Of course you can also use store-bought pure pomegranate juice.
Tip: To get more concentrated dye, you can also grind freeze dried fruit to turn them into powder.
This Easter, embrace natural egg dye’s vibrant hues and dye your eggs with organic ingredients! Here’s how to do it…
Natural Blue Food Coloring
Red Cabbage
Blue food dye may look artificial, but you can get a nice blue dye using only two ingredients: red cabbage and baking soda. Chop red cabbage and place it in a large pot, then add enough water to cover the chunks. Let the mixture simmer for about 20 minutes over medium heat. Strain the cabbage and pour the liquid back into the pot. Bring to a simmer again until some of the water has evaporated and you get a thick consistency. Stir in a bit of baking soda, but no more than roughly ⅓ teaspoon or else you’ll end up with that salty baking soda taste. Watch the liquid turn from purple to blue, then transfer to a jar to cool. You’re done! Use as an instant food coloring to give fresh pasta an insane blue color, make a blue cake or dye your easter eggs.
Blueberries
From blueberries you can derive a slightly more purplish food dye. You can prepare them by following the instructions for raspberries above. Recipe idea: you can make a stunning blue chocolate glaze by melting white chocolate over a hot water bath and then adding the strained blueberries. Once everything is mixed thoroughly, dip cookies in the glaze or pour it over a cake.
Blueberries taste delicious, but they sometimes leave behind dark stains. Learn how to remove blueberry stains using home remedies.
Other Natural Food Dye Options
Natural Green Food Coloring
From matcha powder to liquid dye made out of parsley and spinach there are lots of ways to create a lush green color. You can find organic matcha tea powder online or get it from a local seller. Mix the powder with icing for cake, for instance, or dissolve it in some water and then use as dye.
Another way to get liquid green food coloring is to use spinach or parsley and puree the greens with a bit of water. Then pass the leaves through a sieve or strainer and collect the green “juice”. Bring the liquid to a boil, then scoop up the green dye swimming at the top.
Other Colors
You can get a nice yellow color by adding turmeric to your food. Be aware that the spice has a strong taste that doesn’t go with everything. Carrot juice makes for an excellent orange food coloring that goes well with sweets. For your next Halloween cupcake project, find out how to make black food coloring for baking and frosting.
- How to Make Homemade Playdough: An Easy DIY Recipe
- Matcha vs. Green Tea: What’s the Difference?
- Cooking Red Lentils: Tips and Tricks
St. John’s Wort
St. John’s Wort, Hypericum perforatum, is now known as an over-the-counter treatment for mild depression. But for many years the plant that can be found in almost every country was gathered to create red dye.
It is a perennial plant with extensive, creeping rhizomes. Its stems are erect and the leaves are yellow-green. The flowers have five petals and are bright yellow with conspicuous black dots. The flowers appear between late spring and early to mid-summer.
The whole plant must be soaked in isopropyl alcohol (rubbing alcohol) to create a red dye bath.
Sumac Fruit
Sumac, Rhus, grows in subtropical and temperate regions throughout the world, especially in Africa and North America. They propagate easily and can become a nuisance shrub or small tree.
Almost every part of the common sumac plant can be used to create a dye. The leaves will produce a tan or very light brown dye when boiled with water. Leather tanned with sumac is flexible, light in weight, and light in color. One type of leather made with sumac tannins is Morocco leather.
It is the ripened fruit that will produce a light red dye bath when boiled with water.
Sycamore Bark
The sycamore tree, Platanus occidentalis, is native to North America. It is easily recognizable from other trees by its mottled exfoliating bark, which flakes off in great irregular masses, leaving the surface greenish-white, gray, and brown.
The reddish-brown bark will create a red dye bath when boiled with water.
