How to Make a Candle in Minecraft

Guide Java Bedrock

Quick answer: Craft string over honeycomb for a candle, then combine it with any dye for one of 16 colors. Candles stack up to 4 in one block space - each lit candle adds 3 light levels, so a full cluster of 4 gives off light level 12.

What you need

1 string per candle (spiders, cobwebs, fishing, cat gifts)
1 honeycomb per candle (bee nests and beehives)
Any dye for color variants

Step by step

Get honeycomb from a full bee nest or beehive (shear it at honey level 5, ideally with a campfire underneath to calm the bees).
Get string from spiders, cobwebs or fishing.
Craft the candle: string in the top-center slot, honeycomb directly below it.
Dye it: combine the candle with any dye for one of 16 colors - dyed candles can never change color again.
Place up to 4 same-color candles in a single block space and light them with flint and steel: 1 candle = light 3, 2 = 6, 3 = 9, 4 = 12.
Top a cake with candles for birthday builds - you can place candles on an uneaten cake and light them.

Java vs Bedrock

Identical in Java and Bedrock: same recipe, same 4-per-block stacking and the same 3-light-per-candle scale (max 12). Candles are waterloggable - they survive underwater placement but obviously cannot stay lit there. Puddle them out with a water bucket or by hand.

Versions: Added in 1.17 (Caves & Cliffs Part I, 20w45a). Non-dyed and white candles generate in ancient cities, and non-dyed and red ones appear in trial chambers - so you can loot them before ever crafting one.

Frequently asked questions

How many candles can you put on one block?

Four, but only of the same color. Each lit candle adds 3 light levels, so a cluster of 4 gives light level 12 - close to a torch's 14.

How do you dye candles?

Craft a plain candle with any dye. Once dyed it is locked to that color forever, so dye in the color you actually want before placing clusters.

Do candles work underwater?

They are waterloggable, so you can place them in water without breaking - but a lit candle goes out when waterlogged. They are decoration down there, not light.