Blue Dye — Minecraft block

Blue Dye

Blue Dye is a primary dye crafted from one lapis lazuli or one cornflower, used to color wool, beds, banners, and concrete.

Block ID minecraft:blue_dye
Mod Vanilla
Game versions
1.21

Description

Blue Dye is one of the 16 primary dyes in Minecraft, crafted on a 1:1 basis from a single lapis lazuli or a single cornflower since the Village & Pillage update (Java 1.14). Before 1.14 lapis lazuli itself acted as the blue dye, but the two items were split so lapis lazuli could keep its enchanting and storage roles while Blue Dye handles coloring. The cornflower recipe makes Blue Dye fully renewable, since cornflowers spawn in plains and sunflower plains biomes and can be regrown with bone meal.

Blue Dye colors a wide range of objects: wool, terracotta, glass, concrete powder, beds, banners, candles, leather armor, shulker boxes, and the collars of tamed wolves and cats. Combining Blue Dye with green dye produces cyan dye, with white dye produces light blue dye, and with red dye produces purple dye, making Blue Dye a key ingredient for the cooler half of the color wheel. Builders rely on Blue Dye for ocean-themed builds, banner patterns, and large stained-glass windows where a deep saturated blue is needed.

Java & Bedrock Guide

How to make and use Blue Dye in Minecraft

  1. 1

    Get lapis lazuli or a cornflower

    Mine lapis lazuli ore between Y-level 0 and 64, or pick a cornflower from a plains or sunflower plains biome. Either item works as the ingredient.

  2. 2

    Craft the Blue Dye

    Place one lapis lazuli or one cornflower anywhere in the crafting grid. This shapeless recipe outputs one Blue Dye per ingredient.

  3. 3

    Apply the dye

    Combine Blue Dye with wool, a bed, a banner, leather armor, a candle, or concrete powder to color it blue. On Bedrock you can also dye signs and tamed animal collars.

  4. 4

    Mix secondary colors

    Craft Blue Dye with green dye for cyan, with white dye for light blue, or with red dye for purple to expand your palette.

Version note

Blue Dye exists as a separate item only from Java 1.14 and Bedrock 1.10 onward. In older versions, use lapis lazuli directly as the blue dye.

How to craft this block

Ingredients: Lapis Lazuli Lapis Lazuli x1
Crafting
Blue Dye
1
Blue Dye

Used in crafts

Frequently asked questions

How do you make Blue Dye in Minecraft?

Place a single lapis lazuli or a single cornflower in the crafting grid. Each ingredient produces one Blue Dye in a shapeless recipe.

Is Blue Dye renewable?

Yes. The cornflower recipe makes Blue Dye renewable, because cornflowers spawn in plains biomes and can be regrown with bone meal.

What can you color with Blue Dye?

Blue Dye colors wool, terracotta, glass, concrete powder, beds, banners, candles, leather armor, shulker boxes, and tamed wolf and cat collars.

How do you make cyan or purple from Blue Dye?

Combine Blue Dye with green dye to make cyan dye, or with red dye to make purple dye. Blue Dye plus white dye makes light blue dye.

Does Blue Dye work in both Java and Bedrock Edition?

Yes. Blue Dye works in both editions, available as a separate item from Java 1.14 and Bedrock 1.10. Before that, lapis lazuli was used directly.

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