minecraft

Best Things to Make in Minecraft: Our Top Recipes

Crafting is how items and blocks are made within the Minecraft game. In order to craft, you must take items or ingredients from your inventory and put them into a crafting grid to produce the desired object or block. Players are able to access a 2×2 crafting grid from their inventory by pressing E on their keyboard.

From here players can craft basic items like wood planks, sticks, a crafting table, and torches. Once a crafting table has been created, players now have access to a 3×3 crafting grid and can create a large variety of objects and blocks.

There are two types of crafting shapeless and shaped, shapeless crafting means that the ingredients to create the item or block do not be in a particular order box within the crafting grid. While shaped crafting requires a particular pattern in order to make that object, however, there is often some wiggle room.

For example, the recipe for a break is a 3×1 recipe and can be made using any row. Some recipes are not able to be mirrored or changed at all; these are known as fixed recipes.

In order to find various recipes, players must look inside the recipe book. A recipe book is essentially a catalog of recipes that can be used to craft various objects and blocks. It is found by opening our inventory or using a crafting table, furnace, blast furnace, or smoker.

Basic Recipes

minecraft planks

There are ten very basic and extremely useful recipes in Minecraft. These are recipes you are going to want to memorize if you play the game consistently as they are generally used shortly after spawning.

Planks

Planks are the easiest crafting recipe you can make and also one of the most used blocks when it comes to crafting. In order to make a plank, first, chop down a tree.

Gather the wood from the tree and place it in a square in your inventory crafting grid. This will create four planks for every one piece of wood. After creating planks you can go on to make various other items within the game.

Stick

Sticks are another important item when it comes to crafting because they are central to making a variety of tools and providing light when it’s dark out. In order to make sticks, you must place two planks in a vertical fashion on your crafting grid. This will yield four sticks to every two planks that you use.

Torches

Torches are generally used for light during the night and while exploring caves. They are a central part of playing Minecraft and often one of the first items players go resource gathering for.

Torches can also melt snow within two blocks around it or ice within 3 blocks. In order to make a torch, you must first mine for coal and create sticks using planks. Placing a stick in the bottom of the crafting grid and a piece of coal directly on top of it will yield four torches to every stick and piece of coal used.

Crafting Table

A crafting table is used to create objects that cannot be made in the inventory crafting grid because of its size limitations.

Crafting tables present a 3×3 environment for players to craft various items. In order to make a crafting table take four planks and place them in every square in your inventory crafting grid.

Chest

Chests are another extremely useful tool in the game because they hold everything and anything until you have a use for it. Chests in vanilla Minecraft are the main storage tool and are used heavily. I often find myself making specific storage rooms filled with chests.

When placing a chest you can place two next to each other to become one big chest that can hold double the capacity. To make a chest place planks around the entire outside of the crafting tables grid and leave the middle empty.

Beds

minecraft beds

Beds in Minecraft operate as a respawn point and a way to pass nighttime without having to worry about constantly fighting off mobs. It’s important to remember that you can only go to sleep if there are no mobs in the immediate vicinity of you.

Additionally, when you choose a spot laying a bed down will make sure to respawn in that spot if you were to die. To create a bed put three planks on the bottom of the crafting table crafting grid and three blocks of wool in the middle row.

Furnace

Furnaces have a variety of uses including melting down ore obtained from mining into bars that can be used easily during crafting.

Additionally, furnaces can be used to make a variety of foods including my favorite in the game and in real life baked potatoes. To make a furnace take cobblestone and place it in the same pattern as a chest.

Door

A door purpose in Minecraft is pretty basic, it’s used to keep unwanted mobs and creatures from entering your dwelling, mine, etc. They can also be decorative and used to make rooms in a nice house. To make a door place six planks vertically in two rows.

Ladder

Ladders are typically used as an alternative to stairs because they are space-saving. They are perfect for mine shafts or climbing up large areas.

I personally use ladders a lot when I make tree houses in Minecraft. To make a ladder, place three sticks in the left vertical row, one stick in the middle of the grid, and three sticks on the right vertical grid.

Fence

Fences are another very useful item in Minecraft, especially at the very beginning because they are easy to make and a simple way to keep mobs and other creatures from getting your base. While they aren’t the most structurally sound item in terms of keeping mobs out they certainly serve their purpose.

They are also great for animals contained in one area. To make a fence, place two planks in the right vertical row, two sticks in the middle vertical row, and 2 more planks on the left vertical row.

Blocks Recipes

glowstones

Glowstone

Glowstone is typically found within the nether and can be used to make something similar to torches. They admit the brightest level of light possible in the game making them an alternative to torches once you are able to access the nether. Making a glow stone block is done by placing glow dust in four squares on the crafting grid.

Stairs

Stairs are pretty self-explanatory used in houses and other dwellings to move up blocks with ease and without jumping.

Stairs can be made out of a variety of different blocks. Most commonly they are made out of wood or stone. In order to make stairs place your blocks in a stair-like fashion on the 3×3 crafting table as shown below.

Walls

Walls are an alternative to wood fencing and iron bars. They are stronger and can withstand higher blasts from mobs.

Typically walls are made out of cobblestone but they can also be made out of a variety of materials. To make a wall place six blocks of cobble or other material in the bottom two rows of the 3×3 crafting grid. This will make six walls in total.

Sandstone

Sandstone can be both created and found naturally within the game. Typically sandstone is found in desert areas and beaches, as well as, under several layers of sand.

Sandstone is typically used for decorative purposes and for building. Certain types of sandstone are harder than others and are great for protecting yourself from mobs. To make a block of sandstone take four pieces of sand and place them in a square in a crafting grid.

Mining Blocks

This encompasses a lot of different material but mostly gems you find while mining. For example, gold, silver, lapis lazuli, and diamond blocks are all made with the same basic pattern. To make a block of any of these resources you would simply fill a 3×3 crafting grid with the material.

Quartz Block

Quartz is more or less a decorative object and can be used to make buildings look nice. Quartz is mined using a pickaxe and can be used to make a variety of quartz decorative blocks. To make block quartz take four pieces of quartz and put them in a crafting grid in a square.

Tools

Pickaxe

Pickaxe

Pickaxes are used to mine different resources to make better and longer-lasting tools. Pickaxes are usually made from wood to start and they progress from iron all the way to diamond which is the hardest pickaxe.

Regardless of the material being used to make the pickaxe the recipe pattern is the same. Place two sticks vertically in the middle with three items of your material on the top row.

Axe

Axes are used to chop down trees and other wood-based objects and blocks. Similar to other base tools, the item is usually made with wood to start and then when harder and more durable materials as you progress within the game.

Axes are created by placing two sticks in the middle row and three items of the material being used in the top left corner, as shown below.

Hoe

Hoes are used to easily clear land and to till the ground before planting food items, such as potatoes, carrots, etc. They are a useful tool for players who like to farm in the game, however, they don’t find much use outside of farming.

Hoes are made by placing two sticks in the center column and two pieces of preferred material in the top left corner and the top middlebox.

Shovel

Shovels are used to clear dirt, sand, gravel, and to mine clay. They are a useful tool when building your base or going mining for other resources.

I personally keep a pick, axe, and shovel on me at all times in the game. To make a shovel place two sticks in the middle column like you would with other tools and then place one piece of material in the very top middlebox.

Shears

Shears are used to acquiring wool without having to kill sheep. Unless you are specifically looking for both wool and lamb chops it’s easier to acquire wool by simply shearing the sheep around you.

This makes it so that you will have a steady supply of wool from only a couple of animals, instead of needing to hunt down new sheep every time you need wool. To make shears place an iron ingot in the bottom left corner and middlebox of the crafting grid.

Fishing Pole

Fishing poles are used to capture fish for eating. I personally don’t use fishing poles in the game but they are a very important and basic tool for many. To make a fishing pole take three sticks and put them in the crafting table diagonally left to right and then place two pieces of string in the bottom right corner and the box right above that.

Flint and Steel

Flint and steel is a very useful item in Minecraft because it is used to create fires. This can be used for camping fires to cook food or even in a fireplace in your newly built Minecraft homestead.

Whatever the use I recommend every player having a few of these on hand. To make flint and steel you need an iron bar placed in the second row on the left side and a piece of flint obtained by mining coal on the bottom row in the middle.

Bucket

Buckets are a useful tool for moving liquid items from one place to another. For example, if you want to build a pool you can move water using a bucket from a natural water source to your man-made pool. You can also use buckets to milk cows for their milk for food recipes.

To make a bucket place an iron ingot in the middlebox of the left and right column and another ingot in the middlebox of the bottom row.

Armor, Traps, and Weapons

minecraft hats

Helmet

Helmets are one part of an entire armor set that your Minecraft character can wear to protect themselves when fighting mobs.

Armour can be made from various materials including leather, iron, gold, and gems like a diamond. As with most items in Minecraft diamond is the strongest form of it. To make a helmet place three of the desired material across the middle row and two pieces in the bottom corners of the crafting grid.

Chest Plate

Chest plates are another form of armor that can be worn by the player. There made by filling the entire crafting grid with the desired material except for the top middlebox.

Leggings

Leggings are the next piece in a full armor set that needs to be made. Leggings are made by making a U shape in the crafting box with your desired material while leaving the middlebox and bottom middle box empty.

Boots

Boots complete the armor ensemble and allow for your players to be completely covered and protected from attacks. To make boots simply place a piece of the desired material in the left bottom two vertical boxes and again the same on the right.

Sword

Swords are the basic defense tool that can be made and are very easy to use and wield in the game. I personally use swords over bows because I find them to be much easier with the mechanics in the game. Swords can be made by placing a stick in the bottom middlebox and a piece of material in the boxes above that, as shown below.

Bow

Bows are another defense tool that can be used to fight various mobs and enemies. In order to use a bow, you must all have an error in your inventory. Bows are made by placing three pieces of string in the left column, two sticks in the middle column leaving the middlebox empty and one stick in the middle right box forming a triangle shape.

Arrows

Arrows are the accompiant to bows and must be in your inventory if you want to use a bow. They are simple to make but can be tricky to acquire a large amount of the resources needed. To make four arrows place a feather in the bottom middlebox, a stick in the middlebox, and a piece of flint in the top middlebox.

Horse Armour

For those that love to tame and keep horses, making horse armor allows for your horse to be better protected from mobs.

Horse armor can only be made out of leather and isn’t the most protective gear but it’s better than nothing when it comes to our beloved Minecraft pets. To make horse armor fill the crafting grid with your desired material but leave the top and bottom boxes empty.

Useful items

minecraft recipes

Paper

Paper is an item that is valuable when trying to obtain emeralds. 30 pieces of paper is equal to one emerald which can be bought from librarian villagers. Paper can also be used to craft books and maps. In order to make paper, you must take three pieces of sugarcane and put them in the bottom row of a 3×3 crafting grid.

Book

Books are made using paper and leather and are mostly used for enchanting. To make a book place three pieces of paper in a 3×3 crafting grid and one piece of leather.

Iron Bars

Iron bars serve a similar purpose as glass panes and are used mainly to keep mobs out. I have also used them when creating fireplaces as well for a nice decorative touch.

They can also be used to make arrow slits but placing them between a solid block and a door. This creates a small slit that arrows and be shot through and that mobs can try to attack the player through. To make iron bars place six iron ingots horizontally across two rows in a 3×3 crafting grid.

Glass Panes

Glass panes are pretty self-explanatory, the glass pieces that can be put into gaps between solid blocks to not only block them out but also create a nice window. If you are a builder then this item is invaluable in giving houses that final touch. To make window panes place six pieces of the glass horizontally across two rows in a 3×3 crafting grid.

Blast Furnace

A blast furnace has the same functions as a normal furnace but it functions at twice the speed as a normal furnace. To make a blast furnace place three pieces of smoother stone along the bottom row of a 3×3 crafting grid. Then place a furnace in the center box and iron ingots in the remaining boxes.

Smoker

Smokers are similar to a blast furnace but they are only for food items. They can cook food items twice as fast as a normal furnace and make a great oven for a house. To make a smoker place a furnace in the middle center box and four pieces of wood around it.

Lantern

Lanterns are essentially a decorative version of a torch. They can be used as a regular table lamp or placed on posts or outside of buildings to make a nice light source. To make a lantern take eight iron nuggets and fill a 3×3 crafting grid leaving the middlebox empty. Then place a torch in the middlebox.

Anvil

Anvils are used to repair items, rename items and combine enchantments. Anvils are a rather expensive item to make as they require three iron blocks and four more iron ingots. In order to make an iron place the three iron blocks in the top row, one iron ingot below that in the middlebox, and three iron ingots in the bottom row.

Leads

Leads or leashes are used to keep passive mobs from running away. Their main function is to keep horses from running away and to be able to tie them to a fence post.

When a passive mob has a lead on they will follow the player. This is useful if you are trying to acquire farm animals or even just a horse. In order to make a lead place a slime ball in the center box, a piece of string in the right bottom corner box, three pieces of string in the corners as shown below.

Food

Bread

Bread is one of the most basic and useful food items you can make in Minecraft. It does not require a furnace and multiple ingredients and therefore makes it very accessible quickly into the game. To make bread, place three pieces of wheat in one row of the 3×3 crafting grid.

Cake

Unlike bread, a cake is a lot more complicated to make and requires a number of ingredients including milk, sugar, egg, and wheat. To make a cake, place three buckets of milk in the top row of a 3×3 crafting grid, then place an egg in the center box, two pieces of sugar on either side of the egg, and three pieces of wheat in the bottom row.

Cookie

Cookies are an easy item to make if you can find a source of cocoa beans. In order to make eight cookies, place one thing of cocoa beans in the center of a row in a 3×3 crafting grid and place two pieces of wheat on either side.

Golden Apple

Golden apples are great for providing a large amount of health and hunger satisfaction. They also help improve the chance of taming a horse and speeding up the growth of a baby horse.

However, due to their expensive nature, they are not an item to rely on within the game. In order to make a golden apple, place a normal apple in the center box of a 3×3 crafting grid and fill the rest of the boxes with gold ingot.

Pumpkin Pie

Pumpkin pie is a simple item to make and easily satiates hunger. In order to make pumpkin pie take one pumpkin, one sugar, and one egg into a crafting grid.

Sugar

Sugar is made from sugar cane and is an item found in most sweet food recipes and can be used in the process of brewing and healing horses. It will also help increase the taming possibility but 3%. To make sugar simply place a piece of sugarcane in a crafting grid. One sugarcane gives one piece of sugar.

Golden Carrot

Golden carrots provide the most food saturation in the game, they can also be used to tame, breed, grow and heal horses, donkeys, and mules as well as to breed and grow rabbits. Golden carrots are also used when brewing certain potions. To make a golden carrot place a carrot in the middlebox of a 3×3 crafting grid and place golden nuggets in the remaining boxes.

Dyes

colors in minecraft

Dyes are typically used to color various items within the game, most notably wool. In some mod packs, dyes have a much more prominent role but in vanilla Minecraft, their use is pretty much limited to coloring various objects and occasionally can be used to trade.

There are many different types and colors of dye. Below are some of the most common and easiest to make.

Red Dye

Red dye is made by placing a poppy in one box on a crafting grid. One red poppy yields one red dye.

Yellow Dye

Yellow dye can be made from either sunflowers or dandelions and just need to be placed into a square on a crafting grid.

Blue Dye

Blue dye can be made from Lapis Lazuli or Cornflower and just needs to be placed in a crafting grid.

Green Dye

Green dye is made a little differently than other dyes. In order to make green dye you simply must smelt cactus in a furnace. One cactus will produce one green dye.

Brown Dye

Brown dye is made from placing cocoa beans in a crafting grid. One cocoa bean will produce one brow dye.

Black Dye

Black dye can be made from a squid’s ink sack which can be acquired by killing a squid or by finding withering roses. Placing either of these ingredients in a crafting grid will yield one black dye.

Bone Meal

Bone Meal is a well-used item in Minecraft and can be used to make white dye or be used as dye itself. To make a bone meal simply place a bone in a crafting grid.

So there you have it, a comprehensive guide to some of the most used and basic recipes in Minecraft. Whether you are a builder, adventuring, defender, or simply some person who wants to get into Minecraft you are sure to find a recipe that will become one of your must use on this list.

FAQs

Question: What do I do if I can’t find ingredients near me?

Answer: Time to become an adventurer, take your pick, your axe, your shovel, a sword, and some food, and go off to find as many ingredients as you can bring back with you.

Once you create a base and have the basics of food production, a safe place to sleep, and a place to store items I always take a few days and adventure to find new items and ingredients for recipes.

Question: What is the most used Minecraft item?

Answer: The crafting table is probably the most used item in Minecraft. You will use the crafting table for the majority of recipes in Minecraft. It’s also one item I highly suggest you make as soon as possible after spawning. Without it, you can’t create tools to advance in the game.

Question: What item should I mine a lot of?

Answer: Naturally, you are going to mine a lot of cobblestones while looking for other resources and I suggest you store all of the cobblestones somewhere. Even when other resources are scarce you can use them to make various tools. I also suggest mining as much coal as you can because it has a variety of uses within the game and most importantly you need it to smelt ores and make torches.

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