Minecraft · practical building plans

What this build does A quick shelter with space for a bed, crafting table and furnace.

Materials 71 full building blocks, 1 door and 4 torches. Optional bed, crafting table, furnace and chest.

Edition Java and Bedrock · Survival

How to test it At night, check that you can reach the bed with the door closed and that there are no gaps in the walls or roof. A paved floor costs 25 extra blocks.

1. Use level ground as the floor. Mark a 5 × 5 outer footprint.
2. Raise the perimeter three blocks. Leave the lowest two blocks open at the entrance. The walls use 46 blocks.
3. Cap it with a 5 × 5 roof of 25 blocks and place the door. Set the bed, table and furnace around the edges.
4. Put two torches on opposite interior walls, one at the entrance and one on the roof.

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What this build does A wide crossing over a river or ravine.

Materials For a 12-block span, 36 full deck blocks, 24 fence or wall pieces and 4 torches. Add supports and ramps as needed.

Edition Java and Bedrock · Survival

How to test it Walk across in both directions. The railing should connect across the whole span. Widen it if you need a riding lane.

1. Mark both ends at the same height. Start with a three-block-wide section on the first bank.
2. Hold Sneak when placing over the edge. Extend the deck by another eleven rows of three blocks.
3. Put twelve fence or wall pieces on each outside row. Keep the center lane clear throughout.
4. Put two torches by each entrance, on top of the railing posts. Connect the banks with ramps or stairs.

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What this build does A visible landmark with railings and a fixed climb.

Materials 30 full building blocks, 7 ladders, 16 fences, 2 torches and temporary blocks if needed.

Edition Java and Bedrock · Survival

How to test it Check you can climb up and down without jumping. If the floor stops you, make sure the ladder reaches the seventh block and its square on level six is clear.

1. Build a seven-block pillar and attach seven ladders to the same side, one on each block.
2. Build a 5 × 5 floor around the sixth pillar block. Leave only the square occupied by the ladder open. The pillar forms the center, so you need 23 additional floor blocks.
3. Enclose the perimeter with 16 fences. The ladder shaft stays inside the railing. Put a torch on the pillar and another near the entrance.
4. Climb above floor height and step sideways onto a clear square inside the fence.

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What this build does Four large storage bins for common material groups.

Materials 8 chests, 4 item frames or signs, 4 sample items for frames, and 8 optional full blocks for a plinth.

Edition Java and Bedrock · Survival

How to test it Each pair should open as one large chest. If two chests stay separate, replace them while standing normally and facing the same direction.

1. Mark four separate two-chest positions. Leave a one-block gap between pairs.
2. Place two ordinary chests side by side facing the same way. Leave space above each pair so the lids can open.
3. Sneak-place an item frame on the front of each pair and insert a sample item. Cobblestone, a log, wheat and an iron ingot can represent four categories.
4. Stock the common categories first. Use an optional ninth chest for unsorted items.

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What this build does A basic wheat, carrot or potato field watered by one source.

Materials 80 dirt or grass blocks, 1 water bucket, 1 hoe and up to 80 seeds or crops; optional 39 fences and 1 gate for an 11 × 11 outer ring.

Edition Java and Bedrock · Survival

How to test it The outer corners should darken as they hydrate. If they stay dry, count from the center and check the water height.

1. Mark a flat 9 × 9 square and put a water source in the center square on the same level.
2. Till the other 80 squares with a hoe. The source reaches four blocks in either horizontal direction.
3. Plant wheat seeds, carrots or potatoes. Start with whatever you have and replant after harvesting.
4. Light the perimeter. Add a gate to the optional fence and avoid jumping on the farmland.

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What this build does Turn surplus plant material into bone meal automatically.

Materials 1 composter, 2 hoppers, 2 chests and compostable material such as wheat seeds.

Edition Java and Bedrock · Survival

How to test it Test with several compostable items. Bone meal appears below after a filling cycle. If it stays empty, check hopper direction, item compatibility and nearby redstone power.

1. Set the output chest on the floor. Sneak-place a hopper with its spout pointing into the chest.
2. Put the composter directly on top of the output hopper.
3. Sneak-place the second hopper directly on top of the composter, spout down. Put the input chest on top.
4. Load the input chest with surplus wheat seeds or other compostable items.

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What this build does Smelt ore, sand or food in batches and collect the output.

Materials 1 furnace, 3 hoppers, 3 chests and fuel; crafting costs 8 cobblestone, 15 iron ingots and 48 planks.

Edition Java and Bedrock · Survival

How to test it Each hopper's spout must point into its destination. Blast furnaces handle eligible ores and metal items; smokers handle eligible food.

1. Place the output chest. Sneak-place a hopper pointing into the chest.
2. Place the furnace above the output hopper. Add another hopper to the top of the furnace and the input chest above it.
3. Point the third hopper into the side of the furnace and put the fuel chest above this hopper.
4. Put sand into the top chest and coal into the side chest. Glass arrives in the lower output chest.

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What this build does Grow paper and sugar in a small farm without redstone.

Materials 16 sugar cane, 16 dirt or sand, 8 water source blocks, two bucketfuls for a renewable water source, and torches for visibility.

Edition Java and Bedrock · Survival

How to test it If a stalk will not place, water must touch the side of its planting block. Bone meal works on sugar cane in Bedrock; Java sugar cane grows without it.

1. Dig an eight-block-long, one-block-deep canal. Line each long side with eight plantable blocks.
2. Fill the canal. A separate 2 × 2 pool with source blocks in opposite corners provides the extra bucketfuls.
3. Plant sugar cane on bank blocks immediately beside water. Leave at least two clear blocks above each plant.
4. Harvest the upper two segments of three-block stalks, leaving the bottom segment to regrow.

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What this build does A compact automated module for bamboo building materials or fuel.

Materials 1 bamboo, 1 dirt, 1 piston, 1 observer, 1 redstone dust, 1 hopper minecart, 1 standard rail, 1 hopper, 1 chest, 4 support blocks and several glass blocks.

Edition Java and Bedrock · Survival

How to test it Use bone meal for a quick test. The bottom bamboo must remain after the piston fires. Check that the hopper minecart stays over the hopper and bamboo reaches the chest.

1. Build an output chest with a hopper pointing into its side. Put a rail and hopper minecart on the hopper. Position the dirt planting block directly above the cart.
2. Place the piston at the side facing the second bamboo segment above the dirt. Place the observer directly above the piston, facing the third segment.
3. Put a solid block behind the piston and redstone dust on top of it. The observer's output points at the dust.
4. Enclose the harvest area with glass. Plant bamboo and keep the observer's viewing position clear.

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What this build does Collect eggs automatically while keeping the chickens safe.

Materials 1 hopper, 1 chest, 16 wall blocks, 1 trapdoor and several eggs. Use temporary supports for the wall if needed.

Edition Java and Bedrock · Survival

How to test it An item tossed onto the hopper should arrive below. Keep only a few chickens in the small chamber, adding separate modules if needed.

1. Place the output chest on the ground. Sneak-place the hopper directly above it, pointing down into the chest.
2. Place eight wall blocks in a 3 × 3 ring at hopper height. Stack a second ring above it. Chickens stand on the hopper in the center. Keep the space in front of the chest clear.
3. Throw eggs in from above until chicks hatch. Cover the opening with a trapdoor.
4. Let chicks grow up. Stay nearby until the adult chickens lay eggs.

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What this build does Launch a minecart from a standstill with a button.

Materials 1 minecart, 1 powered rail for launch, 1 lever or button, 1 full conductive backstop block, standard rails and extra powered rails where needed.

Edition Java and Bedrock · Survival

How to test it If the rail lights up but the cart does not move, check the backstop at the end of the rail axis. If it stays dark, move the lever directly beside it.

1. Put the full block at the end of the track. Place a flat powered rail beside it with the track aligned into the block.
2. Put a lever beside the powered rail on a neighboring support and extend the track away from the backstop using ordinary rails.
3. Place the minecart on the unpowered rail, get in and flip the lever. The cart should move away from the backstop.
4. Add extra powered rails on climbs. Use normal rails for corners.

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What this build does An entrance you can operate from both sides with a short pulse.

Materials 1 iron door, 2 stone buttons, a solid column beside the opening and solid floor blocks.

Edition Java and Bedrock · Survival

How to test it Test each button separately before sealing the room. Wooden buttons can be triggered by arrows; use stone buttons for this entrance.

1. Leave a one-block-wide, two-block-high doorway. Place the iron door on solid ground.
2. Pick the solid wall block adjacent to the lower half of the door. Attach one stone button to the outer face and the other to the opposite inner face.
3. Press the outer button and walk through. Repeat from inside with the second button.
4. If the door is offset from the button block, move the button block so its side touches the door.

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What this build does Control lighting in a wall or over a work area.

Materials 1 redstone lamp crafted from 1 glowstone and 4 redstone dust, 1 lever; optional full blocks and redstone dust for a remote wire.

Edition Java and Bedrock · Survival

How to test it If the lamp stays dark, first test the lever directly on the lamp. Extend the wire only after that and check the dust still lights up at the end.

1. Place the lamp in a wall or ceiling. Attach the lever directly to a reachable face of the lamp.
2. Toggle it on and off. The lamp emits light while it receives power.
3. For a remote switch, have the lever feed a continuous line of redstone on full blocks. Point the last segment into the lamp.
4. If the lamp can be switched off, keep permanent torches or lanterns along essential routes.

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What this build does A minimal frame that opens access to the Nether.

Materials 10 obsidian, up to 4 filler corner blocks, 1 flint and steel, plus cobblestone for shelter.

Edition Java and Bedrock · Survival

How to test it The opening should turn purple. Crying obsidian does not count toward the frame. Wrong dimensions or gaps in the sides prevent ignition.

1. Place two obsidian blocks side by side at the base. Mark the outside corners with filler blocks.
2. Stack three obsidian blocks above each lower corner. Put two more obsidian blocks between the sides at the top.
3. Check for a clear interior two blocks wide and three tall. Light the inside bottom with flint and steel.
4. Record the coordinates. On arrival, secure the Nether side with solid blocks while leaving the way back clear.

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What this build does Unlock the highest offer at the enchanting table.

Materials 1 enchanting table from 4 obsidian, 2 diamonds and 1 book; 15 ordinary bookshelves from 90 planks and 45 books; lapis lazuli and experience.

Edition Java and Bedrock · Survival

How to test it If the bottom offer does not show 30, check the 15 ordinary bookshelves and clear the gap. Chiseled bookshelves do not count.

1. Mark a 5 × 5 square and place the enchanting table in the center.
2. Place 15 bookshelves around the outer edge at table height. Leave one perimeter square open as the entrance.
3. Keep the ring between the table and shelves clear at table height and one block above. Place lighting outside that gap.
4. Insert an enchantable item and lapis lazuli. The highest offer normally requires level 30 and three lapis and consumes three levels.

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