Paper in Minecraft might seem simple, but it’s a surprisingly essential resource. From charting unexplored territories with maps to writing your own adventures in books, and even launching dazzling firework displays, paper is the foundation for many exciting in-game activities. This guide will walk you through everything you need to know about crafting paper in Minecraft, ensuring you’re well-stocked for your creative endeavors.
What is Paper in Minecraft and Why You Need It?
Paper in Minecraft is a fundamental crafting ingredient, opening up a wide range of possibilities. While it might not be as immediately impactful as a diamond pickaxe or a suit of armor, paper’s versatility makes it indispensable for both beginners and experienced players. Here’s why you’ll want to learn how to make paper:
- Maps: Explore and document your Minecraft world! Paper is crucial for crafting maps, allowing you to navigate, mark important locations, and share discoveries with friends in multiplayer. Different map sizes and functionalities all start with paper.
- Books: Unleash your inner storyteller or create valuable in-game libraries. Paper combined with leather makes books, which are needed for enchanting tables and lecterns, essential for magic and village life.
- Fireworks: Light up the night sky! Paper is a key component in crafting firework rockets and firework stars. Whether you’re celebrating a build completion or just adding some flair to your world, fireworks are a fun and visually impressive use for paper.
- Cartography Tables: Manage your maps effectively. Paper is used to craft cartography tables, specialized workstations that allow you to clone, zoom, and lock maps, providing advanced cartographic control.
- Banner Patterns: Customize your banners with unique designs. Some banner patterns, like the Flower Charge, Creeper Charge, Skull Charge, and more, require paper in their crafting recipe, allowing for deeper personalization of your flags.
Simply put, paper is a stepping stone to numerous creative and functional items in Minecraft, making it a worthwhile resource to acquire early and often.
Gathering Your Resources: Sugar Cane
Before you can craft paper, you’ll need to gather the primary ingredient: Sugar Cane.
Sugar cane is a renewable plant that naturally grows near water sources in the Overworld. Look along the shores of rivers, lakes, and oceans, particularly on grass, dirt, sand, or gravel blocks adjacent to water. It’s relatively easy to spot due to its distinct green stalks.
Sugar canes naturally grow near water sources in Minecraft, making them a renewable and accessible resource for crafting paper.
Tips for Gathering Sugar Cane:
- Explore Water Biomes: Savannas, plains, and deserts bordering water are prime locations to find sugar cane.
- Look Along Rivers and Lakes: Follow water bodies to increase your chances of spotting sugar cane patches.
- Harvesting is Simple: Just break the sugar cane stalk. The top portion will break off, while the bottom portion will remain planted, allowing it to regrow.
- Replanting for a Sustainable Source: To create your own sugar cane farm, harvest the top two sections of the stalk and leave the bottom section. You can also replant harvested sugar cane on sand, dirt, or grass adjacent to water. This will ensure a continuous supply of sugar cane for paper production.
Once you’ve collected a decent amount of sugar cane, you’re ready to turn it into paper.
Step-by-Step Guide: Crafting Paper
Crafting paper in Minecraft is a straightforward process, requiring only sugar cane and a crafting table. Here’s a detailed guide:
Step 1: Accessing the Crafting Table
To begin, you need to access a crafting table. If you don’t have one yet, you can easily craft it from wood.
- Gather Wood: Punch trees to collect wood logs.
- Convert to Planks: Open your inventory and place the wood logs in the crafting grid to convert them into wood planks.
- Crafting Table Recipe: Place four wood planks in a 2×2 square in your inventory crafting grid to create a crafting table.
- Place the Crafting Table: Place the crafting table on the ground in your desired crafting area. Interact with it to open the 3×3 crafting grid.
The crafting table interface in Minecraft provides a 3×3 grid, essential for creating a wide variety of items, including paper.
Step 2: Placing Sugar Cane in the Crafting Grid
Now that you have your crafting table ready, follow these steps to craft paper:
- Open the Crafting Table: Interact with your placed crafting table to open the 3×3 crafting grid interface.
- Place Sugar Cane: Arrange three sugar canes in a horizontal row in the crafting grid. The row can be placed in any row of the grid (top, middle, or bottom).
The Minecraft crafting recipe for paper requires three sugar canes placed horizontally in any row of the crafting grid.
Step 3: Move the Paper to Inventory
After placing the sugar canes correctly, paper will instantly appear in the result box on the right side of the crafting interface.
- Collect the Paper: Click and drag the paper from the result box to your inventory. Crafting three sugar canes will yield three pieces of paper.
Crafted paper appears in the output slot of the crafting table, ready to be moved into your inventory for use in other recipes.
Congratulations! You have successfully crafted paper in Minecraft. Repeat this process whenever you need more paper, ensuring you have a steady supply of sugar cane.
Finding Paper in Creative Mode
If you are playing in Creative Mode, crafting paper is unnecessary as you have access to all items directly from the Creative Inventory. Here’s how to find paper in the Creative Inventory across different Minecraft editions:
| Platform | Version(s) | Creative Menu Location |
|---|---|---|
| Java Edition (PC/Mac) | 1.8 – 1.19 | Miscellaneous |
| Java Edition (PC/Mac) | 1.19.3 – 1.21.1 | Ingredients |
| Pocket Edition (PE) / Bedrock | 0.14.1 – 1.1.3 | Miscellaneous |
| Pocket Edition (PE) / Bedrock | 1.2 – 1.21.0 | Items |
| Xbox 360 | TU35 – TU69 | Miscellaneous |
| Xbox One / Bedrock | CU23 – CU43 | Miscellaneous |
| Xbox One / Bedrock | 1.2.5 – 1.21.0 | Items |
| PS3 | 1.26 – 1.76 | Miscellaneous |
| PS4 / Bedrock | 1.26 – 1.91 | Miscellaneous |
| PS4 / Bedrock | 1.14.0 – 1.21.0 | Items |
| Wii U | Patch 3 – Patch 38 | Miscellaneous |
| Nintendo Switch / Bedrock | 1.04 – 1.11 | Miscellaneous |
| Nintendo Switch / Bedrock | 1.5.0 – 1.21.0 | Items |
| Windows 10 Edition / Bedrock | 0.14.1 – 1.1.3 | Miscellaneous |
| Windows 10 Edition / Bedrock | 1.2 – 1.21.0 | Items |
| Education Edition | 0.14.2 – 1.0.18 | Miscellaneous |
| Education Edition | 1.0.21 – 1.21.03 | Items |
Simply navigate to the specified Creative Menu Location in your version of Minecraft to find and add paper to your inventory.
Paper Item ID and Give Command
For advanced players or server administrators, knowing the Item ID and Give Command for paper can be useful for commands and customization.
Here’s the information for various Minecraft editions:
| Edition | Minecraft ID Name | Data Value | Stack Size | Version(s) | Give Command (Example for version 1.13+) | Give Command (Example for version 1.8-1.12) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Java Edition (PC/Mac) | minecraft:paper |
0 | 64 | 1.8 – 1.21.1 | /give @p paper 1 |
/give @p paper 1 0 |
| Pocket Edition (PE) / Bedrock | minecraft:paper |
0 | 64 | 1.0 – 1.21.0 | /give @p paper 1 0 |
N/A |
| Xbox One / Bedrock | minecraft:paper |
0 | 64 | 1.6.0 – 1.21.0 | /give @p paper 1 0 |
N/A |
| PS4 / Bedrock | minecraft:paper |
0 | 64 | 1.14.0 – 1.21.0 | /give @p paper 1 0 |
N/A |
| Nintendo Switch / Bedrock | minecraft:paper |
0 | 64 | 1.6.0 – 1.21.0 | /give @p paper 1 0 |
N/A |
| Windows 10 Edition / Bedrock | minecraft:paper |
0 | 64 | 1.0 – 1.21.0 | /give @p paper 1 0 |
N/A |
| Education Edition | minecraft:paper |
0 | 64 | 1.0 – 1.21.03 | /give @p paper 1 0 |
N/A |
Using the /give command:
- Open Chat: Press ‘T’ (or ‘/’ in some editions) to open the chat window.
- Enter Command: Type the appropriate
/givecommand from the table above, replacing@pwith the target player (or using@pfor yourself). - Execute: Press Enter to execute the command. Paper will be added to the specified player’s inventory.
Beyond the Basics: Advanced Uses of Paper
While we’ve covered the crafting and basic uses of paper, let’s delve deeper into some of the more advanced and exciting applications:
-
Map Variations: Paper is used to create different types of maps, including:
- Empty Map: The basic map, ready to be explored and filled in.
- Locator Map: Shows player position on the map, enhancing navigation.
- Filled Map: A map that has been explored and contains terrain data.
- Large Maps: Combining maps with paper at a cartography table allows you to zoom out and create maps covering larger areas.
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Enchanted Books: Books crafted from paper and leather are essential for creating enchanted books. These books can store enchantments that can be applied to tools, weapons, and armor, significantly boosting your capabilities.
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Firework Rockets and Stars: Experiment with different firework recipes using paper, gunpowder, and dyes to create spectacular aerial displays. Different combinations result in varied firework shapes, colors, and effects, allowing for incredible customization.
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Custom Banner Designs: Paper is used in crafting banner patterns, which, when combined with a loom and banners, enable intricate and personalized banner designs. Create unique flags for your bases, villages, or special locations.
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Trading with Villagers: In some cases, paper can be traded with librarian villagers for emeralds or other valuable items, providing an alternative way to acquire resources.
By understanding the diverse uses of paper, you can fully leverage this seemingly simple item to enhance your Minecraft gameplay and creativity.
Conclusion
Crafting paper in Minecraft is a fundamental skill that unlocks a multitude of possibilities, from navigation and documentation to enchanting and visual displays. By following this guide, you’re now equipped to efficiently create paper and utilize it for maps, books, fireworks, and more. So go forth, gather sugar cane, and start crafting – your Minecraft world awaits your paper-fueled creations!
