How to Make a Lantern in Minecraft?

In Minecraft, lanterns are a great way to light up your world and make it feel more homely and safe.

Not only do they look nice, but they're also very practical.

In this guide, we'll show you, step by step, the Minecraft lantern recipe and how to use your new creation.

What Is a Lantern in Minecraft?

That is a block that functions as a light source. It can be placed on the ground or hung by itself or attached to a chain from a ceiling, wall, or any solid block.

Players often use them to create a warm and inviting atmosphere in their homes.

Lanterns are the brightest light source in Minecraft, better for illuminating a place than torches or candles.

What’s more, they'll prevent any hostile mob from spawning and allow you to look around in the dark freely.

You can craft either a regular or a soul lantern. The latter emits a turquoise light that isn't as strong, but it scares away piglins.

Another thing to keep in mind is that a lantern will drop a new lantern if you demolish it with a pickaxe. Destroying the block to which the lantern is attached will also drop the lantern.

How to Make a Lantern in Minecraft?

Crafting this item is simple and only requires a few materials that can be easily found.

1. Gather Wood, Iron, and Coal or Charcoal

You'll collect wood by breaking trees with your hands or, more efficiently, with an ax.

For iron, you'll have to mine underground — look for the gray blocks with pinkish spots.

Lastly, for the Minecraft lantern, you should find and mine coal ore or smelt logs into charcoal.

2. Make Sticks and Iron Nuggets

Place the wood in the crafting grid to produce planks.

Then, put two planks, one above the other, to craft sticks.

Smelt the iron ore in a furnace to make ingots.

To get nuggets, you'll have to place the ingot on the crafting table. Eight nuggets are required to make a lantern.

3. Craft a Torch

Put the stick on the crafting table and add coal or charcoal above it to get four torches.

4. Follow the Lantern Recipe

Now that you have prepared everything, place the torch and iron nuggets in this pattern:

• Iron nuggets in all slots of the crafting grid but the center
• Torch in the empty space

How to Make a Soul Lantern

Start by crafting a soul torch by placing the following: 

• Coal or charcoal in the second slot of the first row of the crafting table
• Stick in the very center of the grid
• Soul sand below the stick

You can find soul sand only in the Nether and ancient cities.

Then, put the soul torch in the middle of the crafting grid and surround it with iron nuggets in all remaining slots.

Where to Find Lanterns in Minecraft?

You may come across regular lanterns in snowy tundra villages and bastion remnants, but soul lanterns appear only in ancient cities.‌

If you are feeling particularly adventurous, you can set up a server, invite your friends in, and go exploring.

You'll certainly discover many other exciting and unexpected items.

Alternatively, there's a chance that an apprentice-level librarian villager may sell you a regular lantern for an emerald.

To Wrap Up

Knowing how to make a lantern in Minecraft has practical and aesthetic applications.

They offer a great way to add light and warmth to your world and ensure no hostile mobs will spawn around your buildings.

Whether you're looking to create a cozy atmosphere in your home or investigate dark caves and dungeons, lanterns will do a perfect job.