Unlock the Secrets of Terracotta Crafting in Minecraft

Smelt Clay in a Furnace, then stain or glaze your Terracotta to make patterns

By Robert Earl Wells III
Updated on October 10, 2024

Looking for smooth, solid-color blocks to build up your base? Such blocks are rare, so it helps to know how to make Terracotta in Minecraft. Terracotta can be stained to produce different colors or glazed to create elaborate designs.

Information in this article applies to Minecraft on all platforms.

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How to Make Terracotta in Minecraft

How to Get Terracotta in Minecraft

You can find Terracotta blocks if you search really hard, but it's easier to craft your own. To make Terracotta in Minecraft, smelt Clay blocks in a Furnace.

  1. Mine Clay Balls. Search shallow waters for light-gray blocks. You'll need 4 Clay Balls for each Terracotta block you want to make, so collect as much as you can.

    Clay blocks under water in Minecraft

  2. Make Clay. Combine 4 Clay Balls in the crafting grid.

    A Clay block in a Crafting Table in Minecraft

  3. Craft a Furnace. To create a furnace, place 8 Cobblestones in the outer boxes of the crafting table's grid, leaving the box in the middle empty.

    To build a Crafting Table, use 4 Wood Planks of any type.

    A Furnace in a Crafting Table in Minecraft

  4. Place your Furnace on the ground and interact with it to open the smelting menu.

    A Furnace on the ground in Minecraft

  5. Put Clay in the top box on the left side of the smelting menu.

    Clay in a Furnace in Minecraft

  6. Put a fuel source (like Coal or Logs) in the lower box on the left side of the smelting menu.

    A Wood Plank in a Furnace in Minecraft

  7. Wait for the progress bar the fill. When the smelting process is complete, drag the Terracotta block into your inventory.

    Terracotta in a Furnace in Minecraft

Where Can I Find Terracotta in Minecraft?

Terracotta appears naturally in badlands (also known as mesa biomes). One of the rarest biomes in Minecraft, badlands consist of canyons, red sand, and not much else. However, they're a great place to mine for Gold and Terracotta.

What Do I Need to Make Terracotta?

You only need a few materials to make Terracotta:

  • Clay Block (made from 4 clay balls)
  • Furnace (made from 8 Cobblestones)

How Can I Use Terracotta in Minecraft?

Terracotta blocks are smooth building blocks that can be stained and glazed in different colors. They are used purely for decorative purposes, and you can create a variety of vibrant patterns.

How to Make Terracotta Blocks of Different Colors

To stain Terracota in Minecraft, place any dye in the center of the Crafting Table and place 8 Terracotta blocks in the surrounding boxes. This will give you a solid-color building block.

Blue Terracotta in a Crafting Table in Minecraft

You can make 16 different dyes by crafting, combining, or smelting specific materials:

Dye Materials   Method
Black Ink Sac or Lily of the Valley Crafting
Blue Lapis Lazuli or Cornflower Crafting
Brown Cocoa Beans Crafting
Cyan Blue+Green Dye Crafting
Gray White+Black Dye Crafting
Green Cactus Smelting
Light Blue Blue Orchid or Blue+White Dye Crafting
Lime Sea Pickle or Green+White Dye Smelting
Orange Orange Tulip or Red+Yellow Dye Crafting
Pink Pink Tulip, Peony, or Red Dye+White Dye Crafting
Purple Blue+Red Dye Crafting
Red Poppy, Red Tulip, Rose Bush, or Beetroot Crafting
White Bone Meal or Lily of the Valley Crafting
Yellow Dandelion or Sunflower Crafting

How Do I Add Patterns to Terracotta?

To glaze your stained Terracota in different patterns, smelt it in a Furnace.

Blue Terracotta in a Furnace in Minecraft

Placing glazed Terracotta blocks will result in different patterns depending on which direction you're facing when you set them on the ground. With four possible patterns for 16 colors, that makes for 64 unique designs you can make with glazed Terracotta.

Blue Glazed Terracotta in Minecraft

FAQ

  • How durable is terracotta?

    Terracotta blocks are comparable to most stone blocks in terms of durability. Two blocks can absorb a Creeper's explosion completely, but they will be destroyed in the process. Similarly, a single terracotta block can guard against a Creeper blast from one tile away and protect whatever is behind it, but the block will be destroyed.

  • Are there other ways to get terracotta?

    Thanks to the Village & Pillage Update, which released in 2019, it's also possible to purchase terracotta blocks from stonemason villagers. Villagers will take on the stonemason job if they claim a job site block near a stonecutter.

  • How do I remove color from a terracotta block?

    Once a terracotta block has been dyed, the color can't be removed or changed. You can, however, replace blocks with ones of different colors.

  • What does "Error Code: Terracotta" mean?

    A Terracotta error code means that Minecraft isn't able to sign into your Microsoft account. Make sure your version of Minecraft is up to date, and double-check that your sign in details are correct. Then continue to attempt to sign in for a couple of minutes, after which you should be able to push past the error and get back to the game.

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