5 best custom Minecraft tree designs for beginners

Minecraft trees come in numerous shapes and forms, and many players enjoy creating custom designs for trees that suit their tastes. While various designs can be remarkably complex, there are better options for newer players attempting to emulate the build.

The good news for Minecraft novices is that there are more than a few beginner-friendly custom tree designs to get them started. Once players have refined their building skills, they can move on to more complex and intricate projects.

There are plenty of simple designs to work with, and they're great for practice before you tackle larger builds, not just in the realm of custom trees but well beyond that.

Note: This article reflects the writer's opinion.

---

Basic custom tree designs for Minecraft beginners

1) Simple Custom Tree

The block variety placed in this custom tree design gives it a semi-manmade look (Image via @5pudetti/Twitter)

This particular custom tree design in Minecraft uses blocks players wouldn't normally find in the wild. Specifically, this build calls for wooden plank slabs as well as chains and lanterns. However, this tree design looks far from fake and more like a tree used as a distance marker along a peaceful travel path. The build is deceptively simple, with the placement of the leaf blocks being the most difficult aspect.

Fortunately, the rest of the build, including the wooden log blocks, is considerably easier to sort and place.

---

2) Dead Tree

This tree has seen better days but would surely fit well in a few biomes (Image via MrWizz/Planet Minecraft)

Leaf block placement is one of the tougher aspects of creating custom trees in Minecraft, as misplacing a leaf block can make the entire appearance of a tree build seem off. However, there's no rule that says players have to use leaf blocks at all. Custom trees can also be designed and bereft of leaves, and they don't look bad at all.

If you're creating a spooky cemetery or a blasted wasteland, simply placing log blocks much like this build is enough to create the appearance of a tree whose best days are behind it. It won't fit every location or biome, but this dead tree can certainly look nice in the right setting.

---

3) Glazed Terracotta Maple Tree

Not all leaves need to be green or even be made of leaf blocks (Image via Pacosite's Blog)

Since Minecraft doesn't have seasons or all that many tree variants, sometimes players need to think outside the box to create certain tree designs. The perfect example comes in the form of this maple tree, known well in the real world for its bright orange leaf coloration. Since there are no orange leaf blocks in vanilla Minecraft that can be used in a maple tree design, builders have improved much like what you see in this build.

The tree's trunk is fairly standard in design, but it utilizes glazed terracotta blocks to create the appearance of bright orange tree leaves.

---

4) Fence Post Branch Birch Tree

This tree design is generated by a Bukkit plugin known as OwnGarden (Image via OwnGarden/Bukkitdev)

Created by the Bukkit plugin OwnGarden, this custom tree design is certainly worth recreating. Using birch logs and birch leaves, the build expands on traditional birch trees by utilizing fence post blocks to take the form of tree branches.

The coloration of the fences fits perfectly alongside the rest of the birch tree, and this build utilizes many fewer leaf blocks, making its organic appearance much easier to pull off.

---

5) Makeshift Willow

This willow tree is intricate but can be built well with patience (Image via u/[deleted]/Reddit)

Willow trees are well-known for their grandeur and beauty, and they've long been requested to be implemented by the Minecraft community. Swamp biome trees get close, but a custom-made willow tree can pull off the appearance even better. This design incorporates logs and slabs with low-hanging branches and plenty of leaf blocks to accompany them to give visuals of the descending leaves of a willow tree.

This build will take quite a bit of time and patience to get the branches and the leaves just right, but Minecraft players can't argue with the results.