7 best decorative blocks in Minecraft (2023)

Minecraft is a game heavily centered on building, crafting, and decoration. Since this is the case, players can use many in-game blocks and items to create great decorations for their builds.

As a matter of fact, there are specific blocks that Minecraft itself identifies as being used for decoration. While any block or item could ostensibly be used to make a build more appealing, the game's actual decoration blocks can be even more useful than other options. These blocks were coded specifically to be used in a decorative sense, though they often have many other purposes as well.

If Minecraft players are looking for great decorative blocks to bring together the overall look of their creation, there's no shortage of great options.

Note: This article is subjective and reflects the opinions of the writer

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Candles and other great Minecraft decorative blocks to bring together a build

1) Banners

Banners can make any settlement or home base feel much more official in Minecraft (Image via Mojang)

With a stick and six pieces of wool, players can vastly improve their Minecraft bases, castles, villages, and other settlements through the use of banners. These handy decorations can have a huge number of designs applied to them, thanks to the loom block. Players can craft travel markers and the official logo of a castle stronghold or a peaceful villager settlement, among other things.

Whether they're adorning a fort wall or the interior of a player's base, banners make an excellent addition to most Minecraft builds.

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2) Barrels

Easy to craft and place, barrels can make an excellent addition to just about any build a Minecraft player can think of. These handy blocks can be built easily with wooden blocks and slabs in Java Edition or sticks and slabs in Bedrock. They make a great accent piece for basements, medieval kitchens, and even outdoor ranches.

Barrels are not only spectacular for decoration, but they also serve the purpose of item and block storage. Additionally, they don't require space above them to open as chests do.

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3) Campfires

Though they may seem like standard outdoor decoration pieces in Minecraft, campfires have many more uses if players are willing to think outside the box. They make for excellent bases for fireplaces, as they can be easily extinguished, much like netherrack blocks.

Campfires can make for quality braziers in medieval builds. They are also great for cooking since players can place many food objects on them and allow them to cook.

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4) Candles

For a useful means of lighting a room or exterior, Minecraft players may want to give candles a chance. They come in various colors, and players can add multiple candles into clusters for the right look.

Candles are perfect for more intimate or quiet settings like libraries, bedrooms, and more. These decorative blocks also fit nicely into builds themed around magic and should do well in enchanting rooms or those that use magic mods.

Plus, candles can be placed on cakes for special occasions, which is a positive in and of itself.

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5) End Crystals

Though they're admittedly volatile since they explode when struck, end crystals can make for a spectacular decorative piece when handled correctly.

Crafted with glass blocks, an eye of ender, and a ghast tear, an end crystal can create a mystical presence in just about any location it is placed in. Granted, end crystals must be placed on either bedrock or obsidian blocks. However, this doesn't make them any less appealing, especially in builds that focus on a theme of high fantasy or magic in general.

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6) End Rods

Found within end cities but also craftable via blaze rods and popped chorus fruit, end rods are a great way to create a modern appeal to a player's build.

End rods possess an appearance somewhat similar to fluorescent light bulbs and give off a good amount of light. They should fit nicely into underground fixtures as well as towns and cities that center on a contemporary aesthetic.

These wonderful little Minecraft light sources can look nice as handles for decorative weapons or even as a staircase if they're well-placed.

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7) Glow Item Frames

When a Minecraft player has something to show off in a decorative context, a glow item frame is a spectacular way of doing so. Compared to standard item frames, glowing item frames provide even more emphasis on the item placed within. The item can be rotated within the frame as needed to make it stand out.

If a player has a particularly rare item that they want to show off, a glow item frame can certainly help.

However, item frames and glow item frames can also be used to create secret doors. This makes them even better as decorations considering they're capable of obscuring secret rooms and passages until they're needed.