7 fun things to do with auto-crafting in Minecraft

Minecraft 1.21 may not have arrived yet, but players who have been diving into Java Edition snapshots and Bedrock Edition previews have been enjoying the update's tentative features nonetheless.

One of the most notable inclusions in these early betas is the crafter block, which automatically crafts items and blocks when supplied with a redstone signal.

Naturally, Minecraft fans have already gotten to work creating plenty of new innovations using the crafter block. Its auto-crafting capabilities can be used in more than a few different ways, even if they aren't always readily apparent in each player's mind. Fortunately, the community has shared their designs and builds to help inspire fans with their own creations.

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Seven intriguing auto-crafting builds using the crafter block in Minecraft 1.21

1) Dye Dispenser

Combining flowers and blocks in a crafter can result in various dye colors being dispensed (Image via Silentwisperer/YouTube)

Since crafter blocks can take in multiple resources at once to create items and blocks, that means that they can combine products when necessary as well. For example, players could add ink sacs and bones into the same crafter block.

With the right redstone pulses running into the auto-crafter, players can use the two resources to create black and white dyes and then combine them into grey.

Since the crafter creates one item each time it receives a signal, getting it to combine certain resources in a redstone build can be a little tricky. Be that as it may, once fans have figured things out, they can create plenty of resources and even combine the outputs of two separate farms to create a cohesive product.

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2) Paper Crafter

Never run out of paper again by linking a crafter block to a bamboo farm (Image via Wattles/YouTube)

Paper is quite useful in the creation of banner patterns, maps, firework rockets, and much more in Minecraft. However, players need quite a bit of sugarcane to craft it, but this can be handled automatically with the right redstone knowledge. By taking the hoppers that would normally enter a storage block like a chest and funneling them into a crafter block instead, players can auto-craft paper.

An automated sugarcane farm will work endlessly as long as players don't disable it, meaning they will have an endless stream of paper at their disposal.

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3) Stoves/Cooking Ranges

Just had this concept in mind, these "Crafter" blocks are for cabinets and stoves, change my mind. byu/Arbithius inMinecraft

Since many food items in Minecraft can be created without needing a smelter or campfire to cook them, the crafter block can work very well as a stove or cooking range in a home build.

By stocking the crafter with things like bowls, sugar, eggs, and other ingredients, it's possible to create plenty of different food items without ever needing a single fuel resource to be used.

Even better, by attaching this pseudo-stove crafter block to a button or lever, players can simply activate the latter redstone block to have snacks on demand.

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4) Custom Firework Star Creator

Custom Firework Maker with New Crafter Block byu/SexyAustralian inMinecraft

Firework stars change their properties based on the crafting ingredients they're composed of well before they are ever combined into a firework rocket. If Minecraft players are hoping to create a firework show for the ages, they can use multiple crafter blocks to combine resources into firework stars. Then, they can be placed in a crafter to automatically create fireworks to player specifications.

Compared to spending time combining resources into firework stars and fireworks themselves, this auto-crafting device should cut down on time and effort substantially. Minecraft players can even ostensibly randomize the crafting process and connect other redstone blocks to create an automated fireworks show.

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5) Pin Pad

password door system with crafter byu/mandalinustas inMinecraft

Although this design doesn't necessarily use crafter blocks as Mojang may have intended, a Minecraft player can use a crafter block as a nine-digit pin pad of sorts to open doors. This is based on the ability of the crafter to lock slots in place and prohibit items from being placed within them.

Unfortunately, the crafter will activate the door when any four slots are locked, which doesn't make it particularly practical as a security device. However, some Minecraft fans are already theorizing about how to use the crafter as an item filter that could activate redstone blocks connected to it, which would only open a door under some circumstances and vastly improve the crafter's security use.

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6) Universal Crafter

Universal crafters can create items or blocks on demand based on a Minecraft fan's inputs (Image via Nareth_Erakian/Reddit)

Although they can be immensely complex and require quite a bit of redstone knowledge in Minecraft, universal crafters have proven to be an incredible use of the new crafter block.

Depending on a player's inputs on the ground level, these devices can dispense specific blocks, items, and other resources and funnel them into a crafter block to dispense a final product for players on demand.

Universal crafters have varying degrees of complexity based on how many items Minecraft players want to create with a single machine. Still, some of the most well-developed examples can create almost any item or block in the game.

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7) Infinite Kelp Fuel Farm

Infinite Fuel Source for Furnace Using Auto Crafters! I Finally Figured it out! byu/Kevinmaggedon inMinecraft

Kelp is a very dependable fuel source in Minecraft since it can be easily farmed, but the advent of the crafter block means players can create an infinite amount of dried kelp blocks to serve as fuel for furnaces.

The topmost farm creates kelp and deposits it into smokers, resulting in dried kelp. The dried kelp is then funneled into crafters to form them into blocks, which can be deposited into furnaces as fuel.

As long as Minecraft players don't cease the functioning of the kelp farm at the top, this apparatus should keep a furnace stocked with dried kelp blocks as long as they need, which should be a huge help in various other farm designs.