How to make a book in Minecraft

As you progress further in Minecraft, one of your goals throughout the game should be to enchant your items. This requires an enchanting table and bookshelves, both of which require a basic book to craft. If you need help making your first book in Minecraft, check out the guide below.

Create a book in Minecraft

The recipe for a book requires only two materials, both of which are easy to obtain early in the game. The exact recipe for a book can be found below.

• A piece of leather in the middle box of a workbench
• Three sheets of paper horizontally across the bottom row of a craft table

You can quickly acquire leather by killing various types of livestock, including cows, horses, donkeys, mules, and more. However, leather can also be obtained as a scrap item from fishing and can be crafted from four rabbit hides. Regardless of how you get the leather, set it aside and start making paper.

We’ve explained how to make paper in a separate guide, but essentially it’s about finding and using sugar cane. A long green stalk, sugar cane only grows near water, so search your ponds, rivers, and anywhere else there’s water and you’re sure to find the plant eventually.

With your paper and leather, follow the recipe in the workbench as shown above to craft a single book. If you want to build a bookshelf that can be used to decorate a house or to enhance enchantments, you will need three books as well as six planks and combine them at a workbench.

A magic table only requires one book, but also two diamonds and four obsidian. Suffice it to say, you won’t be able to craft any magic equipment for the first hour or two of your Minecraft journey. However, you can easily get several books and bookshelves as long as you know what you’re looking for.