How to Make Paper in Minecraft: A Step-by-Step Guide

Paper is a common, multipurpose item that Minecraft players often need. Though straightforward, paper is a staple of making maps, enchanted gear, fireworks, and dealing with villagers. This tutorial will provide an in-depth, step-by-step explanation of how to create paper in Minecraft and some helpful tricks to make sure players always have a good stock of it. The data is updated to August 2025 and works with Java and Bedrock versions according to the verified sources like the Minecraft Wiki and official Minecraft sources.

The Importance of Paper in Minecraft

The importance of paper in Minecraft is that it is part of the base ingredient of many important recipes to aid in exploration and improvement. Without it, the creation of maps is impossible, and players can navigate across giant biomes and mark the locations of bases or caves with plentiful resources. Books, which are made of paper, are needed to enchant the tables and book shelves that enhance enchanting abilities on powerful gear to get upgrades. Another item made of paper, fireworks, enhances celebrations and makes elytra fly with colorful blasts. In addition, paper apports trading with villagers. In Bedrock Edition, librarians with the novice rank and cartographers trade 24 sheets of paper with an emerald, whereas in Java Edition, cartographers can give paper to players who obtain the Hero of the Village effect, which is achieved by killing a raid.

Crafting Paper: A Step-by-Step Process

Crafting paper in Minecraft is one of the simplest recipes, requiring minimal resources and effort. The process involves sugar cane and a crafting table, and it yields three sheets of paper per craft. Here are the steps:

Gather Sugar Cane: Collect three pieces of sugar cane, which can be found naturally or grown in a farm.
Prepare a Crafting Table: If a crafting table is not already available, craft one by arranging four wood planks (of any type, such as oak or spruce) in a 2x2 square in the inventory’s crafting grid.
Access the Crafting Grid: Place the crafting table on the ground and interact with it to open the 3x3 crafting grid.
Arrange Sugar Cane: Place three sugar cane items in a horizontal row within the crafting grid, using any row (top, middle, or bottom).
Collect Paper: The crafting process produces three sheets of paper, which appear in the output box and can be moved to the inventory.

This recipe, unchanged since its introduction in July 2010 during the sixth Seecret Friday Update, is consistent across all Minecraft platforms, ensuring accessibility for all players.

Paper Crafting Recipe

Item	Quantity	Placement
Sugar Cane	3	Horizontal row in crafting grid
Crafting Table	1	Required to access 3x3 grid
Output: Paper	3	Appears in output box

Locating Sugar Cane

Sugar cane, the sole ingredient for paper, grows naturally next to water bodies such as rivers, lakes, oceans, and swamp edges, typically on dirt or sand blocks. It appears as tall, green stalks that can naturally grow up to three blocks high (four blocks in some Bedrock Edition scenarios). Sugar cane is common near riverbanks, ocean shores, swamps, jungles, and many other biomes with water.

To harvest sugar cane, players break the stalks block by block by hand or with a tool. Each broken sugar cane block drops exactly one sugar cane item. Thus, the total quantity per plant depends on its height, with a maximum of three items if the plant is fully grown. Exploring near water sources in a variety of biomes is the best way to find sugar cane.

Establishing a Sugar Cane Farm

For players needing large quantities of paper, setting up a sugar cane farm is a practical solution to ensure a consistent supply. This low-maintenance setup allows sugar cane to regrow, reducing the need for constant exploration. The process involves:

Secure a Water Source: Use a natural water body or place a water block with a bucket.
Prepare the Planting Area: Position dirt or sand blocks directly adjacent to the water source.
Plant Sugar Cane: Place sugar cane on the prepared blocks next to the water, as it requires water to grow.
Monitor Growth: Sugar cane grows to a height of three blocks over a few in-game days.
Harvest Efficiently: Break the bottom two blocks of each stalk, leaving the top block to regrow, ensuring a sustainable farm.

This method minimizes effort while maximizing output. Advanced players may enhance efficiency by automating farms with pistons and water flows, streamlining the collection process.

Additional Uses and Strategies

Beyond crafting, paper can be obtained through alternative methods, though they are less reliable than crafting. Players can find paper in loot chests within shipwrecks (1–12 sheets, 46.4% chance for supply chests, 89.4% for map chests), strongholds (2–7 sheets, 89.2% chance in Java Edition), or village cartographer houses (1–5 sheets, 61.2% chance). Trading with villagers offers another avenue; in Bedrock Edition, novice-level librarians and cartographers consistently buy 24 sheets for an emerald, while in Java Edition, cartographers always offer this trade, and librarians have a two-thirds chance. Additionally, in Java Edition, players with the Hero of the Village effect may receive paper from cartographers.

Paper’s versatility extends to crafting banner patterns, such as Bordure Indented (with vines) or Creeper (with a creeper head), and cartography tables, which require four planks and two sheets of paper. These applications make paper a valuable asset for both functional and decorative purposes.

Historical Context

Paper has been a staple in Minecraft since its introduction in July 2010 during the sixth Seecret Friday Update, alongside sugar cane and bookshelves. Its enduring relevance underscores its importance in exploration, enchanting, and trading, making it a timeless component of the game’s crafting system.

Conclusion

Mastering paper production in Minecraft is essential for players aiming to excel in exploration, enchanting, and trading. By following the straightforward crafting recipe and leveraging sugar cane farms, players can maintain a robust supply of paper for maps, books, fireworks, and villager trades. Recognizing sugar cane’s natural growth patterns and employing efficient harvesting techniques ensures players are well-equipped for their Minecraft adventures. With these strategies, paper becomes a gateway to unlocking some of the game’s most exciting features.