Storage is a very important aspect when it comes to playing Minecraft.

Chests create a safe place to put down all of the items you gather while exploring, mining, and building, allowing you to go back out and collect more.

This storage block is the most essential block you will need while playing the game and you need to know how to make it very early on in the game, just like you need a sword.

Luckily, this is very simple. Here’s how to make a chest in Minecraft.

Finding Chests in the World

Chests are very commonly found all over the world of Minecraft. They naturally spawn in almost all structures that appear in the game; from Villages to Nether Fortresses.

In these structures, chests are used to hold very valuable loot that you can collect.

You will almost always find them standing alone as a single chest. Other than collecting the loot, you can also break the chest (with your hand or a tool) and collect it for later usage.

Chest in Minecraft

Spawning a Bonus Chest

A bonus chest is something you can spawn at the very start of your Minecraft playthrough.

When making a word, if you search the options for it before starting the game, you can find the option to toggle a “bonus chest”. This is a chest that spawns close to you when you start the game.

In this chest you will find some of the most basic items you will need to give you a head start in the game.

Minecraft Chest Recipe

  • 8 wooden plank blocks (any)

The recipe for a Minecraft chest is extremely simple and it can be made on a crafting table.

Any wooden planks can be used in this recipe. Any kind of wood you find and harvest can be used and even mixed together when making the chest.

8 plank blocks is enough for a single chest.

Minecraft chest recipe

How to Use a Chest

A chest can be placed down on the ground or against a wall by simply right clicking with it on the block.

A single chest has 27 inventory slots inside it. There, you can place any item you find in the game and also stack them just like you can in your personal inventory.

Though, as you progress in the game, this will quickly become too small.

A single chest can be expanded into a double chest by placing another chest right beside it. These two then merge to create a chest that offers you 54 total inventory slots. This also allows for easier organization.

Minecraft Chest placement

A double chest can’t be expanded further. Placing another single chest next to it will do nothing.

When placing your chests into the world it is important to remember that a chest needs enough space above it to open up.

If there is a solid block directly above the chest you won’t be able to open it.

Upon breaking a chest, all the items inside it will drop out onto the floor.

Using Chests on Animals

Chests don’t have to be just placed in the world, they can be put on certain animals.

Mules, llamas, and donkeys are animals which can be interacted with and equipped with a chest. This allows the mob to carry some of your items for you.

The size of the chest on llamas can vary, but on all mobs it maxes out at 15 slots.

Using Chests in Crafting

Chests can also be used in several crafting recipes.

The first two recipes are simple and they use a boat and minecart respectively. These recipes basically place a chest into the vehicle so you can have a chest with you as you travel.

Chests in boat

Chests are also used when crafting hoppers and trapped chests.

Both of these are often used as part of redstone components. A hopper picks up any item dropped on top of it and transfers it into storage below it, while a trapped chest gives out redstone signals when opened.

Finally, a chest can also be used to craft a shulker box.

Shulker boxes are chests that, when broken, keep the items inside their inventory, acting as a large backpack you can carry with you.