This article explains how to craft an anvil in Minecraft (any version) as well as how to gather the supplies. It also covers what you can do with an anvil and how to use it to edit name tags and enchant items.

What to Know

  • Once you have the supplies, open your crafting table, arrange your iron ingots and iron blocks in a specific pattern, and drag the anvil into your inventory.To craft an anvil, you’ll need a crafting table, four iron ingots, and three blocks of iron.

How to Craft an Anvil in Minecraft

In Minecraft, an anvil is a useful tool that you can craft. When you craft and place an anvil, you can use it to repair items before they completely break, name items, and even enchant items if you’ve managed to get your hands on some enchanted books. Anvils are available in every version of Minecraft, and you don’t even need to mod your game, so why not craft one right now?

To craft your own anvil in Minecraft, all you need is a crafting table, four iron ingots, and three blocks of iron. Since iron blocks are made of iron ingots, you technically need a total of 31 iron ingots, which you can make with 31 iron ore in a furnace.

Here’s how to craft your anvil in Minecraft:

  • Obtain four iron ingots and three iron blocks, then open the crafting table menu.
  • Arrange your iron blocks and iron ingots in the crafting table. Put all three iron blocks along the top row, one iron ingot in the center of the middle row, and the other iron ingots along the bottom row.
  • Move the anvil from the upper right box into your inventory.
  • You can now place the anvil wherever you like and start using it.

How to Obtain Iron Ingots and Blocks in Minecraft

To make iron ingots and blocks in Minecraft, you need a furnace, iron ore, and fuel such as coal, charcoal, or wood. If you’re primarily interested in making an anvil, you will need a total of at least 31 iron ore to get the job done, but you may want to gather some extra in case you accidentally make too many iron blocks, or if you want to make some armor, weapons, a shield, or tools.

Obtain four iron ingots and three iron blocks, then open the crafting table menu.

Arrange your iron blocks and iron ingots in the crafting table. Put all three iron blocks along the top row, one iron ingot in the center of the middle row, and the other iron ingots along the bottom row.

Move the anvil from the upper right box into your inventory.

You can now place the anvil wherever you like and start using it.

Here’s how to make iron ingots and blocks in Minecraft:

  • Mine iron ore.
  • Open your furnace menu, and place your ore and fuel.
  • Wait for the iron ore to finish smelting.
  • Move the iron ingots into your inventory.
  • Open the crafting table menu.
  • Place iron ingots into every slot of the crafting table like this.
  • Move your iron blocks into your inventory.

What Does an Anvil Do in Minecraft?

Once you have created an anvil in Minecraft, you can place it wherever you like and then interact with it to open the anvil menu. With this menu open, you can rename an item, enchant an item, or repair an item as long as you have the necessary prerequisites. This is especially useful with rare items like the elytra that are difficult to find, because it allows you to repair them before they break.

Mine iron ore.

Open your furnace menu, and place your ore and fuel.

Wait for the iron ore to finish smelting.

Move the iron ingots into your inventory.

Open the crafting table menu.

Place iron ingots into every slot of the crafting table like this.

Move your iron blocks into your inventory.

Here’s what you need:

  • To repair an item: Two damaged versions of the same item, like two damaged diamond swords. You can also use materials. For example, you can put an ‘iron sword’ in the left box, and some ‘iron ingots’ in the right box. Same for stone with stone tools, diamond, etc.To edit a name tag: A name tag.To enchant an item: An item you want to enchant, and an enchanted book.

Here’s how to repair an item with an anvil:

  • Open the anvil menu.
  • Place a worn item in the leftmost box in the anvil menu, then place a second worn item of the same type and material in the box immediately to the right of that. You can also enter a new name for the repaired item at this time.
  • Move the repaired item from the leftmost box into your inventory.

How to Edit and Use a Name Tag in Minecraft

Nametags are a little tough to come by in Minecraft, as you can’t actually craft them. To get your hands on a name tag, you have to go out adventuring and spelunking and find one in a chest. Once you have one, you’ll need to use it with an anvil to put a name on it. Once you’ve done that, you can use it to name something.

Open the anvil menu.

Place a worn item in the leftmost box in the anvil menu, then place a second worn item of the same type and material in the box immediately to the right of that. You can also enter a new name for the repaired item at this time.

Move the repaired item from the leftmost box into your inventory.

Here’s how to edit and use a name tag in Minecraft:

  • After obtaining a name tag, open the anvil menu.
  • Place the name tag in the first slot in the anvil interface. You don’t need to put anything in the second slot.
  • Enter a name into the Name Tag_ field.
  • Move the name tag to your inventory.
  • Locate something, like an animal, and use the name tag on it.
  • When you look at the thing you named, the name will appear above it.

How to Enchant an Item With an Anvil in Minecraft

While the anvil isn’t the primary enchantment tool in Minecraft, you can use it to enchant things if you have an enchanted book handy. All you have to do is place both the item and book on the anvil, and the result is an enchanted item. This process takes even more experience points than the others though, so make sure you’ve stocked up.

After obtaining a name tag, open the anvil menu.

Place the name tag in the first slot in the anvil interface. You don’t need to put anything in the second slot.

Enter a name into the Name Tag_ field.

Move the name tag to your inventory.

Locate something, like an animal, and use the name tag on it.

When you look at the thing you named, the name will appear above it.

Here’s how to enchant an item with an anvil:

  • Obtain an item you want to enchant, an enchanted book, and open the anvil menu.
  • Place the item you want to enchant on the left, and the enchanted book to the right of it. You can also rename the item if you like.
  • Move the enchanted item to your inventory.

Obtain an item you want to enchant, an enchanted book, and open the anvil menu.

Place the item you want to enchant on the left, and the enchanted book to the right of it. You can also rename the item if you like.

Move the enchanted item to your inventory.

Get the Latest Tech News Delivered Every Day