Understanding how to make a torch in Minecraft is fundamental for anyone planning to delve into the game’s intriguing caves.
As the primary source of player-created light in Minecraft, torches are essential.
They’re quite simple to craft, and their components are plentiful in every Minecraft realm.
Hence, torches should ideally be among the first tools a player crafts upon setting foot in their Minecraft world for the first time.
Before you venture into the world’s deepest caves, remember, crafting torches is crucial to illuminate your path in the darkness.
Materials You Need to Craft a Torch:
The components necessary to craft a torch include:
- 1 Stick
- 1 Coal
Start by transforming your logs into wooden planks. To achieve this, simply position the logs you’ve gathered into one of the slots in the survival inventory crafting table, as shown below.

With your freshly made wooden planks at the ready, your next step is to craft a crafting table.
You’ll require a crafting table to create the most basic type of pickaxe, which is essential for gathering your initial bits of coal. The initial step in crafting a pickaxe involves making the sticks for the handle.
Once you’ve secured your coal, you’re all set to start crafting some torches.
How to Make a Torch in Minecraft?
In a nutshell:
To craft a torch, put a piece of coal in the crafting GUI and then situate a stick directly below the coal. The exact placement of the items is unimportant, provided the coal is positioned above the stick.

Step-by-Step Guide with Pictures:
Step 1: Craft a Wooden Pickaxe
To procure coal, a wooden pickaxe is essential.
Start by crafting the pickaxe, which can be done by interacting with a crafting table.

Then, within the crafting table, arrange a row of planks across the top of the crafting GUI and place two sticks beneath the central plank, as shown above.
This forms a pickaxe that you can use to gather coal, an essential component for torch crafting.
The subsequent step is to locate some coal. Coal is a plentiful resource nestled within the stone blocks in Minecraft, so finding some out in the open shouldn’t take much time.

Typically, players tend to explore a surface-level cave to find coal, but it can also be discovered on mountainsides or atop rocky hills.

Once you’ve located your coal, it’s time to mine it and add it to your inventory. Remember, mining is a task exclusive to pickaxes, and coal is the sole ore that a wooden pickaxe can extract.
Step 2: Craft Sticks
You can employ either the survival inventory crafting table or the crafting table you’ve just crafted to create your sticks.

To produce sticks, position two blocks of wooden planks atop each other on any side (left or right) of the square, as demonstrated above.
Step 3: Craft Torches
Crafting torches doesn’t necessarily require a crafting table, given that their recipe consists of just two blocks that occupy two spots in a crafting GUI.
Still, you’re welcome to use a crafting table if you prefer. Consequently, you can craft torches directly within your survival inventory.
To craft your torches, position a piece of coal in the crafting GUI and place a stick right below it.

Each torch crafting session yields four torches, meaning a single piece of coal generates 4 torches.
With coal being such a plentiful resource, you’ll never be short of torches during your mining activities, provided you have wood with you.
How to Use a Torch in Minecraft?
To utilize a torch, just right-click on the ground or the wall while holding the torch. This action will position the torch on the block you’ve chosen.

How to Make a Torch in Minecraft: FAQ
Q. What is the light level of a torch in Minecraft?
Once positioned, Minecraft torches emit a light level of 14. However, they don’t give off light when held unless the player is utilizing a launcher such as Optifine.
Q. Do soul torches prevent mobs from spawning?
Regrettably, soul torches do not prevent mobs from spawning. However, they do serve as a sort of piglin deterrent.
Piglins aim to maintain a distance of 7+ blocks from soul torches unless they are compelled to enter the torch’s radius.
Still, they will initiate an attack if they spot a player within that range.
Soul torches are the Nether counterparts of regular torches and require soul sand for their creation.
The crafting recipe is depicted above. They emit a haunting, almost eerie, blue light.
In addition, soul torches come with a variant of fire and a lantern style! All these recipes incorporate soul sand.
How to Make a Torch in Minecraft: Conclusion
Well done! Now, you’re fully equipped to embark on a mining adventure with your torches!
Regular torches prevent mobs from spawning within a certain range, so it’s crucial to line your routes with them to avoid encountering mobs on your return journey to base.
They also serve as excellent markers to help you remember the direction you came from!