How to Make and Use a Loom in Minecraft

Utility blocks in Minecraft are the most relevant blocks for the progression of the game. Those include various well-known blocks, such as the crafting table, smithing table, enchanting table, chests, anvil, furnace, and many others. These blocks each have their own uses, usually geared towards reaching the end goal of the game. However, some of these utility blocks are purely there to make the game a bit easier and more enjoyable. One of those blocks is a loom, a wooden block with a very special purpose.

So get ready, as we dive deep into explaining how to make a loom in Minecraft. We also detail how you can use the loom to customize your banner in the game.

What is a loom?

Loom is a wooden utility block that has a simple crafting recipe. Though beside that, you may also find it in villages, since it’s a workstation block of shepherd villagers. You can use a loom to apply different designs or patterns to banners. By doing so, you will be able to tell a story and decorate your base with some colorful wavy images.

Resources You Need to Make a Loom

Here are all the resources you need for crafting a single loom block in Minecraft:

• 2 Wooden Planks (any)
• 2 Pieces of String
• 1 Crafting Table

Planks are obtainable by breaking down logs in the inventory’s crafting grid. The string is a Minecraft item that is a regular drop from spiders. So, killing these mobs is the most reliable way to get strings. Wait for nighttime or explore caves to encounter spiders and other hostile mobs. The crafting table is pretty much the main utility block in the game. Check out our guide on how to make a crafting table if you haven’t done so already.

Loom in Minecraft: Crafting Recipe

Follow the step-by-step process explained below to craft a loom in Minecraft. Here’s how it works:

1. Select a crafting table on your hot bar and place it in your world.

2. After that, right-click on the crafting table to open the 3×3 crafting grid.
3. Place two strings horizontally side by side in the first or second row.

4. Then, simply place two planks beneath the strings in the crafting grid.
5. Finally, the loom block will appear in the result slot on the right. You can move it to your inventory.

Where Can You Find a Loom in Minecraft

The only place you can find a loom is the village biome in Minecraft. This is a peaceful biome with passive villager mobs running around. One of the houses that can generate here is the shepherd’s house. This villager has a white coat and a classical shepherd hat. That is where you will find a loom. To learn more about villagers and their use in the game, check out our guide on villager jobs in Minecraft.

How to Use a Loom in Minecraft (3 Ways)

Loom has three main functions in the game, but the most notable one is to customize the banners. These are pretty cool decoration blocks, but they’re quite plain all on their own. So, that’s where a loom comes into play. Let’s learn how to customize banners in the steps below:

1. Customize Banners

Here, right-clicking on the loom block will open its UI. It’s divided into three parts. On the left, you will see three empty slots which are meant for a banner, a Minecraft dye, and a banner pattern below. The banner is a canvas in this case and the color dyes will represent the color of your design. Banner patterns are items that you can find by exploring your world. They will let you glue an already-created design on your banner, so it can look epic in your Minecraft house builds.

Once you place a banner and a dye, you’ll see numerous options appear in the center part of the loom UI. These are available design choices you can apply. With various opportunities, starting from simple patterns like coloring half of the banner in the desired shade to some pretty complex ones such as a brick pattern, everyone will find something that suits their ideas. Not only that, but you can combine these designs and mix different colors, creating something truly unique.

Clicking on any of the options, the part of the loom’s UI on the right will activate. You will see a preview of your custom banner design on the top and the banner in the item form at the bottom on the right. To craft the look on your banner, click on that item and the design will be automatically applied.

2. Shepherd Workstation

Loom’s second important use in Minecraft is that it’s a villager workstation block. Once you place it near an unemployed villager, they will become a shepherd. Shepherds will buy wool from you in only natural colors (apart from pink) and provide you colored wool and products made of wool, like beds, carpets, and banners. Visit our linked guide on the villager jobs to find out more about the shepherd.

3. Decoration & Building

You can never stop builders from taking advantage of every single block in the game. And you shouldn’t because building is just that fun! So, besides their intended uses, looms are blocks usually present in player libraries, thanks to their empty shelf-like appearance. Though, they can also be used as dividing blocks for the building’s exterior and a casual decoration block in the living room.

Now that you know everything about the loom, what will you do first with it? Will you make a super cool banner and flex to your server mates or perhaps build a massive library trading hall for your villagers? Let us know in the comments below!