How to Make a Bucket in Minecraft

Last Updated: September 16, 2021

In Minecraft, buckets are used to carry liquids, such as water, lava and milk. If you need to move liquid from one place to another or store a liquid, you need to make a bucket. You may already have the items required in your inventory, if not, you'll have to find what you'll need before you start crafting a bucket.

Part 1

Part 1 of 3:

Obtaining Iron Ingots

1
Find iron ore. Mine with a stone, iron or diamond pickaxe.
2
Smelt the iron ore in the furnace. You'll need 3 ingots.

Part 2

Part 2 of 3:

Crafting the Bucket

1
Go to your crafting table or grid.
2
Place the three iron ingots into the crafting grid squares. They must be arranged in a "V" shape, so try either:
- 2 iron ingots in the center side squares and one in the center base square; or
- 2 iron ingots in the top side squares and one in the center square.
3
Allow to craft. Shift click or drag the bucket to your inventory.

Part 3

Part 3 of 3:

Using a Bucket

1
Water: Find water in ponds, rivers, lakes, oceans, etc. Right click with the bucket in your hand to fill. Water is the one liquid you can place down without causing harm.
2
Lava: Find lava underground in lava pools. Rarely, you may find a lava pool spawning above the surface. Right click with the bucket in your hand to fill. Take care not to fall in while retrieving. Also take care not to place the bucket of lava in such a way as to accidentally burn down your house (and kill off your character).
3
Milk: Right click on a cow. It is the one liquid that is not placeable in the unmodified version of the game. You can use it to make a cake or drink it to rid yourself of either negative or positive potion effects (depends on the potion).

Community Q&A

Question

Would I have to dig deep to find iron?

Community Answer

It depends on your location. Sometimes it is available in a nearby cave, and you don't have to go in very deep. But it varies.
Question

Can I get iron ingots from villagers?

Community Answer

Yes, sometimes you can.
Question

Can I fill a bowl with water?

Community Answer

No. You could use a glass bottle if you wanted to drink the water; just right-click on water with the bottle in your hand.