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Storage · Basics · 1.21

How to Make a Chest

The chest is where your loot lives. Eight planks gets you 27 slots, and the moment you place a second one beside it, you have a 54-slot double chest.

The recipe

Eight planks of any wood around the edge of the crafting grid.

→

By the numbers

27
slots in a single chest
54
slots in a double chest
8
planks to craft one

Good to know

  • ◆A double chest is just two chests placed side by side, facing the same way.
  • ◆A chest will not open with a solid block (or a cat) directly on top. Leave the space above clear.
  • ◆A barrel is the 1-block alternative: same 27 slots, opens even under a block, but never doubles.
  • ◆Trapped chests look almost the same but fire a redstone pulse when opened, handy for traps.
  • ◆Name a chest on an anvil before placing it to label your storage at a glance.

Quick answers

What wood can I use?
Any planks, and you can even mix wood types. All eight in a ring around the grid make one chest.
How do I make a double chest?
Place two chests right next to each other, facing the same way. They merge into a single 54-slot inventory.
Why will my chest not open?
A solid block directly above it (or a cat sitting on top) blocks the lid. Keep the space above clear, or use a barrel instead.
What is a trapped chest?
A chest crafted with a tripwire hook. It looks almost identical but sends out a redstone signal whenever it is opened.
Can I rename or lock a chest?
Rename it on an anvil. On many servers a chest can be locked so only a matching key item opens it.
Chest or barrel?
Both hold 27 slots. A barrel is a single block and opens even with a block on top, but it cannot combine into a double.

Stock the chest by smelting at a furnace, and squeeze loose odds and ends into a bundle first. Compare chests, barrels and shulker boxes on the items database, or grab the recipe on crafting.