How to Make a Smithing Table in Minecraft
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How to Make a Smithing Table in Minecraft
Smithing Table TipsThe Smithing Table is one of Minecraft’s most important late-game stations — it’s the only way to upgrade Diamond gear to Netherite and the primary tool for applying Armour Trims for personalisation. The addition of Smithing Templates in the 1.20 update added significant depth to the upgrade system: collecting templates from different structures gives players a reason to explore every major structure type and creates a natural progression from first Netherite upgrade to fully trimmed armour sets. The Armour Trim system in particular is one of the most well-designed cosmetic systems in Minecraft history — 16 patterns × 10 material colours × 4 armour pieces creates thousands of unique armour visual combinations, giving dedicated builders an extensive personalisation toolkit without any power imbalance. For players working toward the full endgame gear setup, the Netherite guide and enchanting guide are the natural companions to this Smithing Table overview.FAQ
⚡ Quick Answer
How to Craft and Use a Smithing TableTo make a Smithing Table place 2 Iron Ingots in the top-left and top-right slots and 4 Wood Planks filling the bottom two rows of a crafting table. The Smithing Table has two uses: upgrade Diamond gear to Netherite (using a Netherite Upgrade Smithing Template + Netherite Ingot), and apply Armour Trims to any armour piece for cosmetic decoration. It’s also the Toolsmith villager’s job site block.
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Craft the Smithing Table — Iron and Planks. Open a crafting table and place: Top row — Iron Ingot (left), empty (centre), Iron Ingot (right). Middle row — Wood Plank (left), Wood Plank (centre), Wood Plank (right). Bottom row — Wood Plank (left), Wood Plank (centre), Wood Plank (right). This produces 1 Smithing Table. Any wood plank type works — Oak, Spruce, Birch, Jungle, Acacia, Dark Oak, Mangrove, Bamboo, or Cherry. The Smithing Table is also found naturally in Villages where a Toolsmith villager lives — you can use the village’s Smithing Table without crafting one if you find one early.
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Upgrade Diamond gear to Netherite. The Smithing Table’s most important function is upgrading Diamond tools and armour to Netherite — the strongest tier in the game. Right-click the Smithing Table to open its 3-slot interface. Place: Slot 1 (left) — a Netherite Upgrade Smithing Template (found in Bastion Remnant chests), Slot 2 (middle) — your Diamond item (sword, pickaxe, helmet, etc.), Slot 3 (right) — a Netherite Ingot. The upgraded Netherite item appears in the output slot. The upgrade preserves all enchantments, rename, and repair cost history from the Diamond item — no enchantments are lost. This is the correct and only way to get Netherite gear in 1.20+. See the Netherite guide for sourcing the materials.
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Get the Netherite Upgrade Smithing Template. Since Java 1.20 / Bedrock 1.20, upgrading Diamond to Netherite requires a Netherite Upgrade Smithing Template — a new item found in Bastion Remnant chests in the Nether. Every Bastion Remnant contains at least one. Once you have a Template, you can duplicate it: place the Template + 7 Diamonds + 1 Netherrack block in a crafting table (the duplication recipe) to make 2 Templates from 1. This lets you upgrade multiple items without farming multiple Bastions. Collect one Template from your first Bastion visit, duplicate it for each item you want to upgrade, and use each copy on the Smithing Table.
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Apply Armour Trims — cosmetic decoration for armour. The Smithing Table also applies Armour Trims — decorative patterns overlaid on armour pieces. Open the Smithing Table and place: Slot 1 — an Armour Trim Smithing Template (found in various structures), Slot 2 — an armour piece (helmet, chestplate, leggings, or boots of any material), Slot 3 — any Trim Material (Amethyst Shard, Diamond, Emerald, Gold Ingot, Iron Ingot, Lapis Lazuli, Netherite Ingot, Quartz, Redstone Dust, or Copper Ingot). The trim pattern comes from the Template; the colour comes from the material. Each structure type drops a different trim pattern — Spire Trim from End Cities, Silence Trim from Ancient Cities, Tide Trim from Ocean Monuments, etc. Trims are purely cosmetic with no stat effect.
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Smithing Table as Toolsmith job site block. Placing a Smithing Table near an unemployed Villager assigns them the Toolsmith profession. Toolsmith Villagers trade enchanted tools — Iron and Diamond Pickaxes, Shovels, Axes, and Hoes — for Emeralds. At Master level they offer Enchanted Diamond tools for 10–18 Emeralds, making them one of the most useful trade routes for players who need specific tool enchantments without the randomness of an enchanting table. A Toolsmith at a Smithing Table is also the job site for generating the workstation-linked trades — don’t break the Smithing Table or the Toolsmith loses their profession. The village guide covers setting up profitable villager trading routes.
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Where to find Armour Trim Templates for each pattern. Different trim patterns come from different structures: Sentry Trim — Pillager Outposts. Dune Trim — Desert Temples. Coast Trim — Shipwrecks. Wild Trim — Jungle Temples. Ward Trim — Ancient Cities. Eye Trim — Strongholds. Vex Trim — Woodland Mansions. Tide Trim — Ocean Monuments (dropped by Elder Guardians). Snout Trim — Bastion Remnants. Rib Trim — Nether Fortresses. Spire Trim — End Cities. Wayfinder, Raiser, Shaper, Host Trims — Trial Chambers. Each Template can be duplicated with 7 Diamonds + 1 Block of the structure’s primary material, so one Template discovery is enough to trim multiple armour sets with that pattern.
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Always fully enchant Diamond gear before upgrading to Netherite: the Netherite upgrade preserves all existing enchantments. Enchanting at Diamond tier is cheaper than enchanting at Netherite tier (same XP cost but Diamond is more available for replacements if enchants go wrong). Get the best possible Diamond enchantments first, then upgrade to Netherite in one step — you keep all the enchantments and gain Netherite’s stat boost simultaneously.
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Duplicate Trim Templates before using them: Armour Trim Templates are consumed when applied. Before using a Template on armour, duplicate it first (Template + 7 Diamonds + structure-appropriate block = 2 Templates) so you have a spare for future sets. This is especially important for rare Trims like Silence (Ancient Cities) or Spire (End Cities) that require significant effort to collect.
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Netherite Ingot trim material gives a gold-toned decoration: Netherite Ingots used as trim material produce a dark gold-grey colouring on armour — one of the most premium-looking trim combinations available. Pair it with the Snout or Rib pattern on Netherite armour for a fully cohesive end-game aesthetic. Trim material colour and pattern are independent — experiment with combinations before committing since Trims can be overwritten by applying a new one.
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The same trim pattern can’t be applied twice on one piece — but materials can vary: each armour piece can only have one trim pattern at a time, but you can apply a new trim over the old one to change either the pattern or the material colour. If you decide you prefer a different trim pattern or colour after applying one, simply use the Smithing Table again with the new Template and material — the old trim is replaced.
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Smithing Tables found in villages are free to use — no crafting needed: if you find a village with a Toolsmith, use their Smithing Table for all your upgrades before crafting one of your own. Village Smithing Tables are fully functional and free — the only reason to craft your own is to have one at your home base for convenience. Bringing your Diamond gear to the nearest village Smithing Table during your first Netherite upgrade saves 2 Iron Ingots.
What does a Smithing Table do in Minecraft?
A Smithing Table has two functions: it upgrades Diamond tools and armour to Netherite (using a Netherite Upgrade Smithing Template + Netherite Ingot, preserving all enchantments), and it applies Armour Trims — decorative cosmetic patterns in various colours to any armour piece. It’s also the Toolsmith villager’s job site block.
How do you upgrade Diamond to Netherite in Minecraft?
Open the Smithing Table and place a Netherite Upgrade Smithing Template in the left slot, your Diamond item in the middle slot, and a Netherite Ingot in the right slot. The upgraded Netherite item appears in the output. All enchantments from the Diamond item are preserved. Netherite Upgrade Templates are found in Bastion Remnant chests.
How do you make a Smithing Table in Minecraft?
Place 2 Iron Ingots in the top-left and top-right slots of a crafting table, then fill the remaining 4 slots (middle and bottom rows) with any Wood Planks. This produces 1 Smithing Table. It’s also found naturally in villages where Toolsmith villagers work.
Where do you find Armour Trim Templates in Minecraft?
Armour Trim Templates are found in specific structures — each structure type drops a different pattern. Key sources: Desert Temples (Dune Trim), Jungle Temples (Wild Trim), Strongholds (Eye Trim), Ancient Cities (Ward Trim), Bastion Remnants (Snout Trim), End Cities (Spire Trim), and Trial Chambers (Wayfinder, Raiser, Shaper, Host Trims). Each Template can be duplicated with 7 Diamonds + 1 appropriate block.