Minecraft boasts a wealth of building materials, but terracotta stands out with its aesthetic appeal and diverse color palette. This guide details how to obtain, utilize, and craft with terracotta in Minecraft.

Table of Contents
- Obtaining Terracotta
- Ideal Gathering Locations
- Types of Terracotta
- Crafting and Construction Uses
- Terracotta Across Minecraft Versions
Obtaining Terracotta in Minecraft
First, acquire clay. Locate clay blocks in bodies of water, rivers, and swamps. Break these blocks to collect clay balls. Next, smelt the clay balls in a furnace using fuel like coal or wood. This process transforms clay into terracotta. Conveniently, terracotta also naturally generates in certain areas, significantly reducing the need for smelting.
Naturally generated terracotta can be found in structures within the mesa biome, offering various colors. In Minecraft Bedrock Edition, trading with villagers provides another avenue for acquiring terracotta.

Ideal Place for Gathering Terracotta
The Badlands biome is a prime source of terracotta. This rare biome features abundant multicolored terracotta layers, including orange, green, purple, white, and pink. This eliminates the need for extensive clay collection and smelting.
The Badlands also offer additional resources like sandstone, sand, gold, and dead bushes. Its unique landscape makes it ideal for building and resource gathering.
Types of Terracotta
Standard terracotta has a brownish-orange hue. However, you can dye it using sixteen different colors via a crafting table. For example, combining terracotta with purple dye creates purple terracotta.
Glazed terracotta, created by resmelting dyed terracotta, features unique patterns suitable for decorative accents. Both dyed and glazed terracotta serve both functional and aesthetic purposes in builds.

How to Use Terracotta in Crafting and Construction
Terracotta's uses are extensive. Stronger than clay, it's suitable for interior and exterior decoration. Its diverse colors allow for intricate patterns and ornaments. Use it for walls, floors, roofs, and even mosaic panels (Bedrock Edition). Minecraft 1.20 introduces its use in creating custom armor patterns with the Armor Trim Smithing Template.
Availability of Terracotta in Different Versions of Minecraft
Terracotta is available in both Java and Bedrock Editions, with consistent acquisition methods, though textures might vary slightly. In some versions, master-level mason villagers trade terracotta for emeralds, offering a convenient alternative.
Durable, attractive, and easily customizable, terracotta offers endless creative possibilities in Minecraft. Experiment with its colors and patterns to enhance your builds!