Decorated Pot Minecraft: Recipe & All 23 Sherds

A decorated pot in Minecraft is a decorative block with four sides and each side can show a different pottery sherd design. Since Java 1.20.3 and the matching Bedrock update a pot can also hold one stack of a single item, so it works as small storage as well as decoration.

Making one is easy: four bricks or sherds in a diamond shape on a crafting table. Getting good designs is harder because pottery sherds only come from brushing suspicious blocks and from pots found in trial chambers.

This decorated pot Minecraft guide covers how to make one, where to find all 23 sherds, what a pot can store and how to get one back after breaking it. Design and placement ideas follow at the end. Everything applies to Java and Bedrock unless stated otherwise.

How to Make a Decorated Pot in Minecraft (Recipe and Slot Layout)

You craft a decorated pot at a crafting table, because the recipe needs the full 3x3 grid. Place one item in each of four slots: top, left, right and bottom. This forms a diamond. The centre slot and the four corners stay empty.

Brick-only pot

The simplest decorated pot Minecraft recipe uses four bricks and gives a plain pot with no pictures. You make bricks by smelting clay balls in a furnace. 

One clay block gives four clay balls, so a single block is enough for one plain pot. Clay blocks are common in rivers, lakes and swamps.

Pot with pottery sherds

Use sherds instead of bricks to add designs. Each sherd decorates one side of the pot. Crafting a pot from four sherds earns the Careful Restoration advancement in Java and the matching achievement in Bedrock.

Mixing bricks and sherds

Any combination works. A brick leaves its side plain, and a sherd adds its design. One sherd and three bricks give one decorated side. Two sherds and two bricks give two.

Which slot shows on which side

Number the crafting grid from left to right, top to bottom. The diamond uses slots 2, 4, 6 and 8.

The item in slot 8 faces you when you place the pot. Left and right follow your point of view at the moment of placement.

Slot position matters. A sherd in the top slot ends up on the back of the pot, where you will not see it from the front. Put your best sherd in the bottom slot, because that is the side you will see first.

All 23 Pottery Sherds and Their Designs

There are 23 pottery sherds you can use on a decorated pot in Minecraft, and each one adds a unique design to one side. Some older guides may refer to them as pottery shards, particularly in older Bedrock Edition content. The current in game term is pottery sherd, which refers to a fragment of pottery.

Pottery sherds are non-renewable items. Once you have searched the available suspicious blocks in a structure, you will need to explore other structures to find more. Flow, Guster and Scrape sherds can also be obtained from decorated pots found in trial chambers.

How to Get Pottery Sherds (Brush and Suspicious Blocks)

Most sherds come from suspicious sand and suspicious gravel, and you need a brush to get them out.

1. Craft a brush. It needs one feather, one copper ingot and one stick.

2. Find a structure. Desert pyramids, desert wells, warm and cold ocean ruins and trail ruins all hide suspicious blocks.

3. Spot the suspicious blocks. They look slightly different from normal sand and gravel. Do not mine them, because breaking them with a tool destroys what is inside. Brush them instead.

4. Brush until the item drops. Hold the use button (right click on PC) on the block. Suspicious blocks also give other loot, so not every block holds a sherd.

Carry a spare brush because it wears out. Your first sherd also earns the Respecting the Remnants advancement in Java.

Flow, Guster and Scrape work differently. Pots carrying these sherds generate naturally in trial chambers and breaking one with a normal tool gives you the sherds. How to find trial chambers in Minecraft is worth reading before you go, because these structures are easy to miss.

What Is the Point of a Decorated Pot in Minecraft?

A decorated pot is mainly decoration, but since the 1.20.3 update it also works as small storage:

• It holds up to one stack of a single item type.

• You insert items by using them on the pot.

• Hoppers, droppers and minecarts with hoppers can put items in and take items out.

• Comparators can read how many items are inside.

• Interacting with a pot makes it wobble, and sculk sensors can pick that up.

• Projectiles can smash a pot and drop its contents.

• In Java, pots stack up to 64.

There is no inventory screen. To take items out by hand, you have to break the pot. To keep the pot, use a hopper to pull items out.

This makes pots handy for small jobs. A pot with a Sheaf sherd next to a crop farm can hold seeds. A pot at the end of a hopper line can collect one item type. If you want a decorative pot in Minecraft that also earns its space, this is the reason.

One caution: do not store valuable items in a pot that mobs or arrows can reach, because a projectile can shatter it.

How to Break a Decorated Pot and Get It Back?

How you break a pot decides what drops. A pot breaks instantly, so check what you are holding before you swing.

Any items stored inside drop out when the pot breaks. To keep both the pot and its contents, empty it with a hopper first, then break it with your bare hand.

Decorated Pot Minecraft Design Ideas

Each sherd has a clear picture, so you can match pots to a theme. With 23 sherds and plain bricks, every side has 24 options. That allows up to 331,776 different pots (24 x 24 x 24 x 24), so there is plenty of room to experiment.

• Desert ruin shelf: Archer, Miner, Prize and Skull. These four all come from desert pyramids, so the set fits a sandstone build.

• Explorer’s corner: Explorer, Blade, Mourner and Plenty. A map, a sword, a warden and a chest suggest an adventure.

• Farm storage: a Sheaf pot (wheat) next to your crops, filled with seeds.

• Mine entrance: Miner (pickaxe) and Prize (diamond) on either side of the door.

• Cosy home: Heart, Friend, Howl and Shelter. A heart, a villager a wolf and a tree give a warm, lived in look.

A few layout tips:

• One decorated side with three bricks gives a simpler look than four busy sides, which suits small rooms.

• Place pots in groups of three at different heights, using slabs and stairs.

• Put a different sherd in the bottom slot of each pot, so every pot shows a different design at the front.

How to Decorate Pots in Minecraft Builds?

A decorated pot Minecraft builds can use more than a shelf piece. The top has no collision, so other blocks can sit on it, including other pots and flower pots. A flower pot with a flower on top makes it look as if the flower grows from inside the big pot.

Placements that work well:

• Shelves: pots on slabs and stairs at different heights.

• Corners and entrances: pots fill empty corners and frame doors.

• Gardens and paths: a few pots break up long walls and borders.

Pots also need the right surroundings. Minecraft floor designs with contrasting patterns give them a clean backdrop and a Minecraft chandelier above a pot corner adds light and height.

Decorated Pot Minecraft: Java vs Bedrock 

The crafting recipe and all 23 pottery sherds are available in both Minecraft editions. The main differences in this section involve command syntax and version specific details. 

Commands require cheats to be enabled in Bedrock worlds. In Java Edition, you need the appropriate permission to run commands.

In Java Edition 1.21, you can use the following command to give yourself a decorated pot with a specific design:

/give @p decorated_pot[pot_decorations=["minecraft:brick","minecraft:brick","minecraft:brick","minecraft:angler_pottery_sherd"]]

The four entries represent the back, left, right and front sides of the pot, respectively. In this example the Angler pottery sherd appears on the front, while the other three sides remain plain. For a more detailed comparison of the two editions, read our Java vs Bedrock guide.

Decorated Pot Mistakes in Minecraft

Decorated pots are easy to place and just as easy to get wrong. These are the mistakes worth skipping.

Using the same pot everywhere

Five identical pots on one shelf? Looks like you ran out of ideas. Throw in a couple of different sherds, doesn’t even have to be fancy.

Forgetting a pot has four sides

Four sides, four possible designs, and you only see one. Easy to mess up. You craft something with a really nice pattern, place it quickly, and later notice it’s staring at the wall. Rotate it.

Stuffing pots into every corner

Not every empty spot needs a pot. Seriously. One beside the fireplace or by the farm entrance looks like it belongs there. Ten scattered around the house just looks like clutter.

Not matching the theme

Some sherds feel like ancient ruins. Others suit a cosy farmhouse better. A stone-brick-looking pot in a wooden cottage looks a bit off, so check the blocks around it before you choose.

Conclusion

A decorated pot in Minecraft is a simple way to add detail to your builds while also giving you a useful storage option. 

Crafting one is easy, but finding pottery sherds and combining different designs lets you create pots that match your building style. 

Whether you are decorating a small house, a farm or a larger structure, the right pot design can make your build feel more complete.

For more inspiration, explore our Minecraft building tutorials for ideas ranging from simple builds to advanced structures.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the point of a decorated pot in Minecraft?

A decorated pot is a decorative block that can also store one stack of items. Hoppers and droppers can transfer items to or from it, while comparators can detect its contents.

How do you make a decorated pot in Minecraft?

To make a decorated pot Minecraft players need to place four bricks or pottery sherds on a crafting table in a diamond pattern, leaving the centre and four corners empty. 

How do you get a decorated pot back after breaking it?

Breaking a decorated pot with an appropriate tool normally drops its crafting ingredients. Breaking it with your bare hand or a suitable tool enchanted with Silk Touch drops the decorated pot itself. Stored items can spill out when the pot breaks.

Can you mix bricks and pottery sherds?

Yes. You can combine bricks and pottery sherds when crafting a decorated pot. Each brick leaves its side plain, while each sherd adds its own design.

Are decorated pots stackable in Minecraft?

In Java Edition, decorated pots became stackable up to 64 in version 1.20.3. Check the relevant edition and version if you need to confirm stackability for your world.