This Minecraft tutorial explains how to craft a shield with screenshots and step-by-step instructions.
In Minecraft, a shield is a defensive item and is one of the many items of armor that you can make. It is used to protect a player against attacks.
Let’s explore how to make a shield.
Where to find a Shield in Creative Mode
Minecraft Java Edition (PC/Mac)
Here is where you can find a shield in the Creative Inventory menu:
Platform
Version(s)
Creative Menu Location
Java Edition (PC/Mac)
1.9 – 1.19.4
Combat
Platform is the platform that applies.
Version(s) is the Minecraft version numbers where the item can be found in the menu location listed (we have tested and confirmed this version number).
Creative Menu Location is the location of the item in the Creative Inventory menu.
Required Materials to make a Shield
In Minecraft, these are the materials you can use to craft a shield:
1 Iron Ingot 6 Wood Planks
TIP: You can use any type of wood planks! You don’t have to gather them all.
How to craft a Shield in Survival Mode
1. Open the Crafting Menu
First, open your crafting table so that you have the 3×3 crafting grid that looks like this:
2. Add Items to make a Shield
In the crafting menu, you should see a crafting area that is made up of a 3×3 crafting grid. To make a shield, place 1 iron ingot and 6 wood planks in the 3×3 crafting grid.
When crafting with wood planks, you can use any kind of wood planks, such as oak, spruce, birch, jungle, acacia, dark oak, mangrove, bamboo, crimson, or warped planks. In our example, we are using oak planks.
When making a shield, it is important that the iron ingot and wood planks are placed in the exact pattern as the image below. In the first row, there should be 1 wood planks in the first box, 1 iron ingot in the second box and 1 wood planks in the third box. In the second row, there should be 3 wood planks. In the third row, there should be 1 wood planks in the second box. This is the Minecraft crafting recipe for a shield.
Now that you have filled the crafting area with the correct pattern, the shield will appear in the box to the right.
3. Move the Shield to Inventory
Once you have crafted a shield, you need to move the new item to your inventory.
Congratulations, you have made a shield in Minecraft! Now customize it with patterns, stripes and colors.
Item ID and Name
Minecraft Java Edition (PC/Mac)
In Minecraft, a shield has the following Name, ID and DataValue:
Item
Description
(Minecraft ID Name)
Minecraft ID
Data Value
Stack Size
Platform
Version(s)
Shield
(minecraft:shield)
442
0
1
Java
1.9 – 1.12
Shield
(minecraft:shield)
442
1
Java
1.13 – 1.19.4
Description is what the item is called and (Minecraft ID Name) is the string value that is used in game commands.
Minecraft ID is the Internal number for the item.
Data Value (or damage value) identifies the variation of the block if more than one type exists for the Minecraft ID.
Stack Size is the maximum stack size for this item. While some items in Minecraft are stackable up to 64, other items can only be stacked up to 16 or 1. (NOTE: These stack sizes are for vanilla Minecraft only. If you are running a mod, some mods may change the stack size for an item.)
Platform is the platform that applies.
Version(s) is the Minecraft version numbers that the Minecraft ID and Name are valid for.
Give Command for Shield
Give Command in Minecraft Java Edition (PC/Mac)
In Minecraft Java Edition (PC/Mac) 1.13, 1.14, 1.15, 1.16, 1.17, 1.18, 1.19 and 1.19.4, the /give command for Shield is:
/give @p shield 1
In Minecraft Java Edition (PC/Mac) 1.9, 1.10, 1.11 and 1.12, the /give command for Shield is:
/give @p shield 1 0
Enchantments for Shield
In Minecraft, you can enchant a shield with the following enchantments:
Enchantment
Description
Curse of Vanishing
Cursed item will disappear after player dies
Mending
Uses xp to mend your tools, weapons and armor
Unbreaking
Increases durability of item, in effect, by decreasing the chance of the tool, weapon, or armor taking durability damage when used
Enchantment is what the enchantment is called.
Description is the description of what the enchantment does.
See a complete list of Minecraft Enchantments that is interactive and searchable.
Things to Make with Shields
You can use shields to make items in Minecraft such as:
How to make a Custom Shield How to make an Enchanted Shield
Things to Do with Shields
Here are some activities that you can do with shields in Minecraft:
How to Put on Armor
Command Generators
If you need help, you can use this tool to automatically generate custom shield commands for you:
Give Custom Shield Generator
Other Armor
You can make other armor in Minecraft such as:
How to make a Diamond Chestplates How to make a Diamond Leggings How to make a Diamond Boots How to make a Golden Helmet How to make a Golden Chestplates How to make a Golden Leggings How to make a Golden Boots How to make an Iron Helmet How to make an Iron Chestplates How to make an Iron Leggings How to make an Iron Boots How to make a Leather Cap How to make a Leather Tunic How to make a Leather Pants How to make a Leather Boots How to make a Chain Helmet How to make a Chain Chestplates How to make a Chain Leggings How to make a Chain Boots How to make a Netherite Helmet How to make a Netherite Chestplates How to make a Netherite Leggings How to make a Netherite Boots How to make a Turtle Shell How to make a Custom Shield How to make a Totem of Undying How to make the Elytra