Crafting

How to Make Map in Minecraft

Craft an Empty Map from Paper. In Java Edition put 8 Paper around a Compass; in Bedrock 9 Paper makes a plain Empty Map, or add a Compass for a locator map.

You'll need

  • 8× Paper
  • 1× Compass (Java / locator map)

Station / tools

  • Crafting Table

Yields: 1 Empty Map

Step by step

  1. 1

    Gather Paper

    Craft Paper from Sugar Cane — 3 Sugar Cane in a row makes 3 Paper. You need 8–9 Paper for one map.

  2. 2

    Craft the Empty Map

    In Java Edition, place a Compass in the center of the crafting grid and fill the other 8 slots with Paper. In Bedrock you can use 9 Paper for a plain map, or 8 Paper + Compass for a locator map.

  3. 3

    Hold it to fill it in

    Hold the Empty Map and it becomes a drawn map of your surroundings. Walk around to reveal more terrain.

Tips

  • A Compass adds the white position marker that shows where you are on the map.
  • Use a Cartography Table to zoom out, lock, or copy maps once you've made one.
  • Combine a map with more Paper in a Cartography Table to expand its area.

FAQ

Do I need a Compass to make a map?

In Java Edition yes — the empty map recipe requires a Compass. In Bedrock you can craft a plain Empty Map from 9 Paper without one; the compass only adds the position marker.

How do I make the map bigger?

Put the filled map in a Cartography Table with extra Paper to zoom out one level, up to 4 levels for the largest size.

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