31 Minecraft Building Tips, Tricks and Hacks You Must Try
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00:00 Today I'm finally back and to kick this one off we're going to be going over some Minecraft
00:05 build tips, tricks and hacks that will help you improve your building skills to the next
00:09 level.
00:10 Minecraft, as we know, is packed with hundreds of blocks and it's very easy for some of those
00:15 blocks to get a little bit forgotten about.
00:17 And in some cases, some blocks people don't even use for building because they don't realise
00:21 what can actually be done with those items.
00:24 So today we're going to be going over a bunch of different ways to use them and how they
00:27 can help you improve your building skills in general.
00:30 Now if you haven't done so already, please be sure to turn that subscribe button grey.
00:34 It's free and it helps the channel out a bunch.
00:36 And with that being said, let's get started.
00:40 We're going to kickstart this one with string.
00:43 Now as you know, string is a crafting material used mainly for scaffolding and bows.
00:48 But this item is about as close as we can get to a barrier block, which is only available
00:52 in creative or with cheats.
00:54 So placing this above any sapling, bamboo or sugar cane will simply stop it from growing.
01:01 And this is great because this allows us to make our gardens and stuff look a bit more
01:04 unique.
01:05 We can cut crops off at a certain height.
01:07 So bamboo and sugar cane, you can make them stop at one block high, two blocks high, three
01:12 blocks high and so forth.
01:13 So this is really great for making unique gardens and making things feel a little bit
01:18 more different.
01:19 And it's also a great way of stopping things from overgrowing.
01:22 Things like vines can be cut off in any spots.
01:25 Just place a bit of string there and it won't grow past it.
01:28 Using string, we can also stop saplings from growing so we can use them as small flowers
01:34 or maybe even in fields to make them look like some form of crops because we can put
01:39 the string to stop them from growing.
01:40 We can allow a whole field of them, which has some really cool effects when they are
01:44 used properly.
01:46 Another great use of string is making canopies by simply placing down a piece of string.
01:51 We can place the carpet on top of it.
01:53 And this is great for making things like four posts of beds or umbrellas over the tables
01:58 even can be used for some kind of market stalls because it creates a little kind of overhanging
02:03 canopy above the market stall itself.
02:06 So there's many ways we can use this and it creates a really effective look.
02:10 Next up, we have another very simple one that often gets missed and that is placing three
02:14 fence gates in between two wall blocks.
02:17 Now you can use any wall blocks and any fence gates, but this creates a slight arch, which
02:22 is great for detailing things like bridges and the edges of roof designs.
02:27 Next we're going to move on to trapdoors, which have so many uses here.
02:31 So there may be some that I do miss if I do be sure to let me know in the comments.
02:36 But these can simply be used as shelves so you can place items on them and stuff like
02:40 that.
02:41 And this is great for interior decoration, but they can also be used to create smooth
02:46 arches around windows or door frames and can be placed inside a window area for a bit of
02:52 decoration.
02:53 You can place some dirt and then place some trapdoors around it to create flower planters
02:58 or place them on a wall next to a window to create a kind of shutter for the window.
03:02 Again, a great little detailing trick.
03:05 You can also use trapdoors to create nice details around the beds to make them look
03:10 a bit more homely.
03:11 Beds can look a little bit plain, so adding in a few trapdoors and stuff can add a bit
03:15 of detail such as headboards or footers to the beds.
03:19 We can also take it a step further by placing a couple of campfires on top of each other.
03:23 We can then put the campfires out using a shovel and place some food on it and then
03:27 we can surround it with some trapdoors, place a door in front of it and there we go we have
03:31 a little food cupboard.
03:33 Simple but very effective for interior design.
03:36 Let's take a look at some different ways that we can use blocks for flooring.
03:40 Yeah we can always use planks and keep it simple, but what about creating something
03:44 a little bit different?
03:45 One of the simplest ways to switch things up is using stripped logs and to mix it up
03:50 a little more, how about alternating which angles they are placed in.
03:54 This creates some really cool patterns and effects in the flooring and you can mix it
03:58 up even more by combining different types of woods to create different colours and different
04:02 patterns.
04:03 How about flooring that looks a little bit more hard or wearing, so something maybe outside
04:08 the box we don't usually use.
04:10 We can use things like smithing tables and blast furnaces because these have great textures
04:14 on the top of them so when they are placed in the floor it gives out a really cool effect
04:19 and something different that you don't see on many other textures.
04:22 These are great for things like factories and warehouses and somewhere where you just
04:26 generally want the floor to look a little bit more rough.
04:29 Now on the other side if you are looking for something a little bit more softer, maybe
04:32 you just want to place down a rug, why not combine some wall and carpet to create a very
04:37 nice sort of worn down effect look on the rug, creating a little bit of texture to it.
04:43 Now this is also great when you are using things like upside down stairs because it
04:46 covers the gap underneath so this should replace a wall block and maybe around it you'll place
04:50 some carpet.
04:52 This way you still see the colour underneath but allows it to blend around the floor as
04:56 well which creates a really cool effect.
04:59 How about we take it a step further and create something really nice, something looking a
05:03 little bit more fancy, so maybe we could add some coral blocks and add some coral fan on
05:08 top and this creates some really colourful looking rugs.
05:12 The only thing we have to make sure we do here is waterlog some slabs around the sides
05:16 so that it doesn't lose its colour, unless you're looking for a grey rug of course.
05:21 If we head out into the garden, one of the ways I love to decorate gardens at the moment
05:26 is by using the azalea blocks.
05:28 The azalea blocks are great and they look just like mini hedges.
05:32 So if we go ahead and place a row of cool stir and then we place some azalea on top
05:38 with some random moss carpet placed on top of it, it gives you a little bit of roughness
05:42 to the top of the hedges but it creates a really nice looking hedge.
05:46 And we can make this a step further by extending it with some normal moss blocks and make it
05:50 taller and then place the moss carpet on top of that again to create that bit of texture
05:55 and it works so well as a hedge.
05:58 It's not see-through but it has a much nicer look to it than just leaves.
06:02 One of the things that often gets neglected and that is stairways and balconies.
06:06 People often use fences to block them off or just simple pillars and stuff like that
06:10 but we can take it so much more further.
06:13 So first of all we can start by using trapdoors to create a railing going up the stairs and
06:18 we can also place it around the edge of the top of the stairs so that we don't fall
06:22 down.
06:23 This is a great way to finish off the interior of a build and makes it feel a little bit
06:27 neater and having the trapdoors takes up less room so it makes the stairway feel a bit smaller
06:32 and more compact fitting much nicer into interior builds.
06:37 Now we can also use trapdoors on the balconies but one of my favourites for decorating the
06:41 balconies is by placing down lecterns with a trapdoor on top of them.
06:46 It creates a really cool finish on the outside and looks so smart on many buildings and it's
06:52 just something different.
06:53 It looks a bit thicker, a bit stronger so it looks more supported and kind of just gives
06:58 a much better look in general for a balcony rather than something so thin as a trapdoor
07:03 which doesn't give you quite as good effect.
07:06 Another great detail and effect for stairways is to add bookshelves or barrels underneath
07:11 them.
07:12 Adding barrels gives you a bunch of extra storage so it's a great idea to add them
07:15 under there and it really just finishes off a little stairway on an interior.
07:20 Now if you're building a stairway on the outside and want something a bit more grand,
07:24 how about placing a full block at each side of the stair and then placing an upside down
07:29 stair in front of it to create a much more grand look to the stairway.
07:34 When it comes to building, texturing is probably one of the most extremely effective ways to
07:39 detail any build.
07:41 Simply find a couple of similar coloured blocks and randomly place them to create a nice textured
07:47 or worn look on your walls.
07:49 This can also be done with roofs in the right places of course, but just adding in those
07:54 different textures creates such a nicer look to a wall rather than something that looks
07:59 so clean and plain.
08:00 Those random textures really create a bit of roughness that's really needed to create
08:05 that realism in your build.
08:07 So when possible, always try your best to texture walls up as you can.
08:12 Just make sure that the blocks are very similar in tone so that they can blend nicely.
08:17 You can also work with gradients, having darker colours towards the bottom and slowly going
08:21 into lighter colours as you go up.
08:23 But that's probably better off for another video because gradients can be quite an in-depth
08:27 thing to go over, but in general, starting dark at the bottom and heading lighter on
08:32 as you go up the build is the way that you would work with gradients.
08:37 Now I'm always one for saying that the small details matter, but one thing I never say
08:41 is that the small details matter in every place possible.
08:44 So you've got to just remember that a build is not solely focused on the house or the
08:49 interior, it's also the exterior, the pathways, the walkways.
08:53 There is a very simple way of detailing up a pathway.
08:57 One of course is by adding some textures to create a bit of roughness.
09:00 So if you're using a dirt path, maybe adding some cool start and some brown concrete powder
09:05 to give a little bit of a mixture and blend is a great way to go.
09:09 Little details around the pathway as well.
09:11 So if we use some cobblestone slabs for instance, we could create some little small rockeries
09:16 around the pathways here and there.
09:18 Not too many, just a few dotted here and there, and then maybe some stone buttons.
09:23 Stone buttons are great, they look a little bit like pebbles, and they just add that small
09:28 little bit of detail, but they make a noticeable difference when you're making them.
09:32 So just think of these things in place while you're building them because they do make
09:36 a huge difference.
09:38 Building builds is not always easy, but one of the best things I say is keep the details
09:43 simple.
09:44 So simple things such as an elevated porch or entranceway will make a huge difference.
09:50 And just having that nice entranceway at the front of the build is really going to make
09:53 the build stand out and pop.
09:56 You can also add things like little details around your windows.
09:59 So using chains, fences, even lanterns will create such a nicer atmosphere around the
10:04 build in general.
10:06 Adding windows into the roof is also a great way of adding detail, but keep in mind the
10:11 size of the build and keep the windows in proportion.
10:13 You don't want anything too big, and you don't want anything too small if you're building
10:17 a very large build.
10:19 So keep in mind how big your build is, and make sure that the windows feel in proportion
10:23 with the size of the build.
10:25 Common mistake I see is when people start getting used to building in a particular style
10:29 and they end up sticking to the same blocks all the time when they build.
10:34 Now this is not particularly a bad thing, especially if you're building in a specific
10:37 style, but it does start to make builds feel a little bit boring, especially if you don't
10:42 have a huge selection of blocks that you build with.
10:45 So it's nice to experiment here and mix up the blocks you're using, try and change up
10:49 some of the colours, and try to change up some of the look of the textures.
10:53 For example, composters work great as a wall block.
10:56 I know not many people have used them.
10:58 I've used them quite a few times, and I think they make a great effect for a wall.
11:02 They kind of give like a panelling effect, so they really have a nice look for little
11:06 sort of country houses or cottages, and it just works really nicely.
11:11 So I'm sure there's plenty of other textures that would work really well in builds as well
11:15 like that.
11:16 So you know, mess around with it and try some different things out.
11:18 You might be surprised at the effects you get with some of your builds.
11:23 Mixing up the colours of your builds is also a key to creating a really nice village or
11:27 city or town or whatever you're building, because when you start building too much of
11:31 the same colours, no matter whether the build is a different shape or anything else, it's
11:35 going to start feeling like you're walking around the same thing everywhere.
11:39 So go ahead, switch up some of the colours, change some of the building roofs, change
11:44 the styles and things that you're building with so that you create variety.
11:48 Variety is going to be the key to creating a nice looking build in general.
11:53 And remember, it's not always the build that makes all the detail.
11:55 Sometimes it's the small things that get forgotten about, such as things such as using leaves,
12:00 planters, flower pots, crafting tables, making little work areas or even a small pile of
12:06 logs with some extinguished campfires to create a little bit of chopped wood in it.
12:10 You know, those little details, they really add to a build.
12:14 They create an interest on the outside of the build and in general just adds to the
12:18 look of the build.
12:19 So it really helps make things look a little bit nicer.
12:22 And having things like this scattered around the village creates that variety that you
12:25 need.
12:26 One of the things I love doing when it comes to building shops is adding wall and banners
12:31 to create these little overhangs on shop fronts.
12:34 They look really nice, really effective and using them in different colours around your
12:38 sort of cities and towns can create a nice bit of colour and a bit of a change from place
12:42 to place.
12:43 So these are really cool to add in a few places in your city and really help sort of not only
12:48 bring colour and look to the build itself, but also to the city in general.
12:52 Another thing you can do is consider building some custom trees.
12:55 Now we'll be having a custom tree video coming very soon, but they don't always have to be
13:00 big, huge detailed trees.
13:03 Just a few small little trees that are scattered with some leaves on some fences are a great
13:08 way to detail your city.
13:10 It doesn't always have to be huge.
13:11 Like I said, just those small little trees, they can make a huge difference to any sort
13:16 of town, build, city or anything that you're building in general.
13:20 Anyway, stay safe, keep building and I'll catch you in the next one.