How to Make a Cartography Table in Minecraft

Collecting Resources

Find at least 3 sugarcane to make the paper. Look for light green stalks of sugarcane growing 1–4 blocks tall around water. When you find some, click or hit the bottom block in the stalk to make it drop a resource. Collect 3 sugarcane from different stalks so you have enough to craft your paper later on. If you’re playing in Creative Mode, you don’t have to collect sugarcane. You can find it in your inventory under the Miscellaneous tab.

Collect 2 blocks of wood from any tree. You can use any type of wood to make a cartography table, so it doesn’t matter what type of wood you use. Find a nearby tree and hold down the Attack button to hit one of the wood blocks until it breaks. Collect the wood resource that drops from the tree to add it to your inventory. Find and destroy another wood block the same way. You can cut through wood faster if you equip an ax before you start hitting the block. If you’re playing on a computer, the left mouse button is Attack. If you’re on a console, hold the right trigger down. On mobile, hold your finger down on the block you want to destroy.

Open your inventory to access basic crafting. Your inventory shows you all the items you’re holding on the bottom and a 2 x 2 crafting square on top. If you’re on a computer, press E to open your inventory. On mobile, tap on the 3 dots at the bottom of the screen. If you play on a console, check the game menu to find the controller layout. If you’re playing in Survival Mode, make sure you’re in a safe place when you access your inventory so you don’t get attacked.

Set the wood blocks in one crafting square to make 8 planks. Take both of the wood blocks you collected from the trees and set them in the same square at the top of the inventory. It doesn’t matter which square you use as long as you only use one. Look to the right of the crafting squares to find the planks made from the wood. Select the planks and drag them into your inventory. Each wood block will make 4 planks. You can immediately access planks in the inventory if you’re playing in Creative Mode.

Put a plank in each square to make a crafting table. Select 4 of the planks you just made from your inventory and drag them back up to the crafting squares. Drop 1 plank into each of the 4 crafting squares. After you place the fourth plank, a crafting table will appear on the right side. Place the crafting table in the bottom row of your inventory. Crafting tables have a 3 x 3 crafting area so you can make more complicated materials.

Drop the crafting table somewhere in the world. Exit out of your inventory and cycle through your items until you see the crafting table in your hand. Choose a spot in the world where you want to place your crafting table and right-click to set it down. If you’re playing with a controller, place the crafting table with the left trigger. If you play the Pocket Edition on mobile, simply tap on screen where you want to put the table.

Place 3 sugarcane in a row on the crafting table to make 3 pieces of paper. Open the crafting table with the right mouse button on the computer or left trigger on a console. Take the sugarcane out of your inventory and place them in a 1 x 3 horizontal row in the crafting boxes. Once you place the last sugarcane, 3 pieces of paper will appear on the right side of the interface. Select the paper and drag it into your inventory. It doesn’t matter which row you use to craft the paper.

Crafting the Cartography Table

Open your crafting table to start building on it. If you’re on a computer, click on the crafting table with the right mouse button. When you’re using a controller, aim at the crafting table and pull the left trigger. If you play on mobile, quickly tap the crafting table to open it. You cannot make a cartography table using basic crafting in your inventory.

Set 4 wood planks on the crafting table in a 2 x 2 square. Take the leftover wood planks you have in your inventory and drag them up to the crafting squares at the top of the screen. Place 2 of the planks in 2 crafting squares in the bottom row. Then put the remaining 2 planks in the squares in the middle row so they’re directly above the first ones. You can mix and match different planks if you don’t have ones that are all the same. The cartography table will look the same no matter what type of planks you use.

Put 2 pieces of paper on top of the square to finish the cartography table. Take 2 pieces of paper from your inventory and drag them up to the top row of crafting squares. Place a sheet of paper in each of the squares directly above the planks. A cartography table will appear to the right of the crafting squares when you’re finished. Click on the cartography table and drag it into your inventory.

Set the cartography table somewhere in the world. Exit the crafting table and cycle through your items until you’re holding the cartography table. Choose a place in the world where you want to place the table. Use the left mouse button or right trigger on a controller to set the table down. If you’re in Survival Mode, place your table inside a home or structure so you don’t get attacked while you’re using it.

Editing Maps with the Table

Place a filled map and paper in the cartography table to expand the map. If you’ve already filled a map from exploring, you can expand it to show more of the world. Open the cartography table and place the filled map in the top slot. Then drag a piece of paper into the bottom slot of the table. The image on the right side of the screen will show your map with extra space around the edges. Click the map icon on the right side and drag it into your inventory for the newly expanded map. You can expand a map a total of 4 times. You cannot expand a map if it’s still empty. If you don’t have a map, you can craft one on your crafting table by placing a compass in the center square and surrounding it with 8 pieces of paper. Otherwise, you can find an empty map in the inventory if you’re in Creative Mode.

Duplicate a filled map by pairing it with one that’s empty. Access the cartography table and place your filled map in the top slot on the left side of the menu. Then place a second empty map in the bottom slot. The image on the right side will show 2 copies of your map. Select the 2 maps to the right of the image and drag them to your inventory. That way, you can have 2 maps that are exactly the same. If you’re playing multiplayer, you can give your friends a copy of the map. When you use your copy, you’ll be able to see your friend’s location in the world.

Combine a glass pane and map to prevent it from changing. If you want to preserve your map so it doesn’t update to new landscapes, you can lock it. Place the map you want to lock in the top slot of the cartography table. Then put a glass pane in the bottom slot. A small lock icon will appear in the corner of the map on screen. Take the map from the right side of the menu and drag it to your inventory. If you are in Survival Mode, you can make glass panes by placing glass blocks in the bottom 6 squares of a crafting table. Otherwise, you can find it in your inventory in Creative Mode.