Clay is one of the most useful raw materials in Minecraft: it smelts into bricks and terracotta, and, unlike most early resources, it is fully renewable. The catch is that you do not craft clay from scratch. You either dig it out of the ground underwater or “grow” it from mud, and this guide covers both, plus how to turn clay balls into blocks and what to do with them.
Everything here is confirmed in the current 2026 version of Minecraft (26.2).
Quick answer: find clay blocks underwater (in rivers, ponds, swamps, and especially lush caves) and dig them with a shovel to get 4 clay balls each. To make clay renewably, place mud on top of a block that has a pointed dripstone underneath, and it slowly dries into clay.
Clay at a Glance
| Detail | Value |
|---|---|
| Where to find | Underwater: rivers, ponds, swamps, beaches, lush caves |
| Mining drop | 4 clay balls (shovel) or the block itself (Silk Touch) |
| Craft block | 4 clay balls = 1 clay block |
| Renewable via | Mud + pointed dripstone |
Where to Find Clay
Clay generates as grey-white blocks underwater. The best places to look:
- Rivers, ponds, and lakes (shallow water, easy to spot)
- Swamps, beaches, and ocean floors
- Lush caves, which have clay in real abundance, this is the fastest way to gather a lot at once
You will also find clay under some village Mason houses. Dig the block with a shovel (the fastest tool) and each block drops 4 clay balls. If you want the clay block itself instead, use a Silk Touch shovel.
Making Clay Balls into a Block
The two forms convert both ways. Four clay balls placed in the crafting grid make 1 clay block, and mining a clay block gives you 4 balls back. So you never lose material by switching between them, which matters because bricks and terracotta need different forms (more on that below).
The Renewable Method: Mud + Dripstone
This is the “make clay” method, and it turns clay into an unlimited resource. The mechanic is simple:
- Place any full block, then put a pointed dripstone on the underside of it (pointing down, with an air gap below).
- On top of that block, place a mud block.
- The dripstone drains the water out of the mud, and after a while the mud converts into clay.
To get the mud, you do not even need a mangrove swamp. Just use a water bottle on a dirt block and it turns into mud. So the full renewable loop is: dirt plus a water bottle makes mud, mud over dripstone dries into clay. Build a big grid of these and you can produce a full stack of clay in well under an hour. One important note from testing: this conversion does not work in the Nether, only in the Overworld.
What Clay Is For
Clay is a gateway to two of the best decorative material lines in the game, and the form you smelt matters:
- Smelt a clay ball to get a brick (the item). Four bricks craft into a brick block for building.
- Smelt a clay block to get terracotta, which can be dyed 16 colors and even fired into glazed terracotta for patterns.
- Clay balls are also used to craft decorated pots and flower pots.
If you have extra, Mason villagers will buy 10 clay balls for an emerald, making a clay farm a quiet little income source too.
Frequently Asked Questions
You do not craft it from scratch. Find clay blocks underwater and dig them with a shovel for 4 clay balls each, or make it renewably by placing mud on a block with a pointed dripstone underneath, which dries the mud into clay.
Underwater in rivers, ponds, lakes, swamps, beaches, and ocean floors, and in large amounts in lush caves. Some village Mason houses also have clay underneath them.
Mine a clay block with a shovel (the fastest tool) and it drops 4 clay balls. Use a Silk Touch shovel instead if you want the intact clay block.
Place pointed dripstone under a block, put mud on top, and the mud slowly turns into clay. Make mud by using a water bottle on dirt, so you never run out. It does not work in the Nether.
Smelt clay balls into bricks and clay blocks into terracotta. Clay is also used for decorated pots and flower pots, and Masons buy clay balls for emeralds.
No. A normal shovel gives you 4 clay balls per block, which is usually what you want. Silk Touch is only needed if you specifically want the clay block itself.
Clay is worth setting up for early: it is renewable, it smelts into two of the game’s best building materials, and a simple mud-and-dripstone farm keeps you stocked forever. Once you have a pile, turn it into bricks or terracotta for your next build.
