Mud is a soft, dark block added in the Wild Update. It looks simple, but it opens a lot of options: packed mud, mud bricks for builds with an earthy look, and even a renewable source of clay. The best part is that you can make mud anywhere with a block of dirt and a bottle of water. This guide explains how to make mud in Minecraft, where to find it naturally, what you can craft with it, and how to turn mud into clay with pointed dripstone.
Quick answer: how to make mud in Minecraft
- Craft glass bottles: 3 glass in a V shape on a crafting table makes 3 bottles.
- Use a bottle on any water source to fill it. You now have a water bottle.
- Find or place a dirt, coarse dirt or rooted dirt block.
- Hold the water bottle and use it on the dirt (right-click on PC, left trigger on controller, tap on mobile).
- The dirt turns into mud, and you get the empty bottle back.
Each water bottle makes one mud block, and the bottle is not used up, so you can refill it and repeat as fast as you can click. Mine the mud with any tool, or by hand; a shovel is fastest.
How to get mud: every method
1. Water bottle on dirt
This is the method above and it works in every biome. Grass blocks do not work directly. Dig the grass block with a shovel first so it drops as dirt, place the dirt, then use the water bottle on it. Farmland and dirt paths also need to be turned back into dirt first.
2. Dig natural mud in mangrove swamps
Mangrove swamps are full of mud. The ground around and under the shallow water is mostly mud blocks, often mixed with muddy mangrove roots. Dig it with a shovel and you can collect stacks in a few minutes. Mangrove swamps are warm biomes, so look near jungles, deserts and other swamps.
3. Use a dispenser for automatic mud
A dispenser loaded with water bottles converts a dirt block in front of it into mud when it is powered by redstone. Combine it with a piston or a simple manual reset and you can produce mud without clicking each block yourself. This is mostly useful for clay farms, explained below.
Can you get mud in Bedrock Edition?
Yes. The water bottle method and mangrove swamps work the same on Bedrock Edition, Java Edition and all consoles.
Packed mud and mud bricks
Mud on its own is a soft block that you sink into slightly when you walk on it. To build with it, turn it into packed mud and then mud bricks.
- Packed mud: combine 1 mud and 1 wheat in a crafting grid. You get 1 packed mud.
- Mud bricks: place 4 packed mud in a 2 by 2 square. You get 4 mud bricks.
- Mud brick stairs, slabs and walls: craft these from mud bricks the same way as any other brick type, or cut them more efficiently on a stonecutter.
Mud bricks have a warm brown tone that suits desert builds, medieval houses, farms and paths. They pair well with mangrove wood, spruce, sandstone and terracotta.
How to turn mud into clay
Mud is the only way to make clay renewably. Place a mud block on top of a solid block, and hang a pointed dripstone under that solid block. Over time, the dripstone drips water out of the mud and the mud turns into a clay block. The conversion is random and takes a few minutes on average. When it finishes, mine the clay block with a shovel to get 4 clay balls.
The setup from top to bottom is: mud, a solid block, pointed dripstone. Build a row of these and you have a clay farm that feeds brick and terracotta production forever. Pointed dripstone comes from dripstone caves; mine it with a pickaxe to collect it. Clay balls smelt into bricks. See how to make bricks and how to get clay.
What mud does and where it is used
- Movement: mobs and players sink slightly into mud, so it has a lower top surface than a normal block. It does not slow you down like soul sand.
- Plants: you can plant saplings, flowers, sugar cane, bamboo and mushrooms on mud like on dirt.
- Building: as packed mud and mud bricks, it is a full building family with stairs, slabs and walls.
- Clay: with pointed dripstone it becomes clay, as explained above.
- Muddy mangrove roots: combine mud with mangrove roots to make muddy mangrove roots, a decorative block.
Tips for making mud quickly
- Carry several water bottles at once. They do not stack, so keep a few in your hotbar.
- Stand next to a water source and a pile of dirt, and alternate filling the bottle and using it.
- Use a cauldron filled with water as a portable water source in a base without a lake.
- Collect dirt with a shovel while digging out your base; it is free mud material.
Mud is a small block with a big payoff. Once you have a pointed dripstone clay farm running, you will never need to go hunting for clay in rivers again.
Mud building ideas
Mud bricks are one of the best blocks for builds that should feel lived in. Use them for the walls of a desert or savanna house, with acacia or mangrove wood for the frame and a flat roof of mud brick slabs. In a medieval village they work as the lower walls of a cottage with spruce beams above. They also make good garden paths and terraced farm walls, because the brown color blends with dirt, grass and crops. For a swamp hut, mix mud, packed mud and muddy mangrove roots around a mangrove frame. Packed mud on its own has a smooth, sandy look that works as flooring or as a plaster-style wall.
Common problems
- Nothing happens when I use the bottle: make sure the bottle is filled with water and that you are aiming at dirt, coarse dirt or rooted dirt, not grass, podzol or farmland.
- I drank the water bottle: you held the use button while aiming at the air or at a block that cannot become mud. Aim directly at the dirt block and tap once.
- My dripstone is not making clay: the pointed dripstone must hang directly under the block that the mud sits on, with only one solid block between them, and the chunk must be loaded.
- Mud keeps breaking my farm layout: mud is a full block for placing crops and saplings, but it does not count as farmland. Use a hoe on dirt for crops instead.
FAQ
Can you make mud with a water bucket?
No. A water bucket places water; it does not turn dirt into mud. You need a water bottle used on a dirt, coarse dirt or rooted dirt block.
Does a water bottle get used up when making mud?
No. You get the empty glass bottle back, so you can refill it and make more mud.
Why can't I turn a grass block into mud?
Water bottles only work on dirt, coarse dirt and rooted dirt. Dig the grass block so it drops as dirt, place the dirt, and then use the water bottle on it.
Where is mud found naturally in Minecraft?
In mangrove swamps. The ground there is mostly mud and muddy mangrove roots.
How do you make mud bricks?
Craft mud with wheat to make packed mud, then place 4 packed mud in a 2 by 2 square to make 4 mud bricks.
Checked by the Game Respawned editorial team against the current Java and Bedrock versions. Spotted something out of date? Tell us.