Updated 25 October 2026. Facts on this page come from minecraft.wiki, minecraft.net and the live Artemis PvP server; sources are listed at the bottom.
Clay in Minecraft: Where to Find It and Uses
Clay blocks are found in rivers, lakes, swamps and lush caves, usually under shallow water. Breaking one gives 4 clay balls, which smelt into bricks, while the block itself smelts into terracotta. Clay is renewable: mud on top of a block with pointed dripstone under it slowly turns into clay.
Where do you find clay?
In patches under shallow water in shallow rivers, lakes and oceans, and as large deposits in lush caves where axolotls spawn above it. Use a shovel to dig it fastest. Biomes: rivers and beaches and lush caves.
What is clay used for?
| Make | How |
|---|---|
| Bricks | Smelt clay balls, then 4 bricks make a block |
| Terracotta | Smelt a clay block |
| Clay block | 4 clay balls |
| Flower pots and decorated pots | From bricks |
See terracotta and bricks.
Can you farm clay?
Yes: place mud on a block that has pointed dripstone hanging under it, and the mud slowly becomes clay. Mud comes from water bottles on dirt. See mud. Novice masons buy 10 clay balls for an emerald.
Anything else?
Fortune does not increase clay balls; each block always gives 4. A clay block under a note block gives the flute sound. Axolotls spawn in lush caves above clay, which is how you find them.
Clay building tips
Terracotta comes in 16 dyed colors and glazed versions, so a few stacks of clay give a whole palette for builds. Bricks from clay make warm chimneys and houses. Collect clay when you find a river patch, since lush caves are deep and harder to reach.
Frequently asked questions
How many clay balls does a clay block drop?
4, and Fortune does not change it.
Sources
Every fact on this page was checked against these pages; the wording is ours.