Minecraft: Here’s How To Hang Lanterns & What Are the Best Places To Put Them?

One of the best things about Minecraft is that it allows players to create their world from scratch in just about any style they would like, with limitless possibilities depending on the materials and items. But lighting is a massively important factor for any Minecraft player, both for design and aesthetics, as well as for keeping out aggressive mobs, and lanterns have become the most popular choice for many fans. Still, many wonder how to hang lanterns and what are the best places to put them.
Lanterns in Minecraft (Usage & Crafting)
Lanterns have become the most popular choice of lighting for the vast majority of Minecraft players in recent years, offering some incredibly atmospheric lighting as well as a great form of decoration. So far, the second best lighting option for most players is Glowstone, but even these offer far less detail, considering it requires the use of a full block.
These light sources are stackable up to 64, like most Minecraft items, and they are renewable as well. Lanterns offer tons of light with added atmosphere, and they have a charming, semi-transparent appeal similar to real-life lanterns.
With that being said, making lanterns is not easy, as lanterns do require some rather valuable resources in the game – seen below, thanks to the Minecraft Wiki. It would take a player 8 Iron Nuggets and 1 Torch to create one lantern in Minecraft (or one Soul Lantern using a Soul Torch instead of a Torch), but these are not the most challenging materials to get, and it’s definitely worthwhile in the long run.
From this point, players will need to head to a Crafting Table and place all of the gathered materials inside the slots – specifically with the torch being placed at the center and the iron nuggets being placed around the torch. This format will create a lantern in Minecraft, after which you can shift it to your inventory and use it however you’d like.
Many players love using lanterns for lighting as well for added detail, as lanterns just make the entire design look and feel more realistic and cozy. They add an extra level of class and style no matter where they are placed, and they provide some of the best light you could get.
Minecraft Light Level | Minecraft Item |
15 Light Level | Lanterns, Beacon, Lit Campfire, Lava Cauldron, Conduit, End Gateway, End Portal, Fire, Glowstone, Jack o’Lantern, Lava, Lantern, Fully Charged Respawn Anchor, Sea Lantern, four Sea Pickles, Shroomlight |
14 Light Level | Cave Vines with Berries, End Rod, Torch |
7 – 10 Light Level | Crying Obsidian, Lit Soul Campfire, Soul Lantern, Soul Torch, Lit Redstone Ore, Enchanting Table, Ender Chest, Glow Lichen, Lit Redstone Torch |
6 Light Level or Lower | Less than two Lit Candles, Amethyst Cluster, Amethyst Buds, Magma Block, Brewing Stand, Brown Mushroom, Dragon Egg, Sculk Sensor |
Compared to other light sources in the game, lanterns rank way higher with a light level of 15 – even when comparing classic lanterns to similar items like Soul Lanterns, which only have a light level of 10. Having some solid and bright lighting is crucial for keeping aggressive mobs from spawning on your base since mobs can spawn in any dark place.
How to Hang Lanterns in Minecraft
One of the trickiest things about lanterns is that they cannot be placed or hung in the same way as other light sources – such as Glowstone blocks or torches. Lanterns cannot simply be placed down on any surface, such as the other mentioned light sources that can be put down just about anywhere you’d like – from grass or dirt blocks in random areas to tiny nooks on high walls.
Lanterns in Minecraft can only be placed or hung by being attached to a solid block – meaning that a lantern can be placed down on top of a block or hung up from underneath a block. Lanterns will have a slightly different appearance in the game depending on how they are placed – lanterns have a chain-like hoop at the top when hung and a flat top when placed down.
However, lanterns cannot be placed on the sides of vertical surfaces and blocks, meaning they cannot be placed on walls. But lanterns can be connected to chains with the right setups.
Additionally, placing some lanterns can be trickier than expected due to angles and positioning. Lanterns can be placed on most solid blocks in the game, but players may need to sneak in order to place or hang a lantern in some cases.
With that being said, lanterns generally cannot be placed down on ‘transparent’ blocks (such as Leaves Blocks), and they cannot be hung up on blocks that do not have a solid base (such as slabs, depending on the placement, or upside down stairs). The rules are flexible here, as long as the surface that the lantern is actually being placed on is solid or flat.
Best Places to Put Lanterns in Minecraft
Although there are quite a few limitations in terms of where players can place or hang lanterns, the available spots still allow for tons of creativity and unique designs. Generally speaking, most players love hanging up lanterns by attaching them to the ends of chains – this seems to be the most popular method for finishing off the look.
However, there are tons of things players can do. It all depends on style and preferences. Many players also like to place lanterns on the bottom of single fences for a more rustic look – or even place a fence on a wall and hang lanterns from those fences to give the appearance of a lantern on a wall!
Lanterns may be slightly more finicky than torches, considering how they can be placed, but they are still seen as the best source of light in Minecraft. Lanterns still offer plenty of room for creativity and design flexibility, topped off with offering the highest level of light in the entire game – perfect for fashioning a stylish and warm home that’s free from hostile mobs.
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