A Beacon is one of Minecraft's rare craftable blocks, and the normal Survival recipe is strict. You need regular Glass, Obsidian, and a Nether Star arranged in the right Crafting Table pattern. Use the method that matches your world: Survival crafting first, Creative tools next, then commands only when you have permission.
1. Craft a Beacon in Survival mode
This fixes the standard vanilla Survival recipe. Get 5 Glass, 3 Obsidian, and 1 Nether Star, then open a Crafting Table. Place Glass across the entire top row, place Glass in the middle-left and middle-right slots, and place the Nether Star in the center slot. Place Obsidian across the entire bottom row, then take the Beacon from the result slot.
2. Use the Recipe Book to fill the pattern
Open a Crafting Table. The Beacon recipe fills all nine slots, so the 2x2 grid in your Inventory cannot make one.
Next, open the Recipe Book, search for or select Beacon, and confirm you have 5 Glass, 3 Obsidian, and 1 Nether Star. Select Craft or take the Beacon from the result slot. The Recipe Book does not change the recipe; it fills the correct Crafting Table pattern for you.
3. Take a Beacon from Creative inventory
In Creative mode, open Inventory > Search and type Beacon, or browse the creative item tabs. Then move the Beacon to your Hotbar and place it like any other block. On keyboard and mouse, E opens inventory.
4. Copy an existing Beacon with Pick Block
Switch to Creative mode and point at an existing Beacon block. Use Pick Block, then place the copied Beacon from your Hotbar.
5. Give yourself a Beacon with a command
This fixes worlds where commands, cheats, or operator permission are available.
Turn on the world's command setting. On Java, switch on Allow Commands when you create the world, or later in the World Options screen. On Bedrock, open the Game tab of the settings menu and turn on the cheats toggle, labeled Activate Cheats in current versions and Allow Cheats in older ones.
On a server or Realm you also need a high-enough permission level: operator on Java, and on Bedrock the Game Directors level on top of cheats being on. After that, open Chat with T or /. Run /give @s minecraft:beacon 1. Check your inventory or Hotbar for the Beacon when there is space.
6. Place a Beacon block directly with setblock
Turn on the same command setting: Allow Commands on Java, or the cheats toggle on the Game tab on Bedrock. Open Chat with T or /. Run /setblock ~ ~ ~ minecraft:beacon replace to place a Beacon at your current block position. Replace ~ ~ ~ with exact x y z coordinates to place the Beacon at a specific location.
7. Unlock the Bedrock recipe before crafting
This fixes a Bedrock world where the Beacon recipe must be unlocked before you craft it. Enable Cheats, open Chat, and run /recipe give @s minecraft:beacon. After that, open a Crafting Table. Finally, open the Recipe Book, choose Beacon, and craft it with 5 Glass, 3 Obsidian, and 1 Nether Star.
8. Switch classroom players into Creative mode
Use an operator or admin account in Minecraft Education, then enable or allow Commands for the world. Run /gamemode c <target>, or set Creative mode through the world's game settings menu. Have the player open Inventory with E and take a Beacon from Creative inventory.
9. Avoid outdated Beacon recipes
Do not substitute stained glass into the Beacon recipe. The current official vanilla recipe uses regular Glass, Obsidian, and a Nether Star. To color the beam, place Stained Glass above a normal Beacon after making it.
Do not follow portable Beacon or corrupted Beacon crafting recipes as vanilla instructions. Those are unsupported current vanilla methods. For a normal vanilla Beacon, use Survival crafting, Creative inventory, Pick Block, or permissioned commands.
Frequently Asked Questions
What materials do I need to make a Beacon in Minecraft?
You need 5 Glass, 3 Obsidian, and 1 Nether Star, crafted at a Crafting Table.
Can I make a Beacon without a Nether Star?
Not through normal Survival crafting. The current vanilla recipe requires 1 Nether Star.
Can stained glass be used in the Beacon recipe?
No. Use regular Glass in the recipe. Stained Glass goes above a finished Beacon to color the beam.
What does the Bedrock recipe command do?
The /recipe give @s minecraft:beacon command unlocks the Beacon recipe. It does not give you the Beacon item, so you still need the normal ingredients.