Paper requires three sugar cane blocks arranged vertically on a crafting table

To make paper in Minecraft PC, place three sugar cane in a vertical line down the middle column of your crafting table. Each sugar cane becomes one piece of paper. You need to find sugar cane first — it grows naturally along the edges of water blocks in swamps, rivers, and beaches. Break it by hand or with any tool, and it will drop as an item you can pick up.

Sugar cane grows only one block tall when you first find it, but if you replant it on dirt or sand next to water, it will grow up to three blocks high over time. Waiting for it to grow tall before harvesting means you get more paper per plant. Once you have at least three sugar cane, you can craft paper when ready.

Key Takeaways

  • Sugar cane is the only ingredient needed to make paper, and three pieces of sugar cane make three pieces of paper on a crafting table.
  • Sugar cane grows naturally along water in swamps, rivers, and beaches, and you can break it by hand without tools.
  • You can farm sugar cane by planting it on dirt or sand next to water, where it will grow up to three blocks tall.
  • Paper is used to craft books, maps, and fireworks, making it one of the most useful early-game materials.

Where to find sugar cane in the world

Sugar cane spawns naturally in most biomes wherever water touches dirt, sand, or grass. Swamps are the most reliable place to look because they have water everywhere and sugar cane grows densely along the banks. Rivers and beaches also have it, but in smaller patches. You will not find sugar cane in deserts, mountains, or the Nether.

When you spot sugar cane, break the bottom block first. The blocks above it will fall and drop as items. One block of sugar cane gives you one item, so if a plant is three blocks tall, you get three items to pick up. You can harvest with your bare hand — no tool is faster or required.

Setting up a sugar cane farm

To farm sugar cane, plant it on dirt, sand, or grass that is directly next to water. The water can be a single block or a channel — sugar cane only needs to be adjacent to it, not on top of it. Place the sugar cane by holding it and right-clicking on the ground block next to the water.

Sugar cane grows one block per game day (20 minutes of real time) until it reaches three blocks tall. You do not need to water it again or add bone meal — just wait. Once it is three blocks tall, break the top two blocks and leave the bottom one in place. The bottom block will regrow, so you can harvest the same plant repeatedly without replanting.

A straightforward farm is a trench of water with dirt on both sides. Plant sugar cane along both edges, and you will have a steady supply within an hour of play. This setup scales easily — the longer your water channel, the more sugar cane you can grow at once.

How to use your crafting table

Open your crafting table by right-clicking it. A 3×3 grid will appear. Place one sugar cane in each of the three middle squares going down (the center column). The three pieces of paper will appear in the result box on the right. Click the result to move the paper to your inventory.

You can also use your inventory crafting grid (the 2×2 square in your inventory menu) if you only need one or two pieces of paper. Place the sugar cane in a vertical line in that smaller grid, and the paper will appear in the result slot. The crafting table is faster when you are making large amounts because you can see the full 3×3 grid.

What to do with paper once you have it

Paper is used to craft books, which are the main ingredient in bookshelves and enchanting tables. Three pieces of paper plus one piece of leather make a book. Books are also used to make maps — combine a book with a compass and nine pieces of paper to create a map of your world.

Paper is also needed for fireworks. Combine paper with gunpowder and a dye to make a firework star, then combine the star with more paper and gunpowder to make a firework rocket. Fireworks are decorative and can be launched from crossbows in combat, though they are not required for survival.

Common mistakes when crafting paper

The most common mistake is placing sugar cane in the wrong grid squares. It must go in a vertical line — either the left, middle, or right column. If you place it horizontally or diagonally, it will not craft. The middle column is easiest to remember.

Another mistake is harvesting sugar cane too early. If you break a one-block-tall plant, you only get one paper. Wait until it grows to three blocks before harvesting, and you get three times as much. If you are in a hurry, plant multiple sugar cane and harvest them on a rotation so some are always growing while you harvest others.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I make paper without a crafting table?

Yes, you can use your inventory crafting grid (the 2×2 square in your inventory menu) to make paper. Place three sugar cane in a vertical line and the paper will appear in the result slot. A crafting table is not required, but it is faster for large batches.

How fast does sugar cane grow?

Sugar cane grows one block per game day, which is 20 minutes of real time. It stops growing once it reaches three blocks tall. If you break the top blocks and leave the bottom one, it will regrow from there, so you can harvest the same plant every 40 to 60 minutes.

What biomes have sugar cane?

Sugar cane grows in swamps, rivers, beaches, and most other biomes with water. Swamps have the most sugar cane because they are mostly water. Deserts, mountains, and the Nether do not have sugar cane naturally, but you can farm it anywhere if you have water and dirt.

Do I need bone meal to grow sugar cane faster?

No, bone meal does not speed up sugar cane growth in Minecraft. It only works on crops like wheat and potatoes. Sugar cane grows on its own schedule — one block per day — and there is no way to make it faster except by planting more of it.

Can I farm sugar cane in the Nether or End?

Sugar cane will not grow in the Nether or End because those dimensions do not have the right conditions. You can only farm it in the Overworld. If you want paper in the Nether, you must bring it with you from the Overworld.