Quick answer (reviewed October 13, 2026): In Minecraft, craft a smithing table with 2 iron ingots and 4 wooden planks in a crafting table. You can also take one from a village toolsmith’s workplace. Use the smithing table to upgrade diamond equipment to netherite or to add decorative armor trims. In modern Minecraft versions, both actions require the right smithing template—not just the equipment and material.
The important distinction is simple: crafting makes the table; a template unlocks the transformation. This guide covers the recipe, the exact three input slots, where to find templates, and what to check if the output slot stays empty.
How to make a smithing table in Minecraft
Gather two iron ingots and four planks of any wood type. Open a regular crafting table to access its 3×3 crafting grid. Put the two ingots side by side in the top row; put four planks in a 2×2 block directly beneath those ingots. Take the smithing table from the output slot and place it where you want to work.
| Crafting grid | Left | Middle | Right |
|---|---|---|---|
| Top row | Iron ingot | Iron ingot | Empty |
| Middle row | Wooden plank | Wooden plank | Empty |
| Bottom row | Wooden plank | Wooden plank | Empty |
Ingredients: 2 iron ingots + 4 planks → 1 smithing table. Any plank species works; the six ingredients must occupy the same relative positions within the crafting grid.
Where do you get the materials?
Make planks from logs in your inventory or a crafting table. Smelt raw iron in a furnace or blast furnace to obtain ingots, or use ingots you have already collected. You do not need diamonds or netherite merely to craft the smithing table. Those materials become relevant later when you upgrade equipment.
Can you find a smithing table instead?
Yes. Villages can contain smithing tables inside toolsmith buildings, and the block may also be found in some generated structures. This is convenient if you discover a village before collecting iron. A smithing table is associated with the toolsmith villager profession; see our Minecraft villager jobs and workstations guide for details about workstation assignments.
What does a smithing table do?
| Use | Required inputs | What changes? |
|---|---|---|
| Upgrade diamond gear to netherite | Netherite Upgrade template + eligible diamond item + netherite ingot | The item becomes netherite gear. |
| Add an armor trim | Armor Trim template + eligible armor + trim material | The armor gets a decorative pattern and color; the trim itself adds no defense. |
| Toolsmith job site | A placed, available smithing table near a villager | An eligible unemployed villager may claim it as a workstation. |
Neither a trim nor a netherite upgrade is performed with the ordinary 3×3 crafting grid. Mojang changed the system when it introduced smithing templates; older guides showing a two-item netherite recipe are out of date for current releases.
How to upgrade diamond gear to netherite
A netherite ingot alone is no longer sufficient. You need the Netherite Upgrade Smithing Template, diamond equipment eligible for upgrading, and one netherite ingot per upgrade. The three inputs go into different slots of the smithing interface.
Netherite upgrade: exact order
- Find a Netherite Upgrade Smithing Template. Mojang documents these templates in bastion remnant chests in the Nether.
- Craft or obtain a netherite ingot. You can begin by finding ancient debris, smelting it for netherite scrap, and combining scrap with gold. Our ancient debris mining guide covers the first step.
- Interact with the placed smithing table.
- Place the upgrade template in the template slot, your diamond weapon, tool or armor in the equipment slot, and the netherite ingot in the material slot.
- Confirm the preview shows the intended netherite item, then collect the result.
The upgrade keeps the equipment’s enchantments. You do not have to strip enchantments first. A smithing upgrade is also different from an anvil operation: it is not a way to repair damaged gear or combine enchantments. If you are upgrading a farming tool, our Minecraft hoe crafting and netherite upgrade guide explains that item’s progression.
Where can you find the Netherite Upgrade template?
Search bastion remnants in the Nether. The official Trails & Tales release documentation identifies bastion-remnant chests as the source of Netherite Upgrade templates, with two guaranteed templates in a bastion treasure room. Bastions can be dangerous, so protect your inventory and plan an escape route before opening chests.
Are smithing templates consumed?
Yes. A smithing template is used up when you complete an upgrade or trim. Before consuming a rare find, consider making copies. The official duplication recipe uses one existing template, seven diamonds, and a block appropriate to that particular template; it yields two matching templates. The block varies by template, so check its specific crafting recipe instead of using random stone.
How to add armor trims using a smithing table
Armor trims change the way armor looks; they do not increase its protection, toughness, or enchantment level. Each armor-trim template determines the pattern, while the material you add determines the color.
- Find an Armor Trim Smithing Template through exploration. Different patterns are associated with different structures and locations.
- Open the smithing table and insert the trim template in the first slot.
- Put a supported piece of armor into the second slot.
- Add a compatible color material—such as iron, gold, lapis lazuli, emerald, redstone, or quartz—in the third slot.
- Preview the result. If you like the combination, take the trimmed armor from the result slot.
There is no universal “best” trim: a trim is a visual choice. A different template changes the pattern; changing the material changes the accent color. Experiment in a test world if you want to compare designs before spending hard-to-replace templates or materials in survival mode.
Smithing table not working? Check these fixes
| Problem | Likely cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| No output when upgrading diamond gear | Missing or incorrect smithing template | Use a Netherite Upgrade template in the first slot. |
| Netherite scrap does not work | The recipe needs an ingot, not scrap | Craft a netherite ingot first. |
| Trim preview is empty | Wrong input order or incompatible item/material | Put template → eligible armor → trim material in the designated slots. |
| Recipe from an old video fails | Modern smithing templates changed the process | Use the current three-input smithing interface. |
| Expected a toolsmith villager but nothing happened | Villager is unavailable, already assigned, or cannot access the block | Check job status and whether the villager can claim the workstation. |
Smithing table versus anvil versus grindstone
Use the smithing table for netherite upgrades and armor trims. Use an anvil for operations such as combining compatible enchanted equipment and repairing items with materials (subject to game rules and costs). Use a grindstone for relevant disenchanting and repair functions. The blocks are not interchangeable.
Do the instructions work in Java and Bedrock?
The broad workflow—crafting the table, using a template, an equipment item and a material—applies in current Java and Bedrock editions. The appearance and controls of inventory menus can differ between platforms. If a button label or slot position on your screen looks different, follow the slot icons and in-game preview instead of relying on an old screenshot.
For the safest version check, compare your game’s current release notes against Minecraft’s official Java 1.20 notes describing templates and netherite changes and its official smithing table explainer. The template-based system has been part of Minecraft since the Trails & Tales era.
Frequently asked questions
Can you make a smithing table without a crafting table?
Not from the standard ingredients in the small 2×2 inventory grid, because the recipe needs more slots. Use a crafting table or find an existing smithing table in the world.
Do you need a smithing table for netherite armor?
Yes, for upgrading eligible diamond armor to netherite in current versions. You also need a Netherite Upgrade template and a netherite ingot.
Does armor trimming make armor stronger?
No. Armor trims are cosmetic. The armor’s material and enchantments—not its trim pattern or trim color—determine its protective function.
Does a smithing table remove enchantments?
No. Converting eligible diamond gear to netherite preserves its enchantments; trims likewise do not act as a disenchanting tool.
Can you reuse a smithing template?
The template is consumed when used. Duplicate it first at a crafting table if you want spare copies for future upgrades or armor designs.
Is the smithing table needed for regular crafting?
No. Basic tools, weapons, blocks and most recipes still use ordinary crafting. The smithing table has its own specialized interface.
Bottom line
Remember the two key recipes: 2 iron ingots + 4 planks make the smithing table, and template + equipment + material produce an equipment upgrade or armor trim. The biggest cause of a failed netherite upgrade is following an outdated guide that leaves out the Netherite Upgrade template. Save rare templates, make extra copies when practical, and preview the result before taking it.
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