Desert Well blueprint in Minecraft
The small sandstone well that appears alone among the dunes: a water cross under a roof on four pillars. 112 blocks over 7 layers, almost all Sandstone, an easy build for a desert base.
- Size (W × H × D)
- 5 × 7 × 5
- Blocks placed
- 112
- Block types
- 4
- Layers
- 7
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Main material
- Sandstone
- All blocks since
- 1.0
- Survival
- Yes
- Game template
Layer by layer
Seen from above, north at the top. The layer below shows faded.
Sandstone× 25
- Sandstone× 20
Sand× 5
- Sandstone× 20
Water× 5
- Sandstone× 16
Sandstone Slab× 4
- Sandstone× 4
- Sandstone× 4
- Sandstone Slab× 8
- Sandstone× 1
- NNorth is up
- Stairs: the arrow points to the tall side
- Hollow arrow: upside-down stairs
- Corner mark: slab in the top half
- Faded: layer below
Materials
112 items · 5 inventory slots · 1 Shulker box
Sandstone1 stack + 32 96 Sand 5 Water 5 106 items · 4 inventory slots · 1 Shulker box
// Estimated from the crafting recipes, rounded up. Glass, stone and smooth blocks are traced back to what you smelt.
Get it in your world
/place template minecraft:desert_well/well ~ ~ ~Places the build with its north-west bottom corner at your position. Needs cheats (permission level 2).
/place template minecraft:desert_well/well ~ ~ ~ clockwise_90Step by step
- Layers 1 and 2, under the sand. Lay a 5 by 5 square of Sandstone, then a second one with a cross of Sand in the middle. In the game these two layers are buried, so dig them in if you build on the ground.
- Layer 3, the water. Another Sandstone square, level with the ground, with a cross of five Water sources in the middle.
- Layer 4, the rim. A Sandstone ring around the water, with a Sandstone Slab in the middle of each side.
- Layers 5 and 6, the pillars. One Sandstone pillar, two blocks tall, at each corner of the water cross.
- Layer 7, the roof. A 3 by 3 roof of Sandstone Slabs with a full Sandstone block in the center.
Tips
Sandstone is crafted from four blocks of Sand, so a few stacks of Sand cover the whole well. Two Water Buckets are enough: pour them into two opposite arms of the cross, the center becomes a source too, and you can scoop from it as often as you need. The well generated by the game hides two blocks of Suspicious Sand under the water, in the sand cross of layer 2 and just below it. Brush them for a chance at the Arms Up or Brewer Pottery Sherd. Find the biome on the desert page.
✓ Checked in Java Edition 26.3 · updated 3 November 2026
FAQ
Where do desert wells generate?
In desert biomes, on sand, as a rare surface feature on their own.
What is under a desert well?
Two blocks of Suspicious Sand. Brushing them can give a Pottery Sherd (Arms Up or Brewer), a Brick, an Emerald, a Stick or Suspicious Stew.
How many blocks do you need for the Desert Well?
112 blocks of 4 types, over 7 layers. The biggest items: 90 × Sandstone, 12 × Sandstone Slab, 5 × Sand.
How do you place the Desert Well with a command?
Type /place template minecraft:desert_well/well ~ ~ ~ in a world with cheats on. The build appears with its north-west bottom corner at your position.
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