How to Enchant Items in Minecraft
To enchant items in Minecraft, place the item and one to three lapis lazuli into an enchanting table, then pick one of the three offered enchantments — it applies instantly and costs experience levels. Surround the table with fifteen bookshelves to unlock the strongest, level-30 options. Here is how to enchant items in minecraft from crafting the table to combining enchanted books on an anvil.
Craft the Enchanting Table
The minecraft enchanting table needs three ingredients: four obsidian, two diamonds, and one book.
- Mine four obsidian with a diamond or netherite pickaxe. Obsidian forms wherever flowing water meets a lava source block, so pouring a bucket of water over lava is the safe way to make it.
- Craft a book from three paper and one leather if you do not have one. Paper comes from sugar cane; leather comes from cows and similar mobs.
- Combine them at a crafting table: the book on top, diamonds on both sides of the middle row with obsidian between them, and obsidian across the bottom row.
Place the table somewhere with room around it — you will be adding bookshelves next, and the layout matters.
Use the Enchanting Table
With the table placed, here is how to enchant items in Minecraft at its most basic:
- Right-click the table to open the enchanting screen.
- Place the item — a tool, weapon, piece of armor, or a plain book — in the left slot.
- Add one to three lapis lazuli in the second slot.
- Hover over the three options on the right. Each shows a level requirement and a hint of one enchantment it will give.
- Click an option to enchant. It consumes lapis equal to the row number and the same number of experience levels, and the item glows with its new enchantment.
The hint only shows one enchantment, but higher-level options often apply extra ones for free. That is why the bottom row is almost always worth the cost.
Note: Enchanting is a gamble by design. You cannot pick an exact enchantment from the table — for precise control, use enchanted books and an anvil, covered below.
Reach Level 30 Enchantments With Bookshelves
Without bookshelves, the table only offers weak enchantments. Fifteen bookshelves placed around it raise the best option to level 30, the maximum.
- Craft bookshelves from six wooden planks and three books each.
- Place them one block away from the table, leaving a one-block air gap between the shelves and the table.
- Keep the gap clear. Anything in the air gap — even a torch or a carpet — blocks that bookshelf from counting.
A simple layout that works: a square border of bookshelves around the table, one block away, stacked two high on the sides. Once fifteen are connected, the third slot in the enchanting screen shows a level-30 cost.
Tip: Level 30 is the requirement, not the price. A level-30 enchantment costs three levels and three lapis — you just need to be at level 30 or higher to click it.
Use an Anvil and Enchanted Books for Exact Enchantments
The anvil is the second half of the system, and it is how you build god-tier gear. Instead of gambling at the table, you apply a specific enchanted book to a specific item.
Enchanted books come from several sources:
| Source | How it works |
|---|---|
| Enchanting table | Enchant a plain book instead of a tool |
| Fishing | Enchanted books appear as rare treasure catches |
| Villager trading | Librarian villagers sell specific enchanted books |
| Loot chests | Found in generated structures across the world |
Put the item in the anvil’s left slot, the enchanted book in the middle, and take the result — it costs experience levels shown on screen. The anvil also merges two identical enchantments into a stronger one, so combining two books of the same enchantment level pushes it one tier higher.
Some enchantments never appear at the table at all. Treasure enchantments such as Mending only come from books found through fishing, trading, or loot, which makes a librarian villager one of the most valuable neighbors you can have.
Manage Enchantments Like a Pro
Knowing how to enchant items in Minecraft efficiently comes down to a few extra mechanics:
- Reroll bad offers cheaply. The three offers only change after you enchant something. Enchanting a plain book on the top row costs one level and refreshes all three slots.
- Strip unwanted enchantments with a grindstone. It removes all regular minecraft enchantments from an item and refunds some experience — curses, however, stay put.
- Watch anvil costs. Repeatedly working the same item on an anvil raises its future cost each time, so plan combinations instead of adding books one by one at random.
- Enchant diamond, not iron. Levels and lapis are renewable, but a great enchantment on a weak tool is wasted the moment the tool breaks.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why are my enchantment options so weak? Not enough bookshelves. The table alone caps at low levels; fifteen bookshelves with a clear one-block air gap unlock level-30 offers.
What does lapis lazuli actually do? It is the fuel. Each enchantment costs one to three lapis depending on which row you pick. Mine it from lapis ore underground — a few stacks lasts a very long time.
Can I enchant without an enchanting table? Yes. Apply enchanted books with an anvil, trade with librarian villagers, or fish up enchanted gear directly. The table is just the cheapest renewable source.
How do I get Mending? Only from enchanted books — fishing, chest loot, or librarian trades. It never appears on the enchanting table, so do not waste levels hunting for it there.
Can I move my enchanting table? Yes, but only by mining it with a pickaxe. It drops itself and can be placed again anywhere — bookshelves included, though you will be rebuilding the layout.
