Minecraft How To

How To Make A Bow In Minecraft

In this tutorial, you'll learn how to make a bow in Minecraft and shoot it!

A Minecraft bow is a ranged weapon that can fire arrows. The amount of damage a bow and arrow creates depends on the charging time (in seconds). At full charge (1+ seconds) the arrow will deliver 6 - 10 damage.

How To Make A Bow Video Tutorial

In this video, watch as we show you exactly how to make a bow and shoot arrows. And be sure to subscribe to our YouTube channel for regularly updated Minecraft videos!

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Available Platforms

Edition Platform Available
Java Edition Windows, Mac & Linux PC's Yes
Bedrock Edition Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, iOS, Android, Fire OS, Windows 10 PC's Yes
Education Edition Mac, iOs 12, Windows 10 PC's Yes
PlayStation Edition PlayStation 3 & 4 Yes

Materials Needed To Create A Bow

Steps To Make A Bow

1. Open Your Crafting Table

First, let's open your crafting table in Minecraft. You should see the same grid as in the image below.

Open the crafting table

2. Add Sticks And Strings To The Menu

With the crafting menu open, add the 3 sticks and 3 strings to the grid.

You must add the sticks and strings to the grid exactly as shown in the image below.

In the 1st row place 1 stick in the 2nd box and 1 string in the 3rd box. In the 2nd row place 1 stick in the ist box and 1 string in the 3rd box. Lastly, in the 3rd-row place 1 stick in the 2nd box and 1 string in the 3rd box. This is the Minecraft bow recipe.

Add Sticks And Strings To The Menu

Now that you've added the materials to the grid as described above, you'll notice a bow in the box on the right.

3. Move The Bow To Your Inventory

Simply drag the bow down to your inventory so you can use it in the game.

Move The Bow To Your Inventory

That's it! You now have a bow. A Minecraft bow is a ranged weapon that can fire arrows. The amount of damage a bow and arrow creates depends on the charging time (in seconds). At full charge (1+ seconds) the arrow will deliver 6 - 10 damage.

How to make a bow in Minecraft

Tip: Check out our guide on how to repair a bow if your bow gets damaged.

Minecraft Bow Command

You can also use a Give Command to create bows in Minecraft. The bow command is available in the following editions:

  • Java Edition
  • Pocket Edition
  • Xbox One
  • Nintendo Switch
  • Windows 10 Edition
  • Education Edition

To run the bow command in Minecraft, open your chat window and enter the command below depending on the version you have.

Java Edition 1.13 and higher bow command

/give @p bow 1

PE, Xbox One, Switch, Win 10, Education Edition

/give @p bow 1 0

More Weapon Recipes