The Complete Guide to Crafting in Terraria

Terraria: The Complete Crafting Guide


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Cate Belasco is a professional writer with a degree in Journalism. She loves playing Single-Player and Co-Op RPGs. She also enjoys writing game guides for VGKami, and has been published on Game Rant.

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Marshall is a seasoned writer and gaming enthusiast based in Tokyo. He's a prolific wordsmith with hundreds of articles featured on top-tier sites like Business Insider, How-To Geek, PCWorld, and Zapier. His writing has reached a massive audience with over 70 million readers!

Crafting is a must-know game mechanic to conquer the worlds of Terraria. After all, getting the best weapons, armors, and items requires you to make a progress in your crafting game. So know your craft to become the ultimate boss!

Table Of Contents

    The Basics of Crafting

    Player Ampex making a simple early-game crafting area in Terraria with basic crafting stations.

    Your survival and game progress largely depends on what you’re able to craft and how you use it. There are crafting stations and items that can only be unlocked by getting started with the basics.

    Crafting Menu

    You can find the Crafting Menu at the bottom screen of your Inventory. Some crafting stations require you to be within range to use it. Here’s how to open your Inventory:

    • Desktop (Keyboard and Mouse) – ESC key
    • Desktop (Controller) – Y button
    • PlayStation – Triangle button
    • Xbox – Y button
    • Switch – X or double-tap Hotbar

    Crafting Area and Range

    It’s always efficient to place different crafting stations in one area. It helps you to craft items and to upgrade weapons and armor faster. So when building a house, it’s important to have a Crafting Area. Some Furniture items can be converted into a Crafting Station when placed within a certain range.

    The Crafting Range is around 3 blocks to your left and right, and 3 blocks above you and below. However, it cannot be extended.

    Crafting Achievements

    AchievementRequirement
    CraftyUse every type of Crafting Station
    BenchedCraft your first Work Bench
    Heavy MetalCraft your first Iron/Lead Anvil

    Crafting Station Progression

    Terraria: Crafting Station Progression.

    There are 44 types of crafting stations in Terraria. Some have different variants and designs. Some can be found, dropped, or purchased from an NPC. But many have to be crafted. Like many items, you will also need a Crafting Station to make other types of crafting stations.

    While there are crafting stations that you can get in other ways, some heavily rely on your progress. These are the essential ones you need to advance in the game:

    Pre-Hardmode Crafting Progression

    1. Work Bench
    2. Wooden Table and Wooden Chair
    3. Furnace
    4. Iron/Lead Anvil
    5. Sawmill
    6. Loom
    7. Hellforge

    Hardmode Crafting Progression

    1. Mythril/Orichalcum Anvil
    2. Adamantite/Titanium Forge
    3. Ancient Manipulator

    Recommended Crafting Station Progression

    ProgressCrafting Stations
    Pre-Skeletron (Early Game)‣ Work Bench
    ‣ Table and Chair
    ‣ Furnace
    ‣ Anvil
    ‣ Sink
    ‣ Cooking Pot
    ‣ Placed Bottle
    Post-Skeletron (Pre-Hardmode)‣ Pre-Skeletron List
    ‣ Heavy Work Bench
    ‣ Hellforge
    ‣ Alchemy Table
    ‣ Sawmill
    ‣ Loom
    ‣ TInkerer's Workshop
    ‣ Demon/Crimson Altar
    Pre-Mechanical Bosses (Hardmode)‣ Post-Skeletron List
    ‣ Mythril/Orichalcum Anvil
    ‣ Adamantite/Titanium Forge
    ‣ Crystal Ball
    ‣ Imbuing Station
    ‣ Bookcase
    Post-Lunatic Cultist (Hardmode)‣ Pre-Mechanical Bosses List
    ‣ Autohammer
    ‣ Ancient Manipulator

    Basic Crafting Stations

    Terraria: Basic Crafting Stations.

    These are the must-have Crafting Stations you’ll need to craft to beat the Pre-Hardmode and Hardmode worlds of Terraria. It’s good to remember that a pre-Hardmode world turns into Hardmode when you beat the Wall of Flesh for the first time.

    Basic Pre-Hardmode Stations

    StationFunctionRecipe/Source
    By HandCrafts items without needing a Crafting Station nearby. Examples: Work bench, Torches, Platforms, Coins, etc. No need to craft
    Work BenchCrafts basic Furniture, building materials, early-game Weapons and Armors.‣ 10 Any Wood
    ‣ By Hand
    Iron/Lead AnvilCrafts various Tools, Weapons, Armor, some Furniture, and other items.‣ 5 Iron/Lead Bar
    ‣ Work Bench
    Heavy Work BenchCrafts various building materials, decorative items (Statues) and alternative items (Mechanisms).‣ 12 Any Wood
    ‣ 2 Iron/Lead Bar
    ‣ Iron/Lead Anvil
    FurnaceSmelts pre-hardmode ores into bars, crafts ore bricks, weapons and glass items.‣ 20 Stone Block
    ‣ 4 Any Wood
    ‣ 3 Torch
    ‣ Work Bench
    HellforgeHas a similar function to Furnace. Smelts Hellstone into Hellstone Bars, and crafts Adamantite/Titanium Forge in Hardmode.Found in Ruined Houses in the Underworld
    Placed BottleCrafts Potions and Vile/Viscious Powder.‣ Bottle/Mug/Pink Vase/Any Cup/
    Naturally-placed potions
    ‣ Any Platform/Table/Dresser/Work/Bench/
    Bookcase/Piano/Fireplace/Tinkerer's Workshop
    Alchemy TableA post-Skeletron crafting stations that crafts Potions and has a 33% chance of not consuming ingredients.‣ Found randomly in Dungeon
    ‣ Obtained by Fishing in Dungeon
    SinkCrafts items that require Water.‣ 6 Any Block/Brick/Wood
    ‣ Water Bucket
    SawmillCrafts Furniture and the Loom Crafting Station.‣ 10 Any Wood
    ‣ 2 Iron/Lead Bar
    ‣ Chain
    ‣ Work Bench
    LoomCrafts Silk and some items that require Silk.‣ 12 Any Wood
    ‣ Sawmill
    ‣ Sometimes found in Underground Cabins
    Table and ChairCrafts Watches.‣ Any Table
    ‣ Any Chair
    ‣ Within Crafting Range
    Work Bench and ChairCrafts Goggles and Sunglasses.‣ Any Work Bench
    ‣ Any Chair
    ‣ Within Crafting Range
    Cooking PotCrafts Food and Drink Potions.‣ 10 Iron/Lead Bar
    ‣ 2 Any Wood
    ‣ Iron/Lead Anvil
    CauldronA Halloween-Themed Cooking Pot that crafts Food and Drink Potions.Witch Doctor during Halloween
    (1 Gold 50 Silver Coin)
    Imbuing StationCrafts Flasks.Witch Doctor (7 Gold Coin)
    Tinkerer's WorkshopCombines Accessory items that results to a new compact Accessory with combined functions.Goblin Tinkerer (10 Gold Coin)
    Dye VatCrafts Dyes and Paints.Dye Trader (5 Gold Coin)
    Demon/Crimson AltarNaturally-occuring Crafting Stations that crafts some pre-Hardmode Boss-summoning items, Armors, Weapons, and Void Vault.‣ Mainly within chasms in The Corruption/The Crimson
    ‣ Less likely in the Underground

    Basic Hardmode Stations

    StationFunctionRecipe/Source
    Mythril/Orichalcum AnvilFunctions similarly to Iron/Lead Anvil. Crafts Hardmode Weapons, Armors, and other items.‣ 10 Mythril/12 Orichalcum Bar
    ‣ Iron/Lead Anvil
    Adamantite/Titanium ForgeFunctions similarly to Hellforge. Crafts late-Hardmode Ores and Crystal Blocks.‣ 30 Adamantite/Titanium Ore
    ‣ Hellforge
    ‣ Mythril/Orichalcum Anvil
    BookcaseCrafts Magic Weapons in Hardmode.‣ 20 Any Brick/Block/Wood
    ‣ 10 Book
    ‣ Sawmill
    Crystal BallCrafts Endless ammunition and animated blocks.Wizard (10 Gold Coin)
    AutohammerA post-Plantera Crafting Station that crafts Shroomite Bars and Mini rocket ammunitions.Truffle Post-Plantera ( 1 Platinum Coin)
    Ancient ManipulatorAn endgame Crafting Station used to craft endgame Weapons, Armors, decorative Furniture, and variants of Crafting Stations.Lunatic Cultist

    Specialized Crafting Stations

    Terraria: Specialized Crafting Stations

    These crafting stations allows you to craft a few non-essential but fun items in Terraria. If you’re into Ale or Tea, you’ll definitely want to craft one! The rest are also worth checking out.

    Specialized Pre-Hardmode Stations

    StationFunctionRecipe/Source
    KegCrafts Ale‣ 14 Any Wood
    ‣ Sawmill
    ‣ Sometimes found in Underground Cabins
    TeapotCrafts Teacups‣ 12 Clay Block
    ‣ 12 Bone
    ‣ Furnace
    Living Wood (3DS)Crafts Living Wood Walls‣ Looted from Living Trees (other Platforms)

    Specialized Hardmode Stations

    StationFunctionRecipe/Source
    Blend-O-MaticCrafts Asphalt Blocks.‣ Steampunker (10 Gold Coin)
    ‣ Purchasable only at Night (3DS)
    Meat GrinderCrafts Flesh Blocks and Lesion Blocks.Corruption/Crimson enemies
    (0.5% chance)

    Themed Furniture Crafting Stations

    Terraria: Themed Furniture Crafting Station

    These crafting stations allow you to craft themed Furniture sets for when you want to put more color in your House. After all, you’ll have NPCs living with you. Wouldn’t it be more exciting to spawn in a beautiful House?

    Themed Pre-Hardmode Stations

    StationFunctionRecipe/Source
    Bone WelderCrafts 19 Bone-themed Furniture.‣ Dungeon (12.5% chance in Chests or on ground)
    ‣ Steampunker in a Graveyard (10 Gold Coin only for PC, Console, Mobile and Switch only)
    Glass KilnCrafts 19 Glass-themed Furniture. It also has a similar function to a Standard Furnace.‣ 18 Iron/Lead Bar
    ‣ 8 Torch
    ‣ Iron/Lead Anvil
    Honey DispenserCrafts 21 Honey-themed Furniture.‣ Ivy Chests in the Underground Jungle
    ‣ Steampunker in Jungle (10 Gold Coin)
    Ice MachineCrafts 19 Iced-themed Furniture.‣ Frozen Chests (14.29% chance)
    ‣ Steampunker in Snow Biome (10 Gold Coin for PC, Console, Mobile and Switch only)
    Living LoomCrafts 22 Living Tree-themed Furniture.‣ Spawns on the ground near a Living Wood Chest (inside of a Living Tree)
    ‣ Steampunker, if you have a Living Wood Wand in the inventory (10 Gold Coin for PC, Console, Mobile and Switch only)
    Sky MillCrafts 21 Sky-themed Furniture, Rain Clouds (with Water), and Snow Clouds (in Snow Biome).‣ Skyware Chests in Floating Islands
    ‣ Steampunker in Space (10 Gold Coin for PC, Console, Mobile and Switch only.)
    SolidifierCrafts 20 Slime-Themed Furniture, Frozen Slime Blocks, and Pink Slime Blocks.‣ King Slime (PC, Console, Mobile and Switch only)
    ‣ Steampunker during the Day (10 Gold Coin for 3DS only)

    Themed Hardmode Stations

    StationFunctionRecipe/Source
    Decay ChamberCrafts 19 (Corruption) Lesion-themed Furniture.‣ Flesh Cloning Vat
    ‣ 10 Soul of Night
    ‣ Work Bench and Ecto Mist

    ‣ Steampunker in worlds generated with the Corruption (10 Gold Coin)
    Flesh Cloning VatCrafts 19 (Crimson) Flesh-themed Furniture.‣ Decay Chamber
    ‣ 10 Soul of Night
    ‣ Work Bench and Ecto Mist

    ‣ Steampunker in worlds generated with the Crimson.
    Steampunk BoilerCrafts 20 Steampunk-themed Furniture.Steampunker for 10 Gold Coin (after defeating Eye of Cthulhu, Eater of Worlds/Brain of Cthulhu, and Skeletron)
    Lihzahrd FurnaceA post-Plantera Crafting Station that crafts 18 Jungle Temple-themed Furniture.Lihzahrd Chests in Jungle Temple

    Crafting with Liquids

    Terraria: Crafting with Liquids, namely: Water, Lava, and Honey.

    You can fish, walk, and swim on it, breathe in it, and even craft with it. Liquid is an amazing resource in Terraria, and a great way to take advantage of Liquid is to make Potions, which are very much essential to your survival.

    LiquidFunctionSource
    Water‣ An abundant Liquid (color depends on Biome) and crafts Bottled Water, Blocks, and other items.
    ‣ Can be used with Crystal Ball and Sky Mill.
    ‣ When combined with Lava it crafts Obsidian ore.
    ‣ When combined with Honey, it crafts Honey Block.
    ‣ Pools in nearly any Biome
    ‣ Oceans
    ‣ Sink (alternative)
    Lava‣ A red/orange Liquid that can be used to craft a block, explosive, and ammunition.
    ‣ Can be used with Crystal Ball.
    ‣ When combined with Water, it crafts Obsidian ore.
    ‣ When combined with Honey, it crafts Crispy Honey Block.
    ‣ Deep in the Cavern layer.
    ‣ The Underground (Below 750 tiles in a small world, 1150 tiles in a medium world, and 1675 tiles in a large world)
    ‣ Pools on the outskirts of the Underground Desert (100 tiles below the surface)
    Honey‣ A yellow Liquid that crafts Bottled Honey, blocks, and other items.
    ‣ Can be used with Crystal Ball.
    ‣ When combined with Water, it crafts Honey Block.
    ‣ When combined with Lava, it crafts Crispy Honey Block.
    ‣ Bottom of Bee Hives
    ‣ Honey Blocks within Underground Jungle
    ‣ The Underworld
    ‣ Mining Hive Blocks

    Other Crafting Stations

    These crafting stations can be used without opening the Crafting Menu.

    StationFunctionRecipe/Source
    CampfireCrafts Cooked Marshmallow when you hold a Marshmallow on a Stick near it.‣ 10 Any Wood
    ‣ 5 Any Torch
    ‣ By Hand
    ExtractinatorDrops coins, random ores, and gems when you place a Silt, Slush, or a Desert Fossil Block on it.‣ Wooden Crates/Gold Chests/Frozen Chests/other Chests in the Underground and Cavern Layers.
    ‣ Underground Cabins in the Underground Desert