How to Make a Banner in Minecraft (Loom Guide)

Guide Java Bedrock

Quick answer: Craft a banner with 6 matching wool + 1 stick, then use a loom (2 string + 2 planks) with dyes to add patterns - up to 6 layers in survival. Special pattern items (creeper charge, skull charge, thing, flow, guster...) unlock unique designs, and a plain banner plus a shield combines into a custom shield.

What you need

6 wool (same color) + 1 stick per banner
2 string + 2 planks for the loom
Dyes of every color you plan to use
Optional: banner pattern items for rare designs

Step by step

Craft the base banner: 6 wool of one color in the top two rows + 1 stick in the bottom middle. The wool color becomes the background.
Craft a loom: 2 string over 2 planks. It is also the shepherd villager's job site block.
Open the loom: banner in the left slot, dye in the middle, optional banner pattern item on the right. Pick a design from the list - the preview shows exactly what you get.
Layer patterns: each pass through the loom adds one pattern layer, up to 6 in survival. The last layer goes on top, so plan the order (background shapes first, icons last).
Hunt special patterns: flower charge (oxeye daisy), creeper charge (creeper head), skull charge (wither skeleton skull), thing (enchanted golden apple), snout (piglin banner pattern from bastions), globe (cartographer trade), flow and guster (trial chambers).
Use the result: place banners as decoration, copy finished designs by crafting banner + same-color blank banner, or combine one with a shield to carry your colors into battle.

Java vs Bedrock

Nearly identical in Java and Bedrock. Java survival banners cap at 6 pattern layers; Bedrock allows more via commands. Both have the same loom interface and pattern list, including the 1.21 flow and guster patterns.

Versions: Banners arrived in 1.8 (2014) with crafting-table recipes; the loom replaced that system in 1.14 (Village & Pillage, 2019). Flow and guster patterns came with trial chambers in 1.21.

Frequently asked questions

How many layers can a banner have?

Six in survival. Each loom pass adds one layer and the game counts them in the tooltip. Commands and the creative inventory can go beyond, but survival stops at 6.

How do I put my banner on a shield?

Craft the banner together with a plain (unpatterned) shield in the crafting grid - the shield takes the banner's full design. This works once per shield and the shield keeps its durability.

Can I wash a mistake off a banner?

Yes - use the banner on a cauldron with water to remove the TOP layer only (it costs one water level in Java). Everything below stays, so mistakes are never fatal.