[Guide] Jelle’s build guide

OUTDATED: New build guides can be found here.

Hello fellow EMC players,

This is a little guide from me to learn how to build things in Minecraft. Better said, how to build things on your residence, since that is something different from normal building, due to the fact you haven’t got any landscape to make the building look better.

1: Basics
Firstly I want to give you the first and very most important tip: “Don’t stop tweaking things” I do quite frequently see people building something and saying “that doesn’t look that good, but I’ve built it already so, let’s just start with the next part” it might look like I build everything in one hit, but that is far from true, also I, and every good builder I know, do all the main things in like one hour, to after that be four hours busy with tweaking things, changing it. “doesn’t this look better” “no, let’s change it back” “or this” “maybe, I’ll keep it for now and see if I like it” and so on.
Anyway, let’s start with the very basics:


This is the house some people tent to live in, it doesn’t look good, does it?
Improving this to a decent looking house isn’t as hard as you might think… let’s start with adding a few things… (step 1.1)



As you can see, this is the same wooden box as the one we started with, this one only has got a better looking roof, and some framing. If you want to go for the same style as I am going for here, you need to make sure that the framing is one block out from the main walls, that the end of the roof is even further out. That is to give it all some depth. also, be sure that the edge of the roof is contrasting to the rest of it, this is something that gives some contrasting colours to the build, you can do it in different ways, but I think this one is the most easy and the hardest to do wrong.
Now, it is time to add a little more detail: (step 1.2)

There we go, I know, this isn’t the best looking build in the world, but it does what it needs to do, anyway, we placed a few extra frame logs, to split up the walls, added some spruce staircases and the windows. (Everything else was just messing around with blocks until I thought it looked reasonable.) There really isn’t one way to tackle this, you just need to try and error.
Now, it is time for the last part of the first part, shape. As you can see is the build we have got so far just a rectangle, which, to be honest, doesn’t look that good, so, let’s just change the shape a little: (step 1.3)


That’s already looking quite a lot better, isn’t it? Well, I guess this was the most easy stage, we have just built a little extra bit on the backside of this thing to make it look quite a lot better as the one we started with. That is to give the build a little variaton, if you have got one big ractangle, mostly in bigger builds, you are hit with one whole build, where, if you have some variation, your eyes are dragged in to the main part of the build. also, it's just a way to give it all some more variation, just like the detailing.

In short:
- Make the walls one block bihind the framing, to give it a little more depth
- Make the roof out of two contrasting blocks, put the onw that contrasts the whole build on the sides
- Make the build in an interesting shape.
- Detail the build the way you like. (try to be consistand)

But, this doesn’t look as good as we hoped I think, I anyway hoped to build something that looks just amazing, somewhere high in the wow-factor so, we need to change some things, or, actually, We need to start again, I’ll build a little start, and I’ll catch you once I finshed preparing. (step 2.1)

OUTDATED: New build guides can be found here.

2: A house in 9 steps.

Okay, First we did do a little bit of landscaping (I actually copied some from another project using worldedit…) after that we made all the framework (made sure all gaps are uneven) and added in the sides of the roof using the same technics as we first did.
Right, now it’s Time to finish this thing using the tactics we learned in the first part, but, this time we aren't going to use oak planks as the filler (since I hate them…) We are going to use my favourite block, stained clay, we are also going to change the upper roof, since I think that one is just a little to short. For the rest of it, we’ll just detail it the way we used to do it. (step 2.2)

And there we go, we have built a, in my opinion, quite good looking house. (you should also be able to build something like this with the things you’ve learnt in the first part.) But, this is where the second part actually starts, connecting a build to your basic landscaping: (step 2.3)


This is, for us, the first part of connecting, making a base of grey blocks. And we connected the landscaping and the building with it, be sure you also connect the building to some of the flat parts of your residence, to help the landscaping connect to the flat parts. (WARNING: some people seem to hate this, that is the reason I separated it, not everyone likes the way it looks, so you can skip it if you’re one of those.) Now it’s time to also add a little place to go in and out the build, a quite complicated one: (step 2.4.1)

Okay, this is what we’ve done with this, and, there are quite a lot interesting ways of tackeling this in it, wich some ways we haven’t discussed jet: Firstly, the main way of doing a sidewalk like this: contignuing with the frame like we used to do, but this time quite a lot closer to eschother, then, place the main block one block bihind the framing and we have, in this case, used a combination of walls and stairs on the sides to make sure no one can walk off on the wrong place. Now, a new theorie, one that is really importand with doing (half)organics (builds that are some kind of natural), using different blocks that look quite a lot like echother randomly. This will solve a problem most starting builders have, too plain looking things. Since This breaks up the texture of one single block, (making a flat sandstone wall look better with some smooth sandstone “par example”) and gives it a little more mideaval or fairytale style, something we are going for here.
Now it’s time to also do this on the back: (step 2.4.2)

As you can see, this is now all looking good, you’ve got two paths that you can connect with other parts of your residence.
“And… Now I’m done?” NO NO NO, you’re not jet. THIS is the part most people do wrong, they come untill this stage and think “sure, it all looks good, let’s start with something else” But there is a thing you still need to do, planting a little bit of trees, to make your building look more natural and peacefull. (I don't know why, but it works) Not the vanillia ones btw, They look horrible. You can use this tutorial if you are really bad at making costum trees: [ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kL83KQP2wzE ] those look like vannilia trees, but are ways better. (I don’t feel like doing a tutorial on the small ones on my own, since I have seen so many builders use those) annyway, we aren’t going to make them (maybe we are later on…) we are going to make a nice and big one on the side of the building, at the part of grass we left open on the back here, let’s firstly start with the trunk: (step 2.5)

There we go, we have now got the trunk of our tree looking some kind of good, we have used some spruce wood slabs and fences to make it a little more dynamic, and the branches going in quite some derections, but mainly to the building, wich isn’t something you have to do, but I personally thought it would look “cool” if the tree looks like it is blown to the building in a heavy storm.

(step 2.6) Now it’s time for a little something in between, the finishing of the actual landscaping, We actually need to make sure that we haven’t got too much of it, so that it will look like all landscaping is part of the building instead of being it something the uilding is built on. (that is the reason we needed to make the base of the building touch the flat residence) you need to visualise a circle/oval going around the building and main tree(trunk) and try to fit the landscaping in it. Another way to do it is to try and make it look nice even though it’s as close to the building as possible, make it smaller untill it starts to look weird to after that make it the way it was before you did what it made look weird. This is one of the most importand steps.

Annyway, let’s contignue with the tree, (people really seem to suffer building them, so I’m having quite a story about them) let’s firstly start filling in the leaves: (step 2.7.1)

Okay, we did the main part of the leaves, it’s mostly done by feeling, but that’s not where I made this guide for, I have some technics to schow you. Firstly, the leaves aren’t really connected in one big surface, you even want to avoid that from happening. you also want to have air spaces between the branches, and you want to have the under part without leaves, since that is ment to be the trunk
“Okay, that’s done now?” “Nope, what did I say about organics a few paragraphes above?” “You need to mix textures?” “right, what are we going to do then?” (step 2.7.2)

This is as far as I am going to go with this tree, I would personally still change some things, but that’s more about how it feels, and has got nothing to do with technics, annyway, we just mixed in some leaves, oak and spruce to be exact. What kind of leave you use depends on what kind of a tree you want. This is a more dark oak tree, so we used spruce, since that’s the darker colour, also we did bring in a little bit of birch leaves at the places it was a little to dark but still to plain.
As a side-note here I want to say that there are two kinds of oak trees you can go for, the darker one, as I just did, or, you can make the more happy one. To do that you need to follow the same steps, but you do need to try and make in balanced, so about as much braches at every side, to after that mix the oak leaves with birch and an incasionnal jungle leaf.
Okay, now we’ve done the main tree let’s now just make some little ones around it. We are not going to try and win a build competition with it (I became third using them in a build cometition after I made this guide, so you can even use them then...), so, we are just going to make the two of the ones featured in the video I linked above, but you can also just copy me from the screenshot, this will work great aswell. (step 2.8)

As you can see, those trees are having mixed in spruce leaves aswell.
ANNDDD it’s time for the final step: finishing touches, firstly, again, redo your landscaping, just the way you did it previously, but it sould be way less work this time, afterwards you want to make the grass spaces look good, so, bonemeal it. (I have removed all flowers, since I thought it was too colourfull) and make sure you also have got grass on the falt area of your residence, since that will, again, help to make the build stand on your residence. also, if you have dark spaces close under trees or so, consider replacing the grass with ferns. I’d also bonemeal the grass close to your build again, to make it tall grass. The last thing I always like to do is placing some oak leaves at the eges of the grass to break op that texture a little bit. (step 2.9)


There we go, we have built ourselves a lovely house on a residence without landscaping all of the residence.

in short:
2.1: Planning: Plan what you want to build
2.2: Basic house building: Filling in walls and do the detailing
2.3: Basement: Make a base for your house, to connect the build to the landscape
2.4: Entrence/terrace: Make a terrace, also to connect the build to the landscape
2.5: Costom tree: the trunk
2.6: Landscaping (again): redo landscaping to be sure it feels like it's one with the build
2.7: Costum tree: leaves (use different sorts of leaves)
2.8: Make it look natural: add some little trees/ bushes to give it a little more landscaped feel
2.9: finishing touches

I hope you have learned something,
If there is annything you want to know how to do, or something you don't understand, feel free to ask, I'll be happy to make this guide better/make another one

A little bump, I guess... is there annything I did do wrong?

Great guide! Hopefully I can build something nice with this

Wow! That's great!
I really enjoyed reading that, good job!
Also, the builds are amazing, especially the second one really surprised me!

Another thing I noticed is that, especially in the first part, there are quite few spelling mistakes. Did you get someone to correct your post before publishing?

You sould now be able to do the same (Don't expect the first attempt to be perfect, though...)

I have written it in word hoping it would correct me, but it seems the spelling checker isn't that good...

also, if you feel like copy pasting everything, correcting all spelling mistakes to after that send me that version, be my guest, I'll edit that in.

Ah, okay!
I think what happened is it didn't correct you when what you wrote was in fact a different, existing, word: for example, instead of 'tend' you put 'tent', which is a word of itself.
But that's a good idea, that definitely makes the post a lot more readable!

A second little bump, one that askes the question what I sould do next. I see quite alot people build malls, so, maybe one that helps you with that, landscaping with more ways of costum trees and gardening might be another option... I don't know...

Nice guide. I like how you broke a super modern house into a basic wooden box. It demonstrates the progression of materials!

I would love to see some landscaping!
I've been busy with that a few months now, but Im having sometimes a pretty hard time doing it.

Great guide btw!

Let's give this guilde a little Bump while saying I would like to hear if there is annything you struggle with with building, since I might be able to help you out (yes, I'm also thinking about landscaping )

Let's give this a little bump again. I think my build skills are a little more known now, I'm still suprised with the 3rd place at a emc build contest

This is pretty awesome! I'm not a great builder and these exampes really helped me to get a better idea about how you can improve things. Very cool! I only skimmed over the tutorial just now, but I'm going to take my time for it in a few moments. But first impressions are very good Jelle, awesome!

Thanks for making this!

Let's just give this thing a little Bump.
Currently planning on making a landscaping one, I'm trying to find more ways than just what I usually do.

Have you thought of doing a modern one? Or maybe a Mediterranean/Eastern European one?

Hey this ain't bad! This will surely bring more diversity in builds to the empire!

Yes, I did. But I don't think I'm good enough for that, it even was quite a task for me to tell myselve my buildings are good enough in my most used style (middeaval/fairytale)... Landscaping is something I do think I'm good enough at though... School is annyway to time-taking now, so I won't do any soon annyway

Also, something I've been working on that shows all Technices discribed:

This a brilliant and easy to follow guide, hope to see more like this from you

OUTDATED: New build guides can be found here.

Landscaping: From noob to pro.

Gardening & easy terraforming.

There you go, you have got yourself a rather good looking new residence. It’s nice and clean, plus you look incredibly handsome…


However, there’s a problem, there is one slight problem: your neighbour is an amazing builder and has got a really good looking house, and as you are just as competitive as I am, you want to beat that guy: you are going to do way better than that, you know it.

How? You are going to make yourself an amazing looking garden and some other landscaping around your house. Firstly, we need to plan where our home is going to be. This here is going to be a rather strange step, I’m always doing the first gardening step this way, but I think I’m about the only builder who does. We are going to make ourselves a floating house with some height variation at where it hits the ground (or at the lowest point) to give ourselves some space with all the lansdacping later on. (step 3.1)


Now we are going to start with the gardening around it - your house will probably look different than mine: no worries, if you have got the variating base and you think it looks good, sure, let’s continue.
Now we are going to make the first parts of the gardening: we are going to make semi-circles around it out of a border block; I always firstly use stone bricks for this one, but I am going to change it back to another block later on, stone brick simply is like a scaffolding block to me, since it’s easy to count without hitboxes, easy to see, and doesn’t look that bad… (step 3.2.1.1)

I guess the picture tells what I did, right? This is actually a technique adopted from medieval gardening, but that style takes about five residences to make it look good, so I made my own version of it. I call it semi modern gardening. One important thing to mention is: leave some room for the path and make sure you have got a nice curving side to place the path next to: this will make the path look gorgeous later on.

Now we need to fill it all in with clay, not with grass. No: we’re going to fill it in with alternating lime and green clay to make it look like a big, well maintain lawn. I’d also recommend alternating the direction. The easiest way to do that is to say: “the even heights are going to be going in that direction, and the uneven in the other” since that makes it alternate really well. (step 3.2.2)

Okay, now that we have done this, it is clear to see that stone bricks wasn’t the best choose for doing the edges, I’m sorry… We need to change that; I am going to use birch leaves. I am going to bring them up one block higher than this; place spruce leaves underneath; to place glowstone under the spruce leaves afterwards. I know, it is a lot to do, but I think it looks really good like that. I know this is expensive by the way, but I really think it helps if you light up your main garden. (step 3.2.1.2 (I know, the numbers are messy))

There we go, we have got ourselves a good base for a garden around our house. The only thing left to do is to make the path to the front door at the place you planned it: I’m using the technique I always use with the cobblestone, andesite and gravel. (If you once every again want to make a gravel path, use the cobblestone andesite gravel path, it is one of the best paths I know) (step 3.3)


As you can see I made the path. Now you can see why I said that you need to leave a curved space for the path, so that you can make something like this, and I think you’ll agree that this looks good.

Now it’s time to do some terraforming. (step 3,4)

(stupid character limit)

OUTDATED: New build guides can be found here.


This here might be the hardest thing that there is to do in Minecraft: making hills from absolutely nothing. Fortunately I have got quite some tips for you. First off, you need to plan a little bit; you need to think “do I want a natural path over it?” and if the answer is yes you need to make sure that path isn’t going to be going in one straight line. if I would “par exemple” make one hill instead of two, the path would go gradually downwards and stay at the same level; you don’t want that to happen: you want your path to go up and down (because it’s a natural path). So, I made two hills, to make the path go down first, then up, then down, up, and down again. Nor do you want to let the path go straight: you want it to go with the terrain, which is the reason you don’t want to think about the path again before you finished the hills. For the hills, you want to make sure you haven’t got straight edges; even if you want the direction of the side straight, you need to make it jut out a few blocks or go in a few blocks. also, you don’t want to use the same pattern over and over again, so, if you look at your terraforming from above, you don’t want the upper layer to be the same shape as the whole hill, nor the upper two layers etc. it doesn’t need to be that big of a difference, but it does need to be noticeable. Also, you want to have some parts going up incredibly fast, and some go up really slowly; the more hills you make, the bigger the difference needs to be. We only made two hills, so we don’t need cliffs or anything, but we did make some parts noticeably steeper than others. Also, you don’t want your hills to be at the same height. The last thing I want to mention about terraforming is that if you make bigger landscapes, like full mountains or something, try to also think about the things you might have learned in geography class, the way landscapes form naturally. I have never seen someone doing that besides TomvanWijnen and me, but it can really help. The last thing I want to say about big landscapes is to make parts less steep - really, I’ve seen professional builders making a mountain, but it wasn’t a mountain, is was one big cone! Please, don’t be silly and do that, give your mountain some flat parts, I have never seen a mountain without (semi) flat parts in my life…
Let’s continue, with the actual landscaping: (step 3.5)

Here you can see what I did with it: I made some “desert” trees and places some tall grass. Why? Because I’m in a desert; you can’t see it because the world is superflat, but I am in a desert biome with desert colours, which means that normal oak trees would look rather strange… That is another part of landscaping I want to tell you about: build with the biome you have got. (because of the colour of the grass and leaves)

“But, my residence is in a jungle… How, how do I do that?"

Landscaping: every grass a biome.

So, what I am going to do now: I am going to leave this house for what it is, and I am going to go to a pre-terraformed world with all different kinds of biomes (so, a normal world) and I am going to show you what kind of custom trees I’d use and basically how I’d landscape it.

This is the plains biome, by far the easiest I think; I just made a few of those trees I’m always making (with oak logs and mixed oak and birch leaves (more oak than birch)), you can add bigger custom trees here and there if you have got a little more space to work with. I also removed all flowers and made gigantic areas with just one type of flower, so that you haven’t got too much varying colour. The last thing I did was placing in a few leaves on the ground to act like bushes or something like that (I don’t know what it is, I just think it looks good).


This is my version of an oak forest, you need to try and make the terraforming a little grander/more spectacular (like I did with adding those cliffs) and I’d suggest making some kind of water feature to give all that green a little contrast. For the trees: I made two different kind of trees, a convex one and a spiky one. The spiky one is quite obvious: you just place in a few logs, make the sides and top with leaves and add in some random leaves in the corner (the bigger ones use the technique from the convex one). The convex trees are a little more difficult: you raise up a pillar of logs to 2/3rds of the height you want the tree to be, to afterwards just spam leaves around. But you don’t want to place too much, only one or two blocks from the trunk. Then place random floating leaves around it, these leaves are the ones that make the shape of your tree, you just need to randomly place them trying to not let them connect with one another. Besides that, the landscaping is just the same as for the plains (only maybe place in a few more random leaves on the ground)