How to Make Hanging Signs in Minecraft 1.20

As the release date of Minecraft 1.20 is coming close, this update is establishing how vital self-express is to its team. From armor trims to the new skins in Minecraft, there is a lot to look forward to. But nothing stands out as much as hanging signs. They are not only a great way to add some visual interest to your builds, but they also allow you to express yourself in creative ways. So buckle up and get ready to learn how to make hanging signs in Minecraft and make the most out of them.

How to Make Hanging Signs in Minecraft (2023)

From crafting to usage, our guide covers everything you need to know about hanging signs in Minecraft. Practically, they aren't much different from regular signs but they can truly take your builds to the next level.

What Are Hanging Sings in Minecraft

Hanging signs are wooden boards in Minecraft that you can place on the side of and beneath other blocks. They dangle with iron chains and display any text that you put on them. Hanging signs are a unique type of block in Minecraft that consists of wooden boards dangling from iron chains.

Types of Hanging Signs

Much like most wooden items in the game, the texture and color of hanging signs represent the wood that it is made up of. Keeping that in mind, we have types of hanging signs in Minecraft:

Acacia
Bamboo
Birch
Cherry
Crimson
Dark Oak
Jungle
Mangrove
Oak
Spruce
Warped

Out of all these types, cherry wood is the newest type of wood that only spawns in the Cherry Grove biome. So, even if you have all the other wood already in the bag, you will go the extra mile to get all types of hanging signs in Minecraft. But you can use our list of the best Cherry Grove seeds to save some time.

Where Do Hanging Signs Spawn

You can find bamboo hanging signs inside the chests of Trail Chambers in Minecraft 1.21. They spawn in a group of up to 4 signs inside a single chest. Other hanging signs don't spawn naturally inside your world and you have to craft them from scratch.

Are Hanging Signs Better Than Regular Signs

While hanging signs look like a significant upgrade from regular Minecraft signs, they do have some drawbacks too. Let's go over various aspects that separate the two:

Limit: You can write up to 15 characters in one row on a regular sign but the hanging signs only support 10 characters per row. Though, the font sign is much bigger on the hanging signs.
Size: Hanging signs are much larger and thicker than regular signs. You can even walk on top of them.
Types: In terms of textures, both signs have 11 variants. But, you get more visually distinct ways to place the hanging signs.
Cost: You often have to work harder while collecting the ingredients for a hanging sign which makes them a bit expensive.

If you have access to limited blocks and want something that can hold long text then signs are a better option. But for anyone who's looking for a visual upgrade, the hanging signs are a clear choice.

Items Required to Make a Hanging Sign

With the basics out of the way, here's everything you need to collect to make a hanging sign in Minecraft:

Two iron chains
Six stripped log/stem blocks (any)

To obtain stripped logs from any type of wood, you can take a log and use an axe to strip it. Typically, players do this by directly stripping the logs of trees that spawn throughout Minecraft.

However, bamboo wood in Minecraft doesn't have any logs or trees. Instead, you have to strip a "block of bamboo" with an axe to turn it into a stripped bamboo block. Though, keep in mind that irrespective of what wood type you use, hanging signs are functionally the same.

How to Make a Chain in Minecraft

Follow these steps to create iron chains in Minecraft:

1. First, look for iron ore blocks in your world that most commonly spawn around the world height of Y=16. Then, use a stone pickaxe or stronger to mine the ore block to obtain raw iron.

2. Next, make a furnace in Minecraft and use it to smelt the raw iron into iron ingots. You can use additional wooden planks as fuel for the same.

3. Then, place your iron ingot on the crafting table to turn it into nine iron nuggets.

4. Finally, place your iron ingot in the middle of the crafting grid with one iron nugget above and below it. Doing so will give an iron chain.

Crafting Recipe for Hanging Signs in Minecraft

With the stripped wood and chains on your side, follow these steps to make hanging signs in Minecraft:

1. First, fill up the bottom two rows of your crafting grid with stripped log blocks. All of these blocks should be made of the same type of wood.

2. Then, place one iron chain in each corner of the topmost row of the crafting grid. With that, your hanging signs are ready. Each recipe produces six hanging signs at once, and since hanging signs can be reused, this may be more than enough for most players.

How to Use Hanging Signs in Minecraft

Follow these steps to learn how to use hanging signs in Minecraft:

1. First, equip and hold the hanging sign in your hand. Next, stand next to the spot where you want to place your hanging sign. Please keep in mind that you can only place it on top of or on the side of another block.

2. Then, while looking at the block you want to connect it with, right-click or use the secondary action key to place it. Minecraft will then request you to write your desired text for the sign. Click on the "Done" button after writing.

3. Once you are done, the hanging sign will look similar to the image below. Keep in mind that breaking the block it's connected to will also break the hanging sign.

Where Can I Put a Hanging Sign

In terms of placement, you get three options for using a hanging sign and each one of them significantly changes how it looks.

Below a Block: When placed beneath another block, the hanging sign suspends itself with two chains.
Side on a Block: If you attach a hanging sign on the side of another block, a wooden platform shows up on top of the chains. You can freely walk on top of this piece of wood.
Beneath a Hanging Sign: If you attach one hanging sign to the bottom of another sign, its chains show up in a twirled form. A similar design shows up when you place the sign beneath smaller items like a fence.

How to Edit a Hanging Sign

In Minecraft 1.19 and earlier, once you wrote something on a sign, it was permanent. But, Minecraft 1.20 is changing this rigid mechanic and the hanging signs are leading the way. Now, all you need to do is walk up to a sign and right-click on it to edit the text written on top of it.

However, this edit option also means that anyone can walk up to your sign and edit it at will, which is chaotic for Minecraft survival servers. Fortunately, there is a simple way to protect your signs from editing. Keep reading to find out more.

Waxed Signs in Minecraft 1.20

If you want to protect your text from being edited, you must wax your signs and hanging signs in Minecraft. To wax a sign, you just have to use a honeycomb on it. Once waxed, the text of the sign becomes permanent and the game doesn't allow you to access it. Furthermore, there is no way to unwax the sign either.

But, waxing isn't only useful for protecting your sign. Once your sign is waxed, you can use dye in Minecraft to change the color of the text. Moreover, using a glow ink sac can even make the text glow.

FAQ: Hanging Signs in Minecraft

How do you make a floating sign in Minecraft?

Unless you are using commands or exploiting bugs, there is no way to create a floating sign in Minecraft.

How do you make a sign hang?

While there is no way to make a regular sign hang, you can use our guide to learn how to make a hanging sign in Minecraft.

Can you make hanging signs in Bedrock?

At the moment hanging signs are only available in the Minecraft Preview for Bedrock and snapshots for the Java edition.

Do hanging signs catch fire?

Even though they are made out of wood, hanging signs are nonflammable in Minecraft. They do not catch fire even from lava.

Make and Use Hanging Signs in Minecraft

Now that you know how to make hanging signs in Minecraft, it's time to start redecorating your house. While you are at it, we suggest you also get a bunch of stone bricks and smooth stone to make your build look cleaner. Later, you can even bring unique plants from the Sniffer to decorate the place. Having said that, which type of signs do you like more: hanging or regular? Share your choice on our Discord server!