Do you want to move your base to a new location? Or collect a gather a bunch of resources but your base is quite far? You need portal storage in Minecraft and that only comes in the form of a Shulker box. This unique block allows you to carry thousands of items inside your inventory. But, making it isn’t as easy as getting a wooden chest. So, join us and learn how to make and use a Shulker Box in Minecraft. One fix for all your storage needs!
Make a Shulker Box in Minecraft (2024)
Shulker boxes work quite differently than other storage options in Minecraft. So, make sure you don’t miss any section in our guide to avoid errors.
What is a Shulker Box in Minecraft
Shulker Boxes are unique storage blocks in Minecraft that can hold their items after being mined. They essentially work like a portable version of chests and are a reliable option for transporting large amounts of items. Furthermore, unlike other blocks, you can also dye the Shulker boxes into various colors to make them easier to decorate.
How Does Storage Work in Minecraft
In terms of storage, there are three types of items in Minecraft:
- Large Stacks: Items like blocks that you can stack up in a group of up to 64 in a single slot.
- Small Stacks: Certain items, like Ender pearls only stack up to a total of 16 pieces.
- Non-Stackable: Lastly, there are tools, weapons, and functional items that don't stack. You can only place one copy of such items inside a single item slot.
How Many Items Can a Shulker Box Hold
A chest, a barrel, and a player inventory slot each possess 27 storage cells capable of holding up to 64 items, allowing a total of 1728 items. Furthermore, every Shulker box can hold the same amount of items too.
But, since you can break and carry the Shulker boxes, they will help you exponentially increase your portable storage. They are not stackable on their own. Carrying Shulker boxes in your inventory grants a potential total capacity of 46,656 items. Including the 9 active slots brings the overall inventory capacity to 62,208 items.
What is a Shulker in Minecraft
Shulkers are powerful hostile mobs that spawn in the End dimension of Minecraft. They shoot homing bullets at their enemies which makes them temporarily levitate. If you don't know how to avoid fall damage in Minecraft, fighting this mob can be quite challenging.
Furthermore, they have a block-like appearance and the ability to teleport, which helps Shulkers easily dodge attacks. But, what makes them Shulkers truly special is the fact that they drop Shulker shells upon dying. You need to collect two of them to craft a Shulker box in Minecraft.
Items Required to Make a Shulker Box
You must collect the following items to make Shulker boxes in Minecraft:
- 1 Chest
- 2 Shulker shells
- Crafting Table
You can combine four wooden planks to make a crafting table in Minecraft. Its 3*3 grid is perfect for using large crafting recipes including the one for the Shulker box. But, if you plan on creating large quantities of this block, then a crafter in Minecraft might be a better option.
Make a Chest
Chests are the most basic storage blocks in Minecraft and you only need 8 wooden planks to craft them. To create a chest, arrange the planks in a square shape, leaving the middle cell empty. You can mix different types of wood while creating it including bamboo wood.
Shulker Shells
Follow these simple steps to get Shulker shells in Minecraft:
1. First, search for a Stronghold in the overworld and activate the Ender portal in it.
2. Then, travel to the End dimension and defeat the Ender dragon, if you haven't already.
3. Once the dragon is dead, you can find small End gateway portals on the edge of the main portal. Throw an Ender pearl into the portal to enter it.
4. The gateway portals teleport you to the outer End islands. Make bridges between them and explore the islands until you find an End City in Minecraft.
5. End cities are home to Shulkers that have around a 50% chance of dropping shells upon dying. Find and kill them until you collect two Shulker shells.
6. Not to forget, while you are near an End city, don't forget to look for an End ship to get Elytra in Minecraft.
Crafting Recipe of Shulker Box in Minecraft
After collecting all the key ingredients, follow these easy steps to make a Shulker box in Minecraft:
1. First, open the crafting table by right-clicking or using the secondary action key on it.
2. Then, place your chest in the middle of the 3*3 crafting grid.
3. Finally, place one Shulker shell beneath and above the chest to complete the recipe. Voila! Your Shulker box is ready!
Types of Shulker Boxes
In terms of colors, there are a total of 17 variants of Shulker boxes in Minecraft:
- Plain (Same color as Shulker mob)
- White
- Light Gray
- Gray
- Black
- Brown
- Red
- Orange
- Yellow
- Lime
- Green
- Cyan
- Light Blue
- Blue
- Purple
- Magenta
- Pink
As you might know, the variants of the Shulker boxes are the same as the types of dyes in the game. So, you can expect more variants with the Minecraft 1.21 update or later, if the developers choose to add more dye. Though, the color doesn't affect the functionality or capability of this storage block.
How to Change the Color of a Shulker Box
Changing the color of a Shulker box in Minecraft is really easy. Place the Shulker box in the crafting grid alongside a dye, and the resulting box will adopt the color of the dye. This method allows you to recolor Shulker boxes of any color, an unlimited number of times.
Undyeing a Shulker Box
Currently, there is no dye in Minecraft that matches the color of the design of an original Shulker box. But, that doesn't mean you cannot get it after dying it. Follow these steps to easily undye any Shulker box in Minecraft:
1. First, combine 7 seven iron ingots to make a cauldron in Minecraft.
2. Then, make a bucket in Minecraft and use it to collect water from a river or sea in the overworld. Empty the bucket inside a cauldron to fill it with water. 
3. To undye your Shulker box, use it on the water cauldron to clean it. The water level will decrease by one and the dyed Shulker box will lose its dye color.
How to Use a Shulker Box in Minecraft
Now that you know how to make a Shulker box in Minecraft, it's time to put it to use. Follow this step-by-step guide to learn how:
1. First, equip the Shulker box in your inventory and place it down in front of yourself.
2. Then, right-click on it to open the Shulker box and put any items or blocks you desire in it.
3. Next, mine the Shulker box to pick it up. When you break a Shulker box it doesn't drop its items and instead holds them inside itself.
4. You can freely move around your world while carrying the Shulker box inside your inventory. Next, whenever you need to get your items back, place down the box and open it, just like a regular chest.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the purpose of a Shulker box?
The Shulker box allows you to transport large amounts of blocks and items easily throughout your world.
Are Shulker boxes better than chests?
Unlike chests, the Shulker boxes don't drop their items when mined. This allows you to port them anywhere without worrying about losing any item.
Do bundles work like Shulker boxes?
While their functionality might appear similar on the surface, the Shulker boxes and bundles are fundamentally different. You can use a bundle inside your inventory and it only supports one stack of items. Meanwhile, you need to place down a Shulker box to open it and it supports 27 stacks of items.
Make and Use Shulker Boxes in Minecraft
Now that you have the power to hold thousands of items and blocks, it’s time to create massive builds. Most players go for massive mansions similar to the ones of the best Minecraft servers. But, you can also start with a humble parkour course. The Minecraft parkour servers are a great spot to take ideas from. Alternatively, you can also reach out to some amazing builders on our Minecraft Discord server. Just make sure you have enough Shulker boxes in Minecraft for your supplies.