Published: June 2, 2026 | Last updated: June 2, 2026 | 7 min read
TL;DR
- A Jack O Lantern in Minecraft needs just two items: a carved pumpkin and a torch
- Place the torch in the center of a crafting grid, then put the carved pumpkin directly above it
- Jack O Lanterns emit a light level of 15 – the maximum possible in the game
- They work underwater as light sources, which regular torches cannot do
- You can wear a Jack O Lantern as a helmet to reduce Endermen aggression
What Is a Jack O Lantern in Minecraft?
A Jack O Lantern is a craftable light source in Minecraft made by combining a carved pumpkin with a torch. It emits light level 15, which matches glowstone and is brighter than a regular torch (light level 14). Unlike most light sources, it functions underwater and can be worn as a helmet slot item.
Jack O Lanterns were added to Minecraft in Java Edition Beta 1.8 and have been a staple decoration and utility block ever since (Minecraft Wiki, 2024).
What You Need to Make a Jack O Lantern
Two items. That’s the entire material list.
1. Carved Pumpkin A carved pumpkin is not the same as a regular pumpkin. You make it by using shears on a regular pumpkin block placed in the world – not in a crafting table. One use of shears on a pumpkin drops 4 pumpkin seeds and converts the block into a carved pumpkin with the classic face cut into it.
2. A Torch A standard torch, crafted from one stick and one coal or charcoal. No special variant needed – a regular torch is what the recipe calls for.
That’s it. No furnace, no advanced materials, no enchanting table.
How to Get a Pumpkin in Minecraft
Pumpkins spawn naturally in most biomes as long as there is grass with open space. They are common in plains, taiga, and snowy biomes. You can also find them in woodland mansions and pillager outpost chests (Minecraft Wiki, 2024).
The fastest way to get one early in a world is to explore the surface. Pumpkins generate as single blocks or in small clusters, usually on grass. Once you find one, break it with any tool or your hand – it drops itself as an item.
You can also grow pumpkins from seeds using a farming setup, but for a first Jack O Lantern, surface hunting is faster.
How to Carve a Pumpkin
Place your pumpkin block down in the world first. You cannot carve it from your inventory or inside a crafting table – it must be a placed block.
With shears in hand, right-click (Java) or use the secondary action button (Bedrock) on the pumpkin. It converts instantly into a carved pumpkin with the cut face design, and drops 4 pumpkin seeds on the ground. Pick those up – they’re useful for farming later.
Now break the carved pumpkin block to collect it as an item. It goes straight into your inventory and is ready to use in the crafting recipe.
How to Craft a Jack O Lantern: Step-by-Step
Open your crafting table (3×3 grid). The recipe is vertical and uses only two slots.
Step 1: Place the carved pumpkin in the top-center slot (row 1, column 2).
Step 2: Place the torch in the center slot directly below it (row 2, column 2).
Step 3: The Jack O Lantern appears in the result slot. Move it to your inventory.
The crafting recipe looks like this:
| Left | Center | Right |
|---|---|---|
| — | Carved Pumpkin | — |
| — | Torch | — |
| — | — | — |
One crafting operation produces one Jack O Lantern. The recipe does not consume the crafting table.
Jack O Lantern Crafting Recipe: Quick Reference
| Ingredient | Where to Get It | Slot in Grid |
|---|---|---|
| Carved Pumpkin | Shears on a placed pumpkin | Top center |
| Torch | 1 coal + 1 stick | Middle center |
Recipe source: (Minecraft Wiki, 2024)
Where to Place a Jack O Lantern
Jack O Lanterns face the direction you are looking when placed, just like carved pumpkins. The face always points toward the player who placed it. This matters for decoration – line them up on a path and they all face outward toward visitors.
They can be placed on any solid surface including underwater floors, which makes them one of the few reliable underwater light sources in the game (Minecraft Wiki, 2024).
In snow biomes, Jack O Lanterns placed on the ground do not get covered by snow layers, unlike some other blocks. Good choice for outdoor winter builds.
Can You Wear a Jack O Lantern?
Yes. A Jack O Lantern equips into the helmet slot and functions as a wearable item. It gives no armor protection – zero defense points – but it does reduce Endermen hostility. Endermen normally aggro when you look directly at them. Wearing any pumpkin variant, including a Jack O Lantern, cancels that trigger entirely.
But here’s the tradeoff. Wearing a Jack O Lantern (or any pumpkin helmet) overlays a thick pumpkin-face texture across your entire screen, blocking a significant portion of your view. Most players use it specifically for Enderman-heavy areas – The End dimension being the main one – and swap back immediately after.
Jack O Lantern vs Torch: Light Comparison
| Feature | Jack O Lantern | Regular Torch |
|---|---|---|
| Light level | 15 (maximum) | 14 |
| Works underwater | Yes | No |
| Mobs can spawn on it | No | No |
| Can be worn | Yes (helmet slot) | No |
| Prevents mob spawning | Yes (light level 15) | Yes (light level 14) |
| Melts snow/ice | Yes | Yes |
The one-point light level difference between a torch and a Jack O Lantern rarely matters for mob spawning prevention in practice. But the underwater functionality is a genuine advantage for ocean builds, underwater bases, and aquarium-style structures.
Best Uses for Jack O Lanterns in Minecraft
Underwater lighting: Underwater builds are notoriously dark. Jack O Lanterns placed on the seafloor or along walls provide full light level 15 without any waterlogging issues. Sea lanterns do the same job, but require prismarine materials that are harder to farm early in a world. A Jack O Lantern costs a pumpkin and a torch.
Path lighting and decoration: The carved face design makes Jack O Lanterns a natural fit for Halloween builds, haunted houses, and village decorations. They hold up as a design element in medieval, dark fantasy, and spooky-themed builds.
Enderman farming: In End-based mob farms, wearing a pumpkin helmet lets you move through dense Enderman populations without triggering combat. A Jack O Lantern works identically to a carved pumpkin for this purpose.
Snow biome bases: Jack O Lanterns work as permanent outdoor lights in snowy biomes. They melt snow and ice within a small radius and stay visible year-round without snow accumulation blocking them.
Common Mistakes When Making a Jack O Lantern
Using a regular pumpkin instead of a carved one: The recipe requires a carved pumpkin specifically. A plain pumpkin does nothing in the crafting grid with a torch. You must use shears on a placed pumpkin block first.
Trying to carve the pumpkin from inventory: Shears only work on a pumpkin that has been placed as a block in the world. Holding shears and clicking a pumpkin in your inventory or crafting table does not carve it.
Using soul torches or other torch variants: The Jack O Lantern recipe calls for a standard torch only. Soul torches, redstone torches, and other variants do not substitute in the recipe (Minecraft Wiki, 2024).
Placing the recipe in the wrong slots: The torch must go directly below the carved pumpkin in the same column. Horizontal or diagonal placement does not work.
Can Jack O Lanterns Spawn Iron Golems?
Yes. Jack O Lanterns are one of the valid head blocks for building an Iron Golem in survival mode. The standard Iron Golem build uses four iron blocks in a T-shape with a carved pumpkin or Jack O Lantern on top (Minecraft Wiki, 2024).
The Jack O Lantern works identically to a carved pumpkin for golem construction. It does not affect the golem’s stats, behavior, or drop table.
Frequently Asked Questions About Jack O Lanterns in Minecraft
How do you make a Jack O Lantern in Minecraft?
Place a carved pumpkin in the top-center slot of a crafting table and a torch directly below it in the center slot. This produces one Jack O Lantern. The carved pumpkin is made by right-clicking a placed pumpkin with shears.
What light level does a Jack O Lantern emit?
A Jack O Lantern emits light level 15, the maximum in Minecraft. This is one level higher than a standard torch (level 14) and equal to glowstone and sea lanterns (Minecraft Wiki, 2024).
Can you put a Jack O Lantern underwater in Minecraft?
Yes. Jack O Lanterns function as full light sources underwater without needing to be waterlogged. This makes them one of the most accessible underwater lighting options available early in a survival world.
What is the difference between a carved pumpkin and a Jack O Lantern?
A carved pumpkin has the face design but emits no light (light level 1). A Jack O Lantern is a carved pumpkin combined with a torch, which raises its light emission to level 15. Both can be worn as helmets and both work for Iron Golem construction.
Do Jack O Lanterns prevent mob spawning?
Yes. Mobs require a light level of 0 to spawn in most cases. A Jack O Lantern at light level 15 prevents mob spawning within its effective radius, the same as any other maximum-brightness light source.
Can you use a Jack O Lantern to make an Iron Golem?
Yes. Jack O Lanterns work as the head block for Iron Golem construction. Build the four iron blocks in a T-shape and place the Jack O Lantern on top to spawn the golem (Minecraft Wiki, 2024).
Where do pumpkins naturally spawn in Minecraft?
Pumpkins spawn on grass in most surface biomes, most commonly in plains, taiga, and snowy tundra biomes. They also appear in woodland mansion rooms and as loot in pillager outpost chests (Minecraft Wiki, 2024).
Key Takeaways
- The Jack O Lantern recipe requires a carved pumpkin (top-center) and a standard torch (middle-center) in a crafting table
- Carving a pumpkin requires placing it in the world first, then using shears on it – not through the crafting menu
- Jack O Lanterns emit the maximum light level of 15, work underwater, and can be worn to neutralize Endermen aggression
- They are a valid head block for Iron Golem construction
- For early-game underwater bases and snow biome builds, Jack O Lanterns offer the best light-to-material-cost ratio available