7 ways to make useless items and blocks useful in Minecraft 

Players overlook some items and blocks in Minecraft due to the game's ever-expanding collection. For one reason or another, the community doesn't consider certain items/blocks useful at all, passing them over in favor of their counterparts. However, it might surprise fans just how many ways these blocks and items can be used in a productive or at least helpful capacity.

Very few truly "useless" blocks or items exist in Minecraft. Sometimes, it just takes a little unorthodox thinking to bring out the potential of those that have been ignored.

If players are curious about ways to make use of their seemingly useless blocks and items, multiple tricks come to mind almost immediately.

Note: This list is subjective and solely reflects the opinions of the writer

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7 ways to make seemingly useless blocks and items in Minecraft useful again

1) Dead bushes for custom plants

Dead bushes can be useful for creating custom plants in Minecraft (Image via Mojang)

Aside from occasionally dropping sticks when broken, dead bushes in Minecraft don't seem to be of much use. However, they have a sneaky decorative application to them that's worth exploring. Not only do these bushes make for a solid decoration in areas that are intended to look rugged or worn down, but they can be placed in pots and then topped with various blocks to make custom plants.

Compared to simply sticking a flower into a pot or decorated pot, adding a dead bush beforehand can provide a little more flower to any greenery.

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2) Frost Walker boots to create ice bridges/farms

Frost Walker boots can be given to villagers to create ice blocks for farms or bridges (Image via ShortCraft Royale/YouTube)

While most Minecraft fans aren't keen on Frost Walker as a boot enchantment, it does have its uses. If players use a dispenser to give Frost Walker boots to a villager, they'll equip them, allowing them to walk across water and create ice just like a player can. This can be useful for creating ice bridges to cross large bodies of water without needing to rely on a boat.

Additionally, if players are willing to place a villager with Frost Walker boots in an enclosure over water, they can even create ice blocks that players can farm with a Silk Touch-enchanted tool.

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3) Smelting gold tools for extra gold nuggets

Golden tools can at least be smelted back into gold nuggets in Minecraft (Image via Mojang)

By and large, Minecraft fans aren't fond of golden tools. They break incredibly easily, and they don't offer a vast improvement over iron tools, which are often considered much more reliable in the long run despite mining slower. This leads players who create gold farms to toss their golden tools and weapons into the nearest pool of lava at times. However, this is a missed opportunity.

Instead of simply tossing the golden tools into what amounts to the garbage in Minecraft, players can stick the tools/weapons into a furnace and convert them back into golden nuggets. The nuggets can then be reformed back into gold ingots, making this process a much more economical choice.

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4) Lily pads and lanterns can prevent underwater spawns

Lily pads in Minecraft can carry lanterns on their undersides! (Image via Mojang)

While they can be fun for parkour maps in Minecraft or giving frogs a place to hang out, most players don't use lily pads all that often. This is a shame because they're excellent when it comes to lighting underwater areas, particularly areas like swamps where the water level is relatively shallow.

Since they count as blocks, lily pads can have lanterns attached to their undersides to illuminate the area. This can prevent drowned from spawning and causing issues in swamps. The lily pad/lantern combo can also make for a pretty aesthetically pleasing decoration, particularly at night.

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5) Snowballs, ender pearls, and end crystals

Snowballs have some uses that players might not think of right away (Image via Mcspotlights/YouTube)

Aside from flinging snowballs at blazes, these items tend to get overlooked by Minecraft players. However, they have some extended applications that may not immediately come to mind. For example, snowballs possess about the same throwing arc as ender pearls. If players are worried about where their next ender pearl will land for a teleport move, they can use snowballs as a stand-in.

Snowballs also have some applications in the battle with the Ender Dragon. If players run out of arrows for their bow/crossbow, well-thrown snowballs can still deal damage to the end crystals protecting the boss. This can be incredibly useful in a pinch instead of leaving the End to restock or attempting to destroy the end crystals otherwise.

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6) Chorus fruits can save a life

Chorus Fruits can get Minecraft fans out of some pretty bad situations (Image via SuperficialOfficial/Reddit)

Since they don't replenish much of the hunger meter, chorus fruits in Minecraft tend to get passed over as valuable food items. Be that as it may, when consumed, their teleportation abilities can save a player stuck in a very bad situation. For example, if players are in freefall and are worried about dying from fall damage, they can eat chorus fruit to teleport to the ground and avoid damage.

Moreover, chorus fruits can provide the ability to teleport through solid blocks. If players find themselves trapped in a location, they can use a chorus fruit to escape in some situations. They can even be used to pass through locked doors in multiplayer when encountered.

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7) Cauldrons have myriad uses

Cauldrons aren't just for removing dyes (Image via Mojang)

Cauldrons can often be overlooked as blocks since many players assume they're not useful for much more than removing dyes from items/blocks. However, these cast-iron blocks can be lifesavers. With a bit of pointed dripstone, Minecraft players can create an infinite water/lava farm by funneling the liquid through the dripstone into the cauldron.

Additionally, since water can't normally be placed within the Nether due to its heat, cauldrons can serve as water containers to collect water bottles from. This can be particularly useful if players catch themselves on fire in the Nether and need to put themselves out.