Method 1: Diamond Pickaxe (Standard)
If you have a diamond pickaxe, mining obsidian is straightforward.
You need 10 obsidian minimum (14 if you want corners). Find a lava pool, pour water on top of the lava source blocks, and mine the resulting obsidian with your diamond pickaxe. Each block takes about 10 seconds to mine.
- Find a lava pool (common underground or on the surface)
- Pour a bucket of water next to the lava. Lava source blocks become obsidian when touched by water
- Mine the obsidian with a diamond pickaxe (takes ~10 seconds per block)
- Collect at least 10 blocks (14 for a portal with corners)
Method 2: Bucket Method (No Diamonds Needed)
This method lets you build a portal without ever mining obsidian. You build the frame in place using lava and water.
Bucket method — you don't need a diamond pickaxe for this. You need 1 bucket of lava and 1 bucket of water. Build a mold, then pour lava and water to create obsidian exactly where you need it. Repeat for each block of the frame.
You need: 1 lava bucket, 1 water bucket, building blocks (dirt or cobblestone), and a lava source nearby.
- Build a mold using dirt blocks in the portal frame shape
- Pour lava into one block of the mold
- Pour water next to it — the lava turns to obsidian
- Pick up the water, move to the next block, repeat
- Refill lava from a nearby lava pool as needed
This is slower but accessible in early game without diamonds.
Building the Frame
The portal frame is a rectangle of obsidian:
O O O O
O O
O O
O O
O O O O
Portal frame goes: 4 wide, 5 tall. The inside is 2 wide by 3 tall — that's the part that turns purple when you light it. Corners are optional, so you can save 4 obsidian by leaving them empty.
- With corners: 14 obsidian
- Without corners: 10 obsidian (minimum)
- Inside opening: 2 blocks wide, 3 blocks tall
Lighting the Portal
Use Flint and Steel on the inside of the frame:
- Craft Flint and Steel (1 iron ingot + 1 flint, flint comes from gravel)
- Right-click any block inside the obsidian frame
- Purple swirling particles appear — the portal is active
- Walk into the purple to teleport to the Nether
Portal is built. Use flint and steel on the inside — click any of the empty blocks within the frame. If nothing happens, check that your frame is complete and at least 4 wide by 5 tall with no gaps.
Before You Enter
Prepare before stepping through:
- Bring cobblestone for building (netherrack breaks too fast and ghasts can destroy it)
- Bring food (golden apples are ideal for the Nether)
- Mark your portal location (write down coordinates or place torches nearby)
- Bring a spare flint and steel in case a ghast destroys your return portal
Summary
Building a Nether Portal is one of Minecraft's key progression milestones. Use the diamond pickaxe method if you have one, or the bucket method if you don't. 10 obsidian minimum, flint and steel to light it, and always mark your coordinates. Let Sidekick AI guide you through the build in real-time.