Ever stared at a block of diamond and thought, “That would look amazing on my head”? Or maybe you just want to prank your friends with a floating block of dirt? In the incredible world of Minecraft, customization is key, and what could be more uniquely you than sporting a block as a hat? This isn’t some pipe dream achievable only with complicated mods. I’m here to tell you that you can actually wear any block you desire on your head, right in Vanilla Minecraft!
This guide will walk you through the surprisingly simple process of creating a datapack that lets you strut around the Overworld, Nether, or End sporting the block of your choosing. Say goodbye to boring helmets and hello to endless possibilities. Prepare to become the most fashionable and hilarious player on your server!
Understanding the Basics
Before we dive headfirst (pun intended) into the blocky details, let’s ensure we’re on the same page regarding a couple of critical terms.
When we say “Vanilla Minecraft,” we’re talking about the unmodded, unaltered version of the game. This means no external mods, no Forge, no Fabric – just pure, unadulterated Minecraft as Mojang intended. The beauty of this method is that it works for anyone with the base game, regardless of their technical expertise or platform.
This tutorial uses datapacks to achieve the block-on-head effect. Datapacks are essentially small packages of code and data that can modify the way Minecraft behaves. They’re officially supported by Mojang, and they’re a safe and easy way to add custom content to your game without the need for traditional mods. Datapacks can change recipes, add new challenges, or, as we’ll see, allow you to wear blocks on your head.
The magic behind our blocky hats lies in the unassuming armor stand. These wooden figures are generally used to display armor, but they can also hold items as “equipment.” We’ll be summoning an invisible armor stand and carefully positioning it on your head, equipping it with the block of your choice as its helmet. To control the armor stand, we’ll be using a few key Minecraft commands. These commands are the language we’ll use to tell the game exactly what we want the armor stand to do, making it the virtual fashion statement we envision. Don’t worry, you don’t need to be a coding expert to follow along; I will guide you through each step!
Step-by-Step Guide: Creating the Block Head Datapack
Now for the fun part! This is where we’ll build our custom datapack, piece by piece. Take your time, double-check your work, and remember to have fun with it!
First, navigate to your Minecraft world save folder. The location of this folder varies depending on your operating system, but a quick Google search for “Minecraft world save location” will point you in the right direction. Once you’ve found your world save, open it.
Inside your world save, you should see a folder named “datapacks.” If it doesn’t exist, create it. This is where we’ll store our custom datapack. Now, inside the “datapacks” folder, create a new folder for our specific block-on-head datapack. You can name it whatever you like, but “BlockHead” is a descriptive and memorable choice. This folder will contain all the files that make our magic happen.
Every datapack needs a special file called “pack.mcmeta.” This file tells Minecraft some basic information about the datapack, such as its name and description. Create a new text file inside your “BlockHead” folder and rename it to “pack.mcmeta.” Open this file with a text editor (Notepad, TextEdit, etc.) and paste in the following code:
{
"pack": {
"pack_format": 9,
"description": "Allows you to wear any block on your head!"
}
}
The `”pack_format”` line specifies the Minecraft version the datapack is compatible with. Make sure to update it if you are using a newer version of Minecraft. The `”description”` line is a short message that will appear when you select the datapack in the game.
Now, let’s create the function that will actually equip the block to your head. Inside the “BlockHead” folder, create another folder named “data.” Inside the “data” folder, create a folder named “blockhead” (all lowercase). Inside the “blockhead” folder, create another folder named “functions.” This directory structure is important for Minecraft to recognize and load our function.
Inside the “functions” folder, create a new text file and rename it to “equip_block.mcfunction.” This is where the code that summons the armor stand and equips the block will live. Open this file with a text editor and paste in the following code:
# Equip the armor stand with the block
execute as @p run summon armor_stand ~ ~1.9 ~ {Tags:["blockhead"], Invisible:1b, Invulnerable:1b, NoBasePlate:1b, ShowArms:0b, Small:1b, ArmorItems:[{},{},{},{id:"minecraft:stone",Count:1b}]}
# Teleport the armor stand to the player's head every tick
execute as @e[tag=blockhead] at @p positioned as ~ run tp @s ~ ~1.9 ~
# Kill armor stands after 10 seconds.
execute as @e[tag=blockhead,distance=2..] run kill @s
Let’s break down the code step-by-step:
`execute as @p run summon armor_stand ~ ~1.9 ~ {Tags:[“blockhead”], Invisible:1b, Invulnerable:1b, NoBasePlate:1b, ShowArms:0b, Small:1b, ArmorItems:[{},{},{},{id:”minecraft:stone”,Count:1b}]}` This command summons an armor stand. `@p` means it will execute from the nearest player. The `~ ~1.9 ~` means it will summon the armor stand ~1.9 blocks above the player’s head. Let’s break down the armor stand’s NBT tags:
- `Tags:[“blockhead”]` – This gives the armor stand the tag “blockhead.” Tags are extremely useful for targeting the armor stand later.
- `Invisible:1b` – Makes the armor stand invisible so that it doesn’t distract from the block.
- `Invulnerable:1b` – Makes the armor stand invulnerable so that it cannot be destroyed accidentally.
- `NoBasePlate:1b` – Removes the armor stand’s baseplate to look more aesthetic.
- `ShowArms:0b` – Removes the armor stand’s arms, so it looks cleaner.
- `Small:1b` – Makes the armor stand small to better fit the player’s head.
- `ArmorItems:[{},{},{},{id:”minecraft:stone”,Count:1b}]` – This gives the armor stand a helmet. We can change the block in the helmet to any other block in the game. In this case, the block in the helmet is set to stone.
`execute as @e[tag=blockhead] at @p positioned as ~ run tp @s ~ ~1.9 ~` This command teleports the armor stand to the player’s head every tick.
- `execute as @e[tag=blockhead]` targets all armor stands with the “blockhead” tag.
- `at @p` makes the armor stand teleport to the nearest player.
- `positioned as ~` means the armor stand will maintain its current position.
- `tp @s ~ ~1.9 ~` teleports the armor stand relative to its current position. In this case, the armor stand will be teleported 1.9 blocks above the player’s head every tick.
`execute as @e[tag=blockhead,distance=2..] run kill @s` This command kills armor stands if they are not within 2 blocks of the player. This happens when the player dies, or if the armor stand gets despawned for some reason.
Now, to make this function run automatically, we need to create a tick function. Inside the “blockhead” folder, create another folder named “minecraft.” Inside the “minecraft” folder, create another folder named “tags.” Inside the “tags” folder, create another folder named “functions.” Inside the “functions” folder, create a new text file and rename it to “tick.json.” Open this file with a text editor and paste in the following code:
{
"values": [
"blockhead:equip_block"
]
}
This tells Minecraft to run the `equip_block` function every game tick.
Finally, let’s create a load function. This will kill all existing armor stands on the world so that there are no armor stands left over from previous uses of the datapack. Create a new text file and rename it to “load.json.” Open this file with a text editor and paste in the following code:
{
"values": [
"blockhead:load"
]
}
Create a file `load.mcfunction` inside the “functions” folder with this code:
kill @e[tag=blockhead]
This tells Minecraft to kill all existing armor stands with the `blockhead` tag whenever the world loads.
Implementation and Usage
With our datapack created, it’s time to put it to work! First, copy the “BlockHead” folder you created into the “datapacks” folder of your Minecraft world save.
Then, in Minecraft, open the world where you placed the datapack. Open the chat and type `/datapack enable “file/BlockHead”` and press Enter. This will enable your datapack. If you ever need to disable the datapack, you can use the command `/datapack disable “file/BlockHead”`.
Now, to equip a block on your head, use the command `/function blockhead:equip_block <block_name>`. Replace `<block_name>` with the Minecraft ID of the block you want to wear. For example, to wear a stone block, use the command `/function blockhead:equip_block stone`. To wear a diamond block, use the command `/function blockhead:equip_block diamond_block`.
It’s important to know the exact Minecraft ID of the block you want to use. You can find a complete list of block IDs on the Minecraft Wiki or by using the tab key in the chat to autocomplete the block name.
By default, only operators (players with administrator privileges) can use the `/function` command. If you want other players to be able to wear blocks on their heads, you’ll need to grant them permission to use the function. This can be done using the `/permission` command or by modifying the server’s op.json file.
Customization and Advanced Tips
Want to take your block-head game to the next level? Here are a few ways to customize your creation:
You can scale the armor stand to make the block appear larger or smaller on your head. This can be achieved by modifying the `Size` tag of the armor stand when it’s summoned.
You can rotate the armor stand to change the orientation of the block. This can be done by modifying the `Rotation` tag of the armor stand.
You can create a function to remove the armor stand when you no longer want to wear the block. This function would simply use the `/kill` command to remove the armor stand with the “blockhead” tag.
GUI’s are graphical user interfaces. With GUI’s, players will be able to pick blocks through advancement rewards instead of commands.
Troubleshooting
Sometimes, things don’t go according to plan. Here are a few common issues and their solutions:
If the datapack isn’t loading, make sure it’s in the correct directory (`world save/datapacks/BlockHead`) and that the `pack.mcmeta` file is correctly formatted. If that doesn’t work, try reloading the datapacks with the command `/reload`.
If the block isn’t appearing on your head, double-check that you’ve entered the correct block ID in the `/function` command and that the armor stand is being summoned correctly. Use `/data get entity @e[tag=blockhead,limit=1]` to see all of the data that is being stored on your armor stand.
If the armor stand is moving or glitching, make sure you’re teleporting it to your head every tick and that it’s set to be invulnerable and have no gravity.
Conclusion
Congratulations! You’ve successfully learned how to wear any block on your head in Vanilla Minecraft. With this simple datapack, you can express yourself in new and hilarious ways, prank your friends, and become the most stylish player on your server.
This technique allows you to personalize your Minecraft experience like never before. Go ahead, try it out, experiment with different blocks, and share your wacky creations with the world. Have fun! The possibilities are as endless as your imagination (and the blocks in Minecraft). You can go from wearing a simple piece of cobblestone to a fully functioning beacon!
