Farms are an important part of Minecraft. A really important part. Whether it’s a simple crop farm, a mob farm, or anything in between, the near infinite ways to automate tasks (making resource gathering easier in the process) is a driving force behind the seemingly indefinite lifespan of the game.
Animal farms are also important: Cows are the most consistent, risk-free source of leather, which is an important part of the decorating/aesthetic process, if not for the upgraded enchantments offered by bookshelves.
It also helps that they’re a consistent source of food (along with other passive, farm-type mobs). The unfortunate part is that these sorts of farms focus on quantity: jamming as many mobs as possible into as small a place as possible.
Unless you’re a fan of digging holes in the ground, or leaving fences everywhere, it helps to have a building dedicated to housing them. If you’re looking to build one yourself, we’ve compiled some of the best Minecraft barn ideas out there.
Do you have an awesome Minecraft barn design? Have you put together a tutorial on how to build it, or a YouTube video that shows it off? Send us a link to it in the comment section below and we’ll consider featuring it in this post! Also, please consider subscribing to these YouTuber’s channels as they have put in some real effort in bringing you these tutorials.
1. Easy Barn for Animals
Starting off simple, this build by Smithers Boss is certainly small, but it gets the job done. Rather than sheer storage space, this more reasonably-sized build is meant to serve as an early game storage area. The all-wood design makes it easily accessible, and the aesthetically pleasing design means you won’t have to tear it down later.
2. Larger Minecraft Barn Design
While retaining the wooden design of the previous build, this design by Zaypixel brings it up to scale. The result is a larger central area, a couple of outside stables, as well as a hen house. Really, though, this build is probably one of the most visually pleasant on this list, and wins bonus points for the superb editing done in the video.
3. Simple Barn Design
Another smaller-scale build, this design by Folli takes concepts from the previous two builds, combining small size and hybrid indoor/outdoor storage ideas. While smaller than Zaypixel’s, it follows a similar aesthetic, with an outdoor stable and chicken coop. The smaller size makes it easier to build, and the level design of the interior is nicely done as well.
4. Minecraft Horse Barn Design
More than anything, this design by One Team is skewed towards storing a specific type of animal: Horses. It has the largest outdoor pen area so far, and fits in a tiny bit of crop farming area, as well.
5. Aesthetic Animal Barn Idea
As the title suggests, this design by LennyRandom really focuses on remaining faithful to the typical idea of real-world barns. Rather than the primarily wood designs of previous builds, this build uses mainly bricks and granite for the walls, giving them the faded red color we’ve come to expect.
6. Big Storage/Animal Barn Design
Similar to the previous entry, this design by BlueNerd Minecraft focuses on keeping the real-world aesthetic of barns, while scaling it up a bit. The result is a “true” two-story building, and even has troughs for the pigs. The “pulley system” build is also a nice touch.
7. Simple Minecraft Barn Idea
This build by Melthie is pretty simple. It foregoes the grandeur of previous designs, and even foregoes walls altogether, instead building a multitude of holding cells over a simple overhang. If you’re not into the elaborate designs of other builds, but want to maintain a significant storage area, this is the one for you.
8. Red Animal Barn Design
The design philosophy for this entry focuses on one thing, and one thing only: building a big red barn. The result is a more modern look, with everything smoothed over due to the use of concrete. This sort of thing isn’t exactly my cup of tea, but it looks clean, and would certainly fit into a multitude of landscapes.
9. Detailed Massive Barn Design
This entry, designed by A1MOSTADDICTED MINECRAFT is seriously massive. Not only is it significantly wider than most other entries, it’s also taller, and looks more like a mansion than a barn. Considering the attention to detail, this build demands not only resource commitment, but time commitment as well—be sure you’re ready for it before you begin.
10. Another Simple Barn Design
A return to simplicity, this design by FenX Builds is once again on the smaller side. In spite of its size, it still manages to fit in two pens and a chicken coop. Unlike others, it also doubles as a living space, making use of some clever tricks to make it more welcoming.
11. Medieval Minecraft Barn Idea
![Minecraft 1.16 - Ultimate Minecraft Barn Tutorial [How to Build]](https://techguided.com/wp-content/cache/flying-press/ATJDTWFpp3Q-hqdefault.jpg)
Designed by TheMythicalSausage, this build sets itself apart by using stone as the material of choice. While the color palette naturally makes it look more industrial, the use of cobblestone and the inclusion of a watchtower lend it a more medieval look, as well. (Check out our post on the Best Minecraft Castle Ideas.)
12. Compact Barn/Starter Base Idea
Probably the most compact build on the list, this design by SheepGG is not so much a barn as it is an all-inclusive starter base that has a few stables attached. Its small size and inclusion of an enchanting room and farmland make it an ideal early-midgame Minecraft base.
13. Medieval Barn/Stable Design
A significant departure from the woodland and even rustic entries, this medieval layout by Mr Mirror is the most stylized iteration so far. The use of cobblestone and inclusion of mossy cobble really give it that medieval feeling, carrying that aesthetic over to the stable portions of the build as well.
14. Circular Barn Design
Another stylistic design by ItsMarloe, this build differentiates itself through its circular design, as well as the primarily outdoor pen areas. While it may initially look a bit odd (partly because circles are tricky to build), it offers substantially larger pen areas than most other builds
15. Large Wooden Barn Design
Put together by Hermitcraft member Keralis, this is one of the larger builds that remains faithful to the “standard” structure of a barn. While large, the fact that it’s made pretty much entirely from wood means it’s fairly easy to gather resources for, and the different types scattered throughout give it that cozy, rustic feel.
16. Minecraft Base w/Barn and Animal Pens
Another base-style build by TMC, this one draws a clearer distinction between living space and animal pens. While compact, it offers plenty of both, at a comparatively meager investment. There’s plenty of room to expand and store items, and the inclusion of a “working” chimney is an endearing touch.
17. Small Minimalist Barn Idea
This is another wall-free design put together by YouTuber Servasius. While a tad smaller than the previous, the more minimalistic design and simple pens make it both easy to build, and easy to expand upon.
18. The Ultimate Barn Design
![Minecraft Ultimate Barn Tutorial [How To Build]](https://techguided.com/wp-content/cache/flying-press/sEchb6qyrR4-hqdefault.jpg)
A slightly older design by TheMythicalSausage, this build uses a darker palette, with stripped birch logs serving as a contrast. The result is an older-age barn that looks like it came from a medieval village. Unlike most others, it also has an automatic egg collector underneath the chicken pen.
19. Detailed Minecraft Barn Idea
This is a more detail-oriented put together by a YouTuber under the name of Reimiho. While reminiscent of other mid-sized barns, this one in particular uses a lot of little tricks to make it look as visually appealing as possible.
20. Easy Small Barn Design
The absolute smallest build on this list, this design by Octagon Gaming is also the simplest by a large margin. The simple, small design makes this tutorial easy to follow, and—in part thanks to its small design—the result is a charming build perfect for the early game.
