Command Block Projects: 6 Fun Builds to Learn Minecraft Commands

This guide is for players who already know a few basic commands (like /give and /tp) and want to level up by building small, repeatable projects. Each project is designed to be completed in under 30 minutes in a creative test world, and each one teaches a single “command concept” you’ll use everywhere: selectors, /execute, tags, scoreboards, and safe testing habits.

New to command blocks? Start here first: Command Blocks for Beginners (Java).

Version note: this page targets Minecraft Java Edition and uses modern command syntax (1.13+). If you play on an older version, some names and NBT formats differ.

Safe setup (do this once)

Before building any command project, set up a small “lab” area. This saves time and prevents accidental damage to your survival builds.

1. Create a new creative world for testing (or copy your world as a backup).
2. Make a flat platform and mark a build area (for example, a 30×30 square).
3. Get the command blocks you need:

/give @p command_block
/give @p chain_command_block
/give @p repeating_command_block

Rule of thumb: use Impulse blocks for “press a button, do a thing once” and use Repeating blocks only when you truly need continuous checking.

Project 1: Time & Weather Control Panel

This is the classic starter project. You’ll build a small wall of buttons that set the time and weather. It teaches the idea of “one command block per action” and helps you practice safe redstone triggers.

Build

1. Place three impulse command blocks in a row.
2. Set them to Needs Redstone and attach a button to each.
3. Put these commands inside:

# Sunrise
time set day

# Midnight
time set midnight

# Clear weather
weather clear 999999

Upgrade ideas

• Add weather rain and weather thunder options.
• Add a “soft reset” button that runs /gamerule doDaylightCycle true.
• Add a “freeze time” button: gamerule doDaylightCycle false.

Why this matters: lots of “real projects” start as a control panel. If you can build a clean panel with labels, you can build a clean export station for pixel art pages too (one button per page, one clear workflow).

Project 2: Quick Warp Pads (no plugins)

A warp pad is a great way to practice coordinates, facing, and “where should the player appear?” You’ll create two pads that teleport you between locations. This project stays simple (no scoreboards yet), but it’s already useful in a creative build world.

Build

1. Choose two locations: Pad A and Pad B.
2. Place an impulse command block under each pad and add a pressure plate on top.
3. Set each block to Always Active.

Pad A command (teleport anyone standing on Pad A to Pad B):

# Replace the coordinates with your Pad B destination.
execute as @a[distance=..1] at @s run tp @s 100 64 -200

Pad B command (teleport anyone standing on Pad B back to Pad A):

# Replace the coordinates with your Pad A destination.
execute as @a[distance=..1] at @s run tp @s -20 64 40

tp @s 100 64 -200 facing 100 64 -210

Optional: add a simple cooldown (prevents spam)

If you want the pad to feel “game-like,” add a short cooldown. This introduces a tiny scoreboard pattern you’ll reuse in bigger systems.

# Run once in chat:
scoreboard objectives add warp_cd dummy

Replace Pad A command with:

# Only teleport players whose cooldown is 0.
execute as @a[distance=..1,scores={warp_cd=0}] at @s run tp @s 100 64 -200

# After teleport, set cooldown to 3 seconds (60 ticks).
execute as @a[distance=..1] run scoreboard players set @s warp_cd 60

Then add one repeating command block near the pads (Always Active):

# Count cooldown down to 0 once per tick (safe because it targets only nearby players).
execute as @a[distance=..30,scores={warp_cd=1..}] run scoreboard players remove @s warp_cd 1

Upgrade ideas

• Add playsound for a satisfying “warp” sound.
• Use tags so only players with permission can use the pad (see Project 4).

Project 3: Potion Station (effects on demand)

This project builds a simple “buff station” that gives you effects when you press buttons. It teaches duration, amplifier, and safely targeting only the closest player.

Build

1. Make a small station with buttons labeled Speed / Night Vision / Clear.
2. Place three impulse command blocks behind the buttons (Needs Redstone).
3. Paste these commands:

# Speed II for 60 seconds (closest player)
effect give @p minecraft:speed 60 1 true

# Night Vision for 5 minutes (no particles)
effect give @p minecraft:night_vision 300 0 true

# Clear all effects (closest player)
effect clear @p

Upgrade ideas

• Use @a[distance=..5] to buff anyone near the station.
• Add a “builder mode” kit: haste + saturation + night vision.

Builder kit example:

effect give @p minecraft:haste 300 1 true
effect give @p minecraft:saturation 5 1 true
effect give @p minecraft:night_vision 300 0 true

Project 4: Exploding Arrows (execute + tags)

This is where command blocks start to feel like a programming language. You’ll detect arrows near the ground and spawn a small explosion. The core learning goal is tagging entities so you don’t process the same arrow forever.

Safety: do this in a test world. Explosions can break terrain. For a “no damage” version, use summon tnt ~ ~ ~ {Fuse:0} in creative, or use creeper with powered settings carefully.

Build

1. Place one repeating command block and two chain command blocks in a line.
2. Repeating block: Always Active, Unconditional. Chain blocks: Always Active, Conditional.
3. Paste these commands in order:

# (Repeating) Tag arrows that have hit something and are not tagged yet.
execute as @e[type=minecraft:arrow,nbt={inGround:1b},tag=!boom] at @s run tag @s add boom

# (Chain, Conditional) Spawn TNT at the arrow position (instant boom).
execute as @e[type=minecraft:arrow,tag=boom] at @s run summon tnt ~ ~ ~ {Fuse:0}

# (Chain, Conditional) Remove the arrow so it doesn't keep triggering.
kill @e[type=minecraft:arrow,tag=boom]

No-grief variant (visual effect only)

If you want the “impact feedback” without breaking blocks, replace TNT with particles and a sound. This still teaches the same execute + tag pattern.

# Replace the TNT chain command with:
execute as @e[type=minecraft:arrow,tag=boom] at @s run particle minecraft:explosion ~ ~ ~ 0.2 0.2 0.2 0 20 force
execute as @e[type=minecraft:arrow,tag=boom] at @s run playsound minecraft:entity.generic.explode master @a[distance=..24] ~ ~ ~ 0.6 1

What you learned

• execute as ... at ... lets you “run as the entity, at its position.”
• tag is a cheap way to remember state.
• Chain blocks (Conditional) act like “only run if the previous command succeeded.”

Upgrade ideas

• Limit to one player: use as @e[type=arrow,nbt={inGround:1b},tag=!boom] if entity @p[tag=explosive].
• Use different explosions: spawn a fireball instead of TNT.

Project 5: Player Counter & Welcome Message

This project introduces scoreboards in the simplest possible way: store one number (how many players are online) and show it in the actionbar. It teaches the “data → score → display” loop.

One-time setup (run once in chat)

# Create the objective that will hold our player count.
scoreboard objectives add online dummy "Online"

Build

1. Place one repeating command block (Always Active).
2. Place one chain command block after it (Always Active, Conditional).
3. Use these commands:

# (Repeating) Set the "online" score to the number of players online.
execute store result score #online online run list

# (Chain, Conditional) Show it to everyone in the actionbar.
title @a actionbar {"text":"Online: ","color":"gray","extra":[{"score":{"name":"#online","objective":"online"},"color":"white"}]}

Upgrade ideas

• Show it on the sidebar instead of actionbar.
• Add a welcome message when a new player joins (requires more state tracking; see FAQ).

Optional: simple “first seen” welcome

This uses a tag to detect “players we haven’t greeted yet.” It is not a perfect join detector (players keep the tag while they stay in the world), but it’s a clean starter pattern that doesn’t need plugins.

1. Add one more chain command block after the actionbar display (Always Active, Conditional).
2. Paste:

# Greet players who don't have the "seen" tag yet.
execute as @a[tag=!seen] run tellraw @a {"text":"Welcome ","color":"gray","extra":[{"selector":"@s","color":"white"},{"text":"!","color":"gray"}]}
tag @a[tag=!seen] add seen

Project 6: Build Timer (scoreboard stopwatch)

Want a “stopwatch” to time your builds or speedruns in a test world? This project creates a simple timer that increments every second and displays the value. It teaches you how to use repeating blocks as a clock, and how to avoid accidental double-counting.

One-time setup (run once in chat)

# Timer objective (seconds)
scoreboard objectives add timer dummy "Timer"

Build

1. Place a repeating command block (Always Active) and set its delay to 20 ticks (1 second).
2. Place two impulse command blocks nearby for Start and Reset.
3. Paste these commands:

# (Repeating, 20 tick delay) If the player has the running tag, add 1 second.
execute as @a[tag=timer_running] run scoreboard players add @s timer 1

# (Start button) Tag yourself as running.
tag @p add timer_running

# (Reset button) Clear tag and reset your timer.
tag @p remove timer_running
scoreboard players set @p timer 0

Optional display (put this in a repeating block, Always Active):

title @a actionbar {"text":"Timer: ","color":"gray","extra":[{"score":{"name":"@p","objective":"timer"},"color":"white"},{"text":"s","color":"gray"}]}

Why this is useful: for pixel art exports that run in multiple pages, a timer helps you measure how long a build takes and whether “waiting between pages” reduces errors (chunk loading and lag issues).

Upgrade ideas

• Add a “lap” system by storing best times in a fake player score.
• Track different players separately (don’t use @p in the reset command).

FAQ & common mistakes

“Nothing happens when I press the button.”

• Make sure command blocks are enabled and you have permission.
• Test your setup with say test in an impulse command block.
• Check the block mode: “Needs Redstone” requires a button/lever pulse.

“My repeating command block is lagging the world.”

• Use repeating blocks only when needed; prefer impulse blocks for “do once”.
• Always add filters: limit radius (distance=..10) and types (type=minecraft:arrow).
• Tag processed entities so you don’t keep processing them every tick.

“I’m on Bedrock. Will these work?”

Not reliably. Bedrock command syntax and capabilities differ. This guide is written for Java Edition.

“How do I avoid breaking my world?”

• Test in a copy of your world or a dedicated creative world.
• Prefer “no-grief” effects (particles/sounds) until you trust your logic.
• Use small radiuses: start with distance=..5, then expand.
• When clearing areas (like pixel art exports), always preview the clear box first.

“What does execute actually do?”

Think of /execute as moving the “camera” and the “actor” of a command. as chooses who is running the command; at chooses where it runs. Once you grasp that, most advanced systems become combinations of small building blocks.

What should I learn next?

• Target selectors (filters like distance, tag, and type).
• /execute as a “move the command context” tool.
• Scoreboards for timers, counters, cooldowns, and state.

If you mainly use Pixel Art Generator for exporting builds, read: How to Use a Command Block in Minecraft to Build and Why Your Command Block Export Isn’t Working.

Related guides

• How to Use a Command Block in Minecraft to Build
• Why Your Command Block Export Isn’t Working (And How to Fix It)
• Pixel Art Complete Guide
• Getting Started