The More Lanterns mod for Minecraft adds craftable stone and cobblestone lanterns without redstone or pumpkins. Simple recipes and stylish lighting for any build.
More Lanterns: Simple Stone and Cobblestone Lanterns
Every Minecraft builder eventually hits the same wall: how do you light up a space without ruining the vibe? Torches are cheap but visually noisy, while vanilla lanterns demand iron nuggets and a trip to the Nether. Redstone lamps are even worse, requiring glowstone, quartz, and a messy wiring setup just to function. The solution to this lighting dilemma comes in the form of a compact, thoughtful add-on called More Lanterns: Simple Stone and Cobblestone Lanterns. It introduces two clean, craftable light sources that feel right at home in any survival world, from a cozy cottage to a sprawling dwarven fortress.
Why This Mod Exists
The creator behind this project, StealthLava, built it out of pure frustration with vanilla lighting mechanics. Jack o' Lanterns, for instance, force you into a tedious pumpkin farming loop: find seeds, plant them, wait for growth, then place the carved pumpkin only on a solid block below. The result is a grinning face staring up from your floor, which hardly screams "cozy interior design." Redstone lamps are arguably worse. They demand a descent into the Nether for glowstone and quartz, and then you still need to power them with levers or torches, making them bulky and non-renewable.
More Lanterns: Simple Stone and Cobblestone Lanterns cuts through all that grind. You get two stylish lighting blocks that require nothing more than basic stone and a single torch. No rare drops, no biome hunting, no redstone engineering. Just place, light, and enjoy.
What the Mod Adds
The mod introduces two new lantern variants that become available as soon as you have a pickaxe and some coal. Both are crafted from materials you will gather within the first few minutes of a new world.
Stone Lantern
The Stone Lantern is crafted from eight blocks of regular stone surrounding one torch. It emits a steady, warm glow that suits medieval builds, castle walls, and underground corridors perfectly. Its smooth texture blends seamlessly with stone brick, polished andesite, and other refined building materials, making it a go-to choice for architects who value consistency.
Cobblestone Lantern
The Cobblestone Lantern follows the same recipe but uses eight cobblestone blocks instead. Its rougher texture gives it a rugged, industrial character, ideal for mineshafts, cavern bases, and brutalist fortifications. Pair it with mossy cobblestone or cracked stone bricks for an authentic ruin aesthetic.
Both lanterns produce light comparable to a standard torch, but with a far more polished appearance. They can be placed on any solid surface without extra support, and they never burn out. If you care about aesthetics but refuse to waste hours on pumpkin farms, these blocks are a lifesaver.
Crafting Logic That Makes Sense
The recipe design is refreshingly intuitive. Open your crafting table, place a torch in the center cell, and surround it with eight blocks of either stone or cobblestone. That is it. For the Stone Lantern, you need eight stone blocks; for the Cobblestone Lantern, eight cobblestone blocks. Since a torch is made from coal and a stick, the entire process is achievable on day one. No exotic ingredients, no redstone dust, no Nether expeditions. The mod author even included the source code in the archive, so curious modders can study the mechanics or adapt them for their own packs.
How to Install
To run More Lanterns: Simple Stone and Cobblestone Lanterns for Minecraft, you will need a version of Minecraft with the Forge mod loader installed. The mod supports multiple Minecraft versions, so check the file name for the matching version number before downloading.
Manual installation is straightforward. First, download the ZIP archive and extract its contents into an empty folder. Then, copy the file named MoreLanterns_V1_(MC1##).zip into the mods directory of your Minecraft client. The standard paths are:
- Windows: %AppData%\.minecraft\mods
- Linux: /Home/[Username]/.minecraft/mods
- Mac: [Username]/Library/Application Support/minecraft/mods
If the mods folder does not exist, create it manually. After copying the file, launch the game and the new lanterns will appear in your crafting menu. Many players, however, prefer to skip the file system entirely. In that case, you can download More Lanterns: Simple Stone and Cobblestone Lanterns directly through a third-party launcher, which allows you to install mods from within its interface without touching the file explorer.
Troubleshooting and Configuration
Occasionally, Minecraft may crash on startup if the mod's block IDs, which default to 184 through 194, conflict with other installed add-ons. The fix is simple: open the MoreLanterns.cfg file located in the .minecraft/config/ folder and change the occupied IDs to free ones. This is usually necessary only in large modpacks where every block ID is accounted for. The author left this configuration option open specifically to ensure compatibility, so even a pack with a hundred mods should run without issues.
Final Thoughts
More Lanterns: Simple Stone and Cobblestone Lanterns is a small mod with a big impact on the building experience. It removes unnecessary grind, adds two visually appealing light sources, and stays true to the vanilla spirit of Minecraft. It does not break game balance or overload the world with flashy effects. Instead, it quietly solves a problem every builder knows too well. Until Mojang decides to add stone lanterns to the base game, this mod deserves a permanent spot in your mods folder. With its easy crafting, clean design, and zero dependence on pumpkins or the Nether, it is the perfect addition for both survival playthroughs and creative projects. Whether you are lighting a winding mine tunnel or a grand hall, these lanterns will make your world shine.