How to Install DecoCraft on a Minecraft Server

What DecoCraft Brings to the Table

Vanilla Minecraft gives you stone, wood, and a lot of imagination. After a while, even the cleverest builds start to feel a bit empty when the only chairs in your dining room are inverted stair blocks. DecoCraft fixes that by dropping over 3,000 prop decorations into the game, from sofas and kitchen sets to flags, bathtubs, and outdoor furniture. Plenty of them are interactive, not just static scenery, which is what makes the mod a long-standing favourite for builders.

The project is maintained by RazzleberryFox (also behind PTRLib and Animania) and has racked up more than 35 million downloads, with stable releases up through Minecraft 1.12.2. This guide walks through getting it running on both your client and your server.

Downloading DecoCraft and PTRLib

DecoCraft has one hard dependency: PTRLib. You will need both `.jar` files in the matching versions before you touch anything else.

1. Open the DecoCraft CurseForge page.
2. Click Files at the top and pick the Minecraft version you plan to run.

1. Hit the download arrow next to the file you want.
2. Repeat the process on the PTRLib CurseForge page, grabbing the version that matches DecoCraft.

Keep both files somewhere you will not lose them. A dedicated folder on your desktop works fine.

Installing the Mod on Your Client

DecoCraft runs on Minecraft Forge, so each player joining the server needs Forge plus the mod installed locally.

1. Download the Forge installer that matches the mod version you picked.
2. Run the `.jar` and choose Install Client, confirm the path looks right, and press OK.

1. Open the Minecraft Launcher and head to Installations.
2. Find the new Forge profile and click the folder icon on the far right.

1. In the file explorer that opens, go into the `mods` folder (create it if it is missing).
2. Drop the DecoCraft and PTRLib `.jar` files in there.

Back in the launcher, select the Forge profile and press Play. Minecraft will load with DecoCraft active. If you only plan to play singleplayer, you are done here.

Installing DecoCraft on Your Server

For multiplayer, the server needs the exact same Forge build and mod versions as your client. Any mismatch will throw players out on connect.

1. Log into your HolyHosting control panel and stop the server.
2. Scroll to the JAR File section and switch the server type to the matching Forge version.

1. When prompted, generating a fresh world is usually the cleanest route. Hold off on restarting for now.
2. Open the file manager from the sidebar and log in.
3. Enter the `mods` folder, or create one in the server root if it does not exist, and click Upload.
4. Drag the DecoCraft and PTRLib `.jar` files into the upload pane.

Once both files hit 100%, head back to the main panel and start the server. After it finishes loading, DecoCraft will be live for everyone in both survival and creative.

Getting Started In-Game

The mod is installed, but in survival you cannot just pull a sofa out of thin air. Two crafting recipes unlock the rest of the content.

The DecoBench

The DecoBench is the workbench that produces every prop in the mod. Craft it from lapis, rose red dye, cactus green dye, a crafting table, and a clay block.

Crafting Clay

Most recipes call for clay blocks plus the new red, blue, and green crafting clay. To make crafting clay, combine a piece of dirt, a piece of sand, and the dye colour you want.

Open the DecoBench, drop your ingredients into the top-left slot, and press the Add to Table arrow. Browse the catalogue, click the prop you want, and if the materials check out, the finished item appears in the bottom-left slot ready to pick up.

A Few Examples of What You Can Build

The catalogue is huge. A small sample of what you can decorate with:

Troubleshooting

Server will not boot after adding the mod. Nine times out of ten this is a version mismatch. Confirm the Forge build on the server matches the DecoCraft and PTRLib files. While you are there, double-check no leftover mods from a different Minecraft version are sitting in the folder.

An existing world refuses to load. Worlds are not forward-compatible. A 1.16 save will not play nicely with 1.12 mods, so either downgrade the world or pick a DecoCraft version that lines up.

Props do not appear or do nothing on the server. Make sure the `.jar` files are sitting inside the `mods` folder directly, not in a subfolder, and that you restarted the server after adding them. Forge also needs to be the active server jar.

You get a kick error when joining. That usually means the server has the mods but your client does not. Install Forge and the same mod files locally. Every player joining the server needs DecoCraft on their side too.