How to Breed Villagers in Minecraft

Everything you need to know about breeding villagers in Minecraft

Villagers are kind of a big deal in Minecraft. They help with farming, trading, and all kinds of other tasks. You definitely can’t have too many of them! The good news is that breeding villagers in Minecraft is really easy. This wikiHow article will walk you through how to do it step-by-step, including what you'll need to craft and give to your villagers in order to get them to breed.

[Edit]Things You Should Know

• A village needs to have enough beds for the villagers and the child they produce to be able to breed. You'll need 3 blocks of wool and 3 wooden planks.
• Villagers need to be in close proximity and have an inventory full of food before they'll breed (either 3 loaves of bread, 12 carrots, 12 beetroot, or 12 potatoes).
• Trading with villagers also increases their happiness level and makes them more willing to breed. Emeralds are one of the most commonly traded items.

[Edit]Steps

[Edit]Breeding Villagers

1. Find a village. Villages generate at random locations on the map. Be patient. You may need to look around for a while to find a village. Villages can be found in the plains, snowy plains, deserts, taigas, snowy taigas, and savannah biomes. The village needs to have at least 2 villagers.
   
2. Build a structure to breed your villagers in (optional). This is not required to breed villagers, but building a structure will keep them from wandering off. Villagers need to be in close proximity in order to breed. It will also protect them from hostile mobs and raiders. The structure can be made out of any building material. It needs to be big enough to house all the villagers you want to breed as well as beds for each villager and the offspring they produce.
   
   • Make sure any windows are covered with glass or iron bars. Baby villagers can escape through open gaps in structures.
   • The roof needs to be at least two block spaces above each bed in order for the villagers to be able to use them.
   • Don't build a door to your structure. Villagers can open and close doors. To prevent them from escaping, use a fence gate instead.^[1]
   • Make sure the area you keep your villagers is larger enough for them to get around. Your area should have at least 3 square blocks of empty space for each villager you want to breed.
   • Villager occupations are now determined by any available workstation block nearby (such as a fletching table, or composter). Any new villagers will automatically be registered to any available workstation in the village and assigned an occupation based on that workstation. If you have a specific occupation you want your new villagers to fill, you may want to build the structure at least 48 blocks away from any nearby workstations to keep them from registering an occupation automatically. Baby villagers will be assigned a nearby workstation when they become adults.^[2][3]
3. Craft at least 3 beds and place them in the village or structure. In order for villagers to breed, they need a bed for both the villagers that are breeding and the baby they produce. You will need to craft a new bed for each villager you want to produce. You can craft a bed from 3 blocks of wool and 3 wooden plank blocks using a crafting table.
   
4. Get at least two villagers close together. If you've built a structure, try to corral them into the structure and then wall off or gate the entrance so they can't wander off. You can move villagers by simply walking into them. This pushes them in the direction you want them to go. You can also use a boat to transport villagers, even on land.
   
   • You can craft a boat out of a shovel, and 5 wooden plank blocks using a crafting table. Boats can be used to transport villagers, even on land (though it's really slow). Villagers will not be able to leave the boat until you break it apart.
5. Gather food for the villagers. Each villager has their own independent inventory that they use to keep items like food. In order for villagers to breed, they need either 3 loaves of bread, 12 carrots, 12 beetroot, or 12 potatoes in their inventory. The good news is, you won't need to go far to find these items because they can all be found inside the village.
   
   • Carrots: Carrots are grown by farmer villagers inside the village. You can harvest them from the village gardens once they are fully matured. Carrots are fully matured when the green leaves at the top are at their fullest and a tip of the orange carrot is sticking out of the ground where they are planted.
   • Potatoes: Potatoes are also grown by farmer villagers Potatoes can be harvested from village gardens. Potatoes are fully matured when there is a full stalk of leaves growing out of the ground where the potatoes are planted. However, sometimes you get a poisonous potato, which isn't useful for anything.
   • Beetroot: Beetroot is also grown by farmer villagers. However, unlike potatoes and carrots, you cannot plant the beetroot itself to grow more beetroot. You need to plant beetroot seeds in order to grow beetroot, which takes up more space in your inventory. Beetroot and beetroot seeds can be harvested from village gardens. Beetroot is fully mature when you can see the leaves and red of beetroot sticking out of the ground where they are planted.
   • Bread: You can purchase bread from villagers or craft it using three bushels of wheat and a crafting table. Sometimes, you can also find bread in chests in villages. Wheat is grown by farmer villagers in village gardens. Wheat is fully matured when it grows tall and turns slightly brown. Break fully matured wheat to obtain bushels of wheat.
6. Give food to the villagers.^[4] To give the villagers food simply drop it on the floor next to them. When the villagers walk over it, it will be added to their inventory. Once both villagers in close proximity have enough food in their inventory, they may become willing to breed. You can drop items by equipping them and pressing "Q" on your keyboard or the drop button on your controller. You can also drop items, by clicking them in your inventory and dragging it outside your inventory.
   
7. Trade with the villagers (optional, but recommended). Trading with villagers is not required to get them to breed, but it increases their happiness level, which makes them more willing to breed. Villagers have different items they are willing to trade for different items. Select a villager to see what they have to trade and what they want in return. Make sure you have the item they want in return in your inventory and select the option to trade with them.
   
   • Emeralds are one of the most commonly traded items in Minecraft.
8. Wait for the villagers to breed. You will know that villagers are breeding when they face each other and hearts float all around them. A tiny villager will emerge. It takes 20 minutes for a baby villager to mature into an adult.
   
   • If your villagers are not breeding, there could be a number of reasons for it. It could be that the beds are already claimed by other villagers. The roof over the beds is too short, it could also be that villagers don't feel safe with whatever is in the surrounding area.

[Edit]Breeding Villagers In Version 1.14 and Earlier

1. Find a village. Villages generate at random locations in the game world. Villages can be found in the plains, desert, and savannah biomes. The village needs to have at least 2 villagers. Be patient. Villages are not always easy to find. You may have explored for a while before you find one. Use the map you get at the start of the game to keep track of your location.
   
2. Build more houses with doors in the village. In older versions of Minecraft, villagers will mate as long as the total population of villagers is less than 35% of the number of doors in a village.^[5] A valid door is any door where one side of the door leads to a room with a roof, while the other side leads to the outside.
   
   • To make a valid door, technically all you need is a door with one block overhead on one side.
   • To increase the number of doors in your village, you can build a single structure with multiple doors.
3. Build gardens for the villagers. Villagers love to grow crops. Most villages already have a couple of gardens already built in the village. You can build more to increase villager happiness levels and make them more willing to breed.^[6] To build gardens, find a well-lit area and dig a trench next to dirt blocks and fill the trench with water. Then use a hoe to till the dirt blocks. You can plant seeds or vegetables in the tilled dirt blocks, or allow the villagers to do it themselves. ^[7]
   
   • You can also throw food to villagers.^[8] Villagers become willing to breed when they have either 3 bread, 12 carrots, or 12 potatoes in their inventory.
     • To craft bread, select a crafting table and place three wheat stalks in any row of the 3x3 grid. Drag the bread into your inventory.
4. Trade with the villagers. Trading with villagers is the primary way to make them willing to breed. Different villagers have different items they are willing to trade in exchange for different items. You must have the items the villager wants in your inventory to trade with them. Trading with the same villager multiple times unlocks new items the villager can trade. Trade with the villagers to increase their happiness level. Afterward, subsequent trades have a 1 in 5 chance of making the villager willing to breed again. Green particles appear when a villager has become willing to breed.
   
   • Being willing to breed will not automatically make the villager seek out a mate. Two villagers that are willing to mate must be in close proximity. Trading with villagers will make them more willing to breed.
5. Wait for villagers to breed. Once two or more villagers in close proximity are willing to breed, they will breed automatically. You will know that villagers are breeding when they face each other and hearts float all around them. A tiny villager will emerge. It takes 20 minutes for a baby villager to mature into an adult.
   
   • After they mate, the villagers are no longer willing and must be made willing again.^[9]

[Edit]Crafting Beds for Villagers

1. Gather the materials. In order to craft one bed, you will need three wooden plank blocks, and three blocks of wool. You will also need a crafting table. Use the following steps to obtain the materials you need:
   
   • Wood planks: To gather wood walk up to a tree and attack the trunk with your hands (or an axe) until the trunk blocks break apart and drops a small wooden log block. Walk over the wood block to pick it up. Then open the crafting menu and craft wood plank blocks from the wood.
   • Wool: Wool can be obtained by either killing sheep, or sheering them with a pair of sheers which can be crafted from two iron bars using a crafting table.
2. Craft a crafting table. In order to craft a crafting table, open your crafting menu and place 4 wooden plank blocks in the crafting grid to the right of your character. Then drag the crafting table to your inventory.
   
3. Place the crafting table and open it. Place the crafting table in your hot bar at the bottom of your inventory and equip it. Place it by aiming at the ground where you want the crafting table to go. Then right-click or press the left trigger button to place it.
   
4. Craft a bed. To craft a bed, open the crafting table, and place three wool blocks in the top row of the 3x3 crafting grid. Then place 3 wooden blocks in the middle row below the wool blocks. Drag the bed into your inventory.
   
   • You can also craft different color beds using dyes.
5. Place the bed. To place a bed, place it in your hot bar and equip it. Aim at the ground where you want to place the bed, and right-click or press the left trigger to place it where you want it to go.
   

[Edit]Building Houses in the Village

1. Gather building materials. Village houses can be made out of any material you want. Not all materials require tools to harvest or mine, but tools make the process quicker. The following are common materials, and how to gather them:
   
   • Dirt: Dirt is found all over. To gather dirt, simply attack with your hand (or a shovel) until the dirt block breaks apart and drops a small dirt block. Walk over the small dirt block to collect it.
   • Wood planks: To gather wood, walk up to a tree and attack the trunk with your hands (or an axe) until the trunk blocks break apart and drop a small wood block. Walk over the wood block to pick it up. Then open the crafting menu and craft wood plank blocks from the wood blocks.
   • Cobblestone: Cobblestone is a bit sturdier (and more resistant to creeper explosions). To mine cobblestone, you first need to craft a pickaxe. Equip the pickaxe from the menu. Equip the pickaxe and attack stone blocks inside caves or along the sides of mountains.
2. Select a location. Make sure the location you select is within the village. The game calculates the center of the village as the average coordinates of all the doors in the village. The outer parameter of the villages is either 32 blocks from the center, or the furthest door from the center, depending on which is greater.^[10]
   
3. Build a structure. Use the building materials you gather to build the outside of a house or structure. It can be any shape you want as long as it has opaque blocks overhead to act as a roof. It should be at least three blocks tall so that the villagers (and the player) have room to move around inside. Leave a space that is 2 blocks tall in the wall for the door or gate. If you are playing a newer version of Minecraft, use a gate instead of a door, to prevent villagers from escaping.
   
   • To build, place your building material in your hot bar at the bottom of your inventory. Highlight the material in your hot bar to equip it. Aim at the ground where you want to place a building material, then right-click (or press the left trigger button) to place a block.
4. Build a crafting table and place it. A crafting table is built using four wood plank blocks in the crafting menu. After you build a crafting table, place it anywhere in the game world.
   
5. Use the crafting table to craft a door or a gate. To make a gate, select the crafting table and place 4 sticks in the bottom left and right corners, and the center-right and left sides of the 3x3 grid. Then place 2 wooden plank blocks in the center and bottom center of the 3x3 grid. Drag the fence gate into your inventory. To craft a door, select the crafting table and place 6 wood plank blocks in the 3x3 grid in the crafting table. Drag the door into your inventory.
   
6. Place the door or gate in your structure. To place the door or gate in your structure, place it in your hot bar and then select the corresponding space to equip the gate or door. Then aim at the ground where you want to place it, and right-click (or press the left trigger button on your game controller) to place the door.
   

[Edit]Trading with Villagers

1. Select a villager. To select a villager, stand in front of them, and aim at them. Right-click or press the left trigger button on the controller. This displays their inventory window.
   
2. Examine the villager's inventory. The spaces at the top of the window display what the villager has for sale. The box in the lower-left corner of the window displays what the villager requires for the trade. You must have the item they want in your inventory to make a trade.
   
3. Select the item you want to buy. To select an item, click it or press the confirm button on your controller. The item you are trading will automatically be removed from your inventory, and the item you are purchasing will be placed in your inventory.
   
   • Villagers have only one or two items when you first trade with them. The more you trade with them, the more items they will have for sale.

[Edit]Building Gardens for Villagers

1. Mine cobblestone, coal, and iron ore. All of these materials are found in caves. You need a pickaxe to mine these materials.
   
   • Stone blocks are grey blocks that resemble stone. Use a pickaxe to mine cobblestone from stone blocks.
   • Coal blocks look like stone blocks with black spots. Use a pickaxe to mine coal from the coal blocks.
   • Iron ore blocks look like stone blocks with yellowish spots on them. Use a stone pickaxe or stronger to mine iron ore.
2. Build a crafting table and place it. A crafting table is built using four wood plank blocks in the crafting menu. After you build a crafting table, place it anywhere in the world.
   
3. Craft a furnace and place it. To craft a furnace, select the crafting table and place 8 cobblestone blocks along all sides of the 3x3 grid. Drag the furnace into your hot bar below your inventory. Place the furnace in your hot bar and equip it. Aim at the ground where you want to place it and right-click (or press the left trigger button) to place it.
   
4. Use the furnace to smelt the iron. To smelt your iron ore, select the furnace and place the coal in the fuel space (the space below the icon that resembles flames). Then place your iron ore blocks in the space above the flame. Allow a few minutes for the iron to finish smelting. When your iron ore is finished smelting, select the furnace and drag the iron bars from the square on the right and place them in your inventory.
   
5. Use the crafting table to craft a bucket. To craft a bucket, select the crafting table and place an iron block in the left-center, right-center, and bottom-center space of the 3x3 grid. Then drag the bucket into your inventory.
   
6. Find a well-lit area in the village. Find an area in the village that gets plenty of sunlight, and is about 5x10 dirt blocks wide.
   
7. Dig a trench down the center of your garden. You can use your hand (or a shovel) to dig a trench down the center of the garden. The trench should only be 1 block deep.
   
8. Use the bucket to gather water. Place the bucket in your hot bar and equip it. Then locate a nearby water source and use the bucket to gather water. Equip the bucket in your hot bar and click any area that has water to fill the bucket.
   
9. Fill the trench with water. After you gather water, return to your garden with the trench and dump the water in the trench to fill it. Equip the bucket full of water in your hot bar and click the empty trench to fill it full of water. It may take a couple of trips to completely fill the trench.
   
10. Use the crafting table to craft a hoe. To craft a hoe, select the crafting table and place two sticks in the center, and bottom-center spaces of the 3x3 grid. Then place two wooden plank, cobblestone, iron bar, or diamonds in the upper-center and upper-left spaces. Drag the hoe into your inventory.
    
    • Sticks are crafted from wood plank blocks in the crafting menu.
11. Use the crafting table to craft a composter. In version 1.14, composters were added as a villager workstation. When placed next to a garden, a villager that does not have an occupation can claim the workstation and become a farmer. Composters can also be used to recycle old food and plants into bone meal. ^[11] To craft a composter, select a crafting table and place 7 wooden slabs along the left, bottom, and right edges of the 3x3 grid. Then drag the composter into your inventory.^[12]
    
    • To craft wooden slabs, select a crafting table and place three wooden plank blocks along the bottom of the 3x3 grid. Then drag the wooden slabs into your inventory. 3 wooden plank blocks can craft 6 wooden slabs.^[13]
12. Gather materials to grow. Carrots, potatoes, wheat seeds, beetroot, cocoa seeds, melons, and pumpkins can all be planted and grown.
    
    • Carrots, potatoes, beetroot, and wheat seeds can be harvested from garden plots that already exist in villages. You can also gather wheat seeds by breaking tall grass.
13. Use the hoe to till the garden. Place the hoe in your hot bar at the bottom of your inventory. Then equip it. Use it to till the soil two spaces on either side of the trench with water in it.
    
14. Place the composter. To place the composter, put it in your hot bar and equip it. Aim at the ground where you want to place the composter and right-click or squeeze the left trigger button. Place it next to the water trench or next to one of your tilled soil squares.
    
    • Placing used food and plants in the composter has a chance of producing bone meal, which can be used as fertilizer to help your garden crops grow faster.^[14]
15. Plant your crops. After the soil has been tilled, place your crops in your hot bar and plant it in the group by right-clicking or pressing the left trigger on the controller. Allow a few days for the crops to grow.
    
16. Harvest the crops. After the crops are fully grown, click on them or press the right trigger to harvest them.
    
    • If a villager has 3 bread, 12 carrots, 12 potatoes, or 12 beetroots in their inventory, they will become willing to breed.
      • To craft bread, select a crafting table and place three wheat stalks in any row of the 3x3 grid. Drag the bread into your inventory.

[Edit]Video

[Edit]Tips

• When villagers are happy and have all their needs met, they are more willing to breed.
• When breeding two villagers, keep them both in an enclosed space so that they do not wander away from each other.
• Try and breed villagers as often as possible, because more villagers mean more available trades, which increases the chance of you finding a good trade.

[Edit]Warnings

• Try and keep Zombie Villagers out of sunlight while curing them, because they will burn and die in sunlight, wasting your potion and golden apple.

[Edit]References

[Edit]Quick Summary

1. ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G7XwGt2n-Nc
2. ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MqVPStRgxLk
3. ↑ https://minecraft.wiki/w/Villager#Professions
4. ↑ [v161654_b01]. 2 December 2020.
5. ↑ [v161654_b01]. 2 December 2020.
6. ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=145&v=VRrcU83rWC4
7. ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=60&v=lH-lunMlWn0
8. ↑ [v161654_b01]. 2 December 2020.
9. ↑ https://minecraft.wiki/w/Villager
10. ↑ https://minecraft.wiki/w/Village_mechanics
11. ↑ https://www.thegamer.com/minecraft-villager-workstation-guide/
12. ↑ https://minecraft.wiki/w/Composter
13. ↑ https://minecraft.wiki/w/Slab
14. ↑ https://minecraft.wiki/w/Bone_Meal

How to Make Paint Colors

Crafting that perfect shade of orange or pink can be a daunting roadblock for the beginner who doesn't know where to begin when putting their palette together. Thankfully, nearly all colors in the spectrum can be created from just a few basic colors. Learning the color wheel will give you the foundation you need to produce any hue you desire.

[Edit]Steps

[Edit]Mixing the Secondary Colors

1. Gather paint-mixing supplies. You'll need a palette and a paint knife or brush in order to get started. Mixing paint with a paint knife results in a more even, uniform color compared to a brush.^[1]
   
   • If you're using brushes to mix paint, make sure to clean them in between mixing. You don’t want paint of a previous color mixing with the two you are currently mixing. Use soap and water for acrylic, or odorless mineral spirits or turpentine for oil.^[2]
   • You can mix your paints in a jar instead of a palette if you intend on preparing paint for later work.
   • Color mixing is skill that takes hard work and experience. Practice with different amounts of paint, as well as different kinds of combinations, in order to get more acquainted with how your paints will interact.^[3]
2. Start with the three primary colors. All other colors stem from the three primary colors: red, blue, and yellow.^[4] These colors cannot be made from other colors. It's useful to think of them as the base “parent” colors.
   
   • You might consider purchasing larger quantities of the primary colors compared to other types of paint. Larger tubes of paint are often available in 200ml quantities.
   • Paints come in two qualities: student grade and professional. Student grades are cheaper, but inferior than professional paints when it comes to longevity, intensity, and other factors. Student grade paints can also alter the mixing ratios required for certain colors, so be cognizant of your purchases.^[5]
   • Primary colors come in warm and cool tones to help you make even more colors.^[6]
3. Mix yellow and blue to make green. Use an equal amount of yellow and blue paint. Mix them together using either a paint brush or painting knife to create green. Using an unequal amount of either paint will skew the color of the green toward whichever color was dominant – blue or yellow.
   
   
   
   • Blue and yellow both come in warm and cool hues. A cool yellow will look greenish, while a warm yellow will look orange-ish.^[7]
   • To get a brighter shade of green, use a cool yellow and a cool blue, both with a greenish tint to it.
   • If your green turned out murky, you might have used a warm, orangish yellow or a warm, purplish blue.
4. Mix yellow and red to make orange. Use an equal amount of yellow and red paint. Mix them together using either a paint brush or painting knife to create orange. Using an unequal amount of either paint will skew the color of the orange toward whichever color was dominant – yellow or red.
   
   
   • Like blue and yellow, red comes in both warm and cool hues. A warm red will look orangish, while a cool red will look purplish.^[8]
   • To get a brighter orange, use a warm, orangish yellow and a warm, orangish red.
5. Mix blue and red to make purple. Use an equal amount of blue and red paint. Mix them together using either a paint brush or painting knife to create purple. Using an unequal amount of either paint will skew the color of the purple toward whichever color was dominant – blue or red.
   
   
   • Like other shades, blue also comes in warm and cool hues. A warm blue will look more purple while a cool blue will look greenish.^[9]
   • To get a bright purple, mix a cool red with purple undertones, and a warm blue with purple undertones.
   • If your purple came out murky, you might have used a warm, orangey red or a cool, greenish blue.
6. Use white and black paint to alter the tinting, saturation, and shading of a color. Tint and shade refer to how light or dark a color appears. Saturation is how "intense" or grey a color appears.^[10] Experiment with mixing in small amounts of white or black paint to create variations on the basic colors.^[11]
   
   
   • You can also lighten paint colors by adding a little bit of yellow, or darken them by adding a little bit of blue.
   • Whether white and black count as primary colors is debated. For paint-making purposes, it's important to know that a variety of black shades can be created with existing paints, whereas no paints mix to create white.^[12]
7. Store all colors that you mix. Place the paint in an air tight container, such as a jar, if you are not going to immediately use the colors. You will use these colors either to paint, or to create tertiary colors. A Tupperware container is also a great option if you don’t have jars available.
   
   
   • If you don’t have containers to store your paint, cover your palette with a saran wrap and store it in the fridge (or freezer for oil paints).
   • You can also place a wet towel over your paints to help keep them moist until you are ready to use them.^[13]

[Edit]Mixing the Tertiary Colors

1. Start with the secondary colors. These are the colors that are made from the primaries: purple, green, and orange. You may use the paints you have already mixed, or purchase tubes of the secondary colors from any art store. Make sure you have plenty of primary color paint left over as well.
   
   • When buying the colors from a store, make sure that you buy pure "green," "purple," or "orange" shades. Don't buy a mixed shade, like red-orange or blue-green.
2. Mix a primary and secondary color to make a tertiary. Use equal parts primary and secondary paint. Mix them together using your brush or a painting knife. Using unequal parts paint will skew the resulting color toward whichever color was dominant – the primary or secondary.
   
   
   • Play around with the proportions. Use a little bit more blue than purple, and see what shade you get.
   • Note that tertiary colors are always named so that their primary colors are listed first, as in "yellow-green."
3. Create all six tertiary colors. Each tertiary color is created via the same method, an equal parts mixing of colors. Different brands of paints often have slightly different pigment mixtures, so don't worry if they color doesn't turn out exactly as you expected. There are six tertiary colors in total:
   
   
   • Yellow-green.
   • Blue-green.
   • Blue-violet.
   • Red-violet.
   • Red-orange.
   • Yellow-orange.

[Edit]Mixing Browns, Blacks, Neutrals, and More

1. Mix a tertiary color with a primary color to create brown. Specifically, mix the tertiary color with the primary color that is not already a part of the tertiary color’s mix. In the case of browns, the ratio of each paint will affect the type of resulting brown.
   
   
   • Adding a greater portion of warmer color, such as red, will result in a warmer brown.
   • Using greater quantities of colder colors, such as blue and green, will result in a brown that is very dark, nearing black in color.
2. Mix complementary colors to achieve black. Complementary colors are those that are considered opposite one another on the color wheel. Examples include red and green, or blue and orange. Mixing these colors together will create a black mixture that leans toward one of the colors used in the mix. This is referred to as chromatic black.
   
   
   • A dark blue and brown can also provide a deep black that may be keyed cooler or warmer depending on the ratio of paints.
   • Note that purchasing a pure black paint from the tube will limit your mixing opportunities with that particular black.^[14]
3. Mix a primary, analogous, and complement for gray. An analogous color is one located next to a particular color on the color wheel. For example, analogous colors of green are yellow and blue. Adding an analogous color to a color plus compliment mixture will neutralize the intensity of the color, creating a more grey color. Add white to lighten the value of this mixture until you are satisfied with the grey.
   
   
   • Dark colors mix more easily into light than vice versa. Mix a small amount of the grey mixture into white to start, and add more as necessary.
4. Use the color wheel. With the three main color groups at your disposal, you have every color you need to create any color you can think of. When in doubt about what is needed to create a particular color, look at the color wheel. Look at where the color falls on the wheel, and mix the two parent colors that the color falls between.^[15]
   
   • Use white (or yellow) to lighten a color.
   • Use a complement of a particular color to key the color toward grey.
   • Darkening a color requires an addition of one of its parent colors, depending on which color you wish to lean toward.^[16]

[Edit]Video

[Edit]Tips

• Take notes in order to remember what color combination, and what ratio, gave you the color you enjoy.
• Replicating a color wheel is a great exercise for mixing paint.
• Experiment! You never know what you'll end up with.
• Start with small amounts of paint so you can get used to how much is needed for a given color.
• Don't wear any clothing that you would mind getting paint on.
• If you need a lot of a particular colour, mix a bit more than you think is necessary. Otherwise, you may run short and you can end up with a lot of different hues.

[Edit]Warnings

• Many paints contain dangerous metals, such as lead and cadmium, so avoid ingesting the paint, or prolonged skin contact.

[Edit]Things You'll Need

• Tubes of primary colors; red, yellow, and blue.
• Tubes of white and black.
• Clothing that can get dirty.
• A palette.
• Paint brushes.
• A painting knife.
• Jars or other air tight containers.

[Edit]Related wikiHows

• Mix Colors
• Mix Paint Colors to Make Brown
• Mix Colors to Make Pink
• Make Brown from Primary Colors

[Edit]References

[Edit]Quick Summary

1. ↑ https://lorimcnee.com/palette-knife-painting-tips/
2. ↑ https://emptyeasel.com/2008/12/29/13-tips-for-working-with-acrylic-paints/
3. ↑ https://kevinmccainstudios.com/color-mixing-mixing-beautiful-grays/
4. ↑ [v161058_b01]. 10 March 2021
5. ↑ https://www.finkeldeistudio.com/how-to-articles/oil-acrylic-painting/34-what-you-should-know-about-oil-paints
6. ↑ [v161058_b01]. 10 March 2021
7. ↑ https://www.justpaint.org/color-mixing-you-cant-get-it-unless-you-do-it/
8. ↑ https://www.justpaint.org/color-mixing-you-cant-get-it-unless-you-do-it/
9. ↑ https://www.justpaint.org/color-mixing-you-cant-get-it-unless-you-do-it/
10. ↑ https://www.colorsontheweb.com/colorterms.asp
11. ↑ [v161058_b01]. 10 March 2021
12. ↑ https://www.colormatters.com/color-and-design/are-black-and-white-colors
13. ↑ https://www.explore-acrylic-painting.com/acrylic-painting-tips.html
14. ↑ https://willkempartschool.com/the-3-myths-of-black-in-mixing-paint-colours/
15. ↑ https://www.colormatters.com/color-and-design/basic-color-theory
16. ↑ https://www.easy-oil-painting-techniques.org/color-mixing.html

How to Schedule Your Day

The best way to make a daily plan and stick to it

Whether you’re a student, employee, or stay-at-home parent, keeping a schedule can help you manage your time and be productive. Thankfully, making and keeping a schedule isn’t hard to do! With a few scribbles in your planner or tabs on your screen, you can have an efficient plan for the day in no time. Keep reading to learn how to schedule your day and be as productive as possible.

[Edit]Things You Should Know

• Write down everything you must do for the day on a piece of paper or in a notes app before making your schedule.
• Schedule your day using time slots to stay on task. Plan each hour of your day to get started, allowing extra time for tasks so you don't fall behind.
• Prioritize tasks or events that have deadlines or fixed times. For instance, schedule your day around work meetings, homework assignments, or appointments.

[Edit]Steps

[Edit]Making a Daily Schedule

1. Pick a calendar or planner to use that meets your daily needs. There are plenty of calendars or planners on the market for you to choose from! Opt for one with a daily to-do spread if you want to focus more on daily tasks, or pick one with monthly and weekly spreads to help you plan ahead. Ultimately, choose whatever best suits your needs and lifestyle.^[1]
   
   • If physical planners and calendars aren’t your thing, there are a ton of scheduling apps you can use on your phone. Stick with your phone’s calendar or notes app, or try one like TimeTree or Any.do.
   • Consider using a bullet journal to create your own calendar and to-do list spread to perfectly match your needs.
2. Write down everything you need to accomplish for the day. Think about what you need to do today (or even for the whole week). Put every task or goal on a piece of paper or in a notes app on your phone. Now, you can see everything you need to do for the day in front of you.^[2]
   
   • Your list make look similar to this:
     • Laundry
     • Finish module 3
     • Stretching and jogging
     • Zoom meeting
3. Color-code your tasks so your schedule is easier to read at a glance. Look at your list of things you need to do. Then, categorize each type of task to a color. For instance, daily chores may be green, exercise yellow, and homework or work assignments orange. This way, you can easily look at your daily (or evenly weekly) schedule and see what’s on the agenda.
   
   • Use a colored pen, marker, or highlighter to help organize your tasks in a physical calendar or planner.
   • Type in different text colors on a digital calendar or create each task with a different colored label.
4. Prioritize each task on a number scale to determine what’s important. It’s more effective if you know what needs to be done first when making a daily schedule. So, number your tasks from what needs to be done first to what doesn’t have to get done today. This way, you can easily look at your schedule and know what you must do.^[3]
   
   • Try asking yourself these questions to determine what task(s) are of the highest priority:
     • Which task is due first or has a deadline?
     • Which task takes the longest time to complete?
     • Is one task more important than the others?
     • Which task will be the most challenging?
5. Note if any tasks are time-sensitive. If you have a homework assignment due, a work meeting, or a yoga class at a specific time, write that down as well. The last thing you want to do is complete a task too late or miss an event! Noting when a task is or needs to be finished will help you as you continue planning your day.^[4]
   
6. Schedule a time for each task based on importance and relevance. Now it’s time to transfer your notes into your calendar or planner. Make a timetable of your day, and give each time slot a task. Fill in tasks or events with time constraints first, then squeeze in the most important remaining ones. Write how long you expect to spend on each task, too.^[5]
   
   • For example, you may schedule time to study (2 hours), work out (1 hour), write emails (30 minutes), and walk the dog (30 minutes).
   • Remember to incorporate travel time into your scheduling. For example, do you need to drive to the gym from the library where you're studying? If so, it may take an hour and a half of your time rather than just an hour.
     • Always overestimate how long something will take by a few minutes. Add 25% to the time you allot for tasks in your schedule (for instance, schedule something that takes an hour for an hour and 15 minutes0. This extra time add up and provides a cushion to help you avoid being late or falling behind.
   • There may be some overlap with tasks of high importance and time restraints, and that’s okay! More often than not, the tasks that need to get done have a designated time they must be completed by.
7. Leave space in your schedule for flexibility. Try to avoid fully booking up your day when you can. Keeping some free space in your schedule can help you relax or schedule unexpected, low-priority tasks throughout the day. Plus, how can you stay motivated without taking a break every now and then?^[6]
   
   • For example, you could schedule 2 hours of free time between dinner and bedtime to chat with friends, catch a movie, or read a book.

[Edit]Keeping to Your Schedule

1. Check your calendar or planner throughout the day. Make it a habit to check your calendar every morning and night to stay on task and prepare for the day ahead. This way, you can always be on top of the game and know what’s to come—it’s a great way to stay motivated!^[7]
   
   • Schedule in a few minutes in the morning each day or evening to write out your schedule or to-do list. This way, you can go into the day knowing what’s on the agenda.^[8]
   • Schedule alarms on your phone or computer to remind you of certain tasks or appointments. This way, you won’t miss a thing (even if your physical planner isn’t on hand).
2. Cross off tasks as you complete them. When you complete a task or event, cross it off your to-do list with a pen or pencil. Not only is this super motivating, but it also helps you stay on schedule.
   
   • If you’re using a digital planner or calendar, use a text strikethrough or italic formatting option to show you’ve completed a task.
   • If you don’t complete a task on time, don’t sweat it! If it’s low priority, you can always schedule it for tomorrow. If it’s high priority, try to squeeze it in somewhere else on your schedule.
3. Adjust your schedule as needed. Although you should try sticking to your schedule as much as possible, things happen, and adjustments may be needed. Don’t hesitate to move flexible or low-priority items to other time slots or days. Not everything has to get done in one day—you’re only human! Focus on high-priority or timely items, and worry about the rest later.^[9]
   
   • Even so, be careful not to let your tasks pile up and spill over into the next day too frequently. If you find this happening a lot, try giving yourself more time for each task rather than rearranging the next few days.
4. Reward yourself when you’ve completed your tasks. Who says you have to be strict all of the time? If you’ve completed all your tasks for the day, don’t hesitate to reward yourself! Not only is this positive reinforcement to keep you motivated, but it also gives you time to rest and recharge (especially after a busy day).^[10]
   
   • Reward yourself by soaking in the tub, watching your favorite TV show, or splurging on a sweet treat.

[Edit]Daily Schedule Examples

1. {endbold} In this example, a college student is scheduling their day around a math exam and Spanish study group, which have fixed times. They want to make sure they still have time to hang out with friends, do their homework, and take care of their daily needs:
   
   • 8 AM: Wake up
   • 8:30 AM: Have breakfast
   • 9 AM: Feed and walk the dog
   • 10 AM: Get dressed
   • 11 AM: Math exam
   • 12 PM: Lunch with friends
   • 1 PM: Work on sociology essay
   • 3 PM: Spanish study group
   • 5 PM: Pilates
   • 7 PM: Dinner
   • 9 PM: Journal before bed
2. {endbold} Take a look at this example of a 9 to 5 commuter. Their day revolves around making it to the office on time and completing work tasks outside of the home. While they have a few tasks that are time sensitive, they also want to make sure they take enough breaks throughout the work day to stay alert:
   
   • 7 AM: Wake up
   • 7:30 AM: Eat breakfast
   • 8 AM: Get dressed
   • 8:30 AM: Commute to office
   • 9 AM: Emails and admin work
   • 10 AM: Coffee break
   • 10:30 AM: Schedule interview with expert candidate
   • 12:30 PM: Lunch break
   • 1:30 PM: Team meeting
   • 3 PM: Work on administrative project
   • 5:30 PM: Commute home
   • 6 PM: Exercise
   • 7PM: Eat dinner
   • 9:30 PM: Take a bath
3. {endbold} Here’s an example featuring a remote worker’s ideal day. They have a team meeting and work tasks that need to get done at a timely manner, but they also want to make sure they tidy up the house and indulge in some self care:
   
   • MORNING (7 a.m. to 11 a.m.)
     • Stretch
     • Have breakfast
     • Make bed
     • Walk dog
     • Answer emails
   • AFTERNOON (11 a.m. to 5 p.m.)
     • Make work phone calls
     • Team meeting 12:30 p.m.
     • Have lunch
     • Write 500 words
     • Finish team project
   • EVENING (5 p.m. to 10 p.m.)
     • Make dinner
     • Watch TV show
     • Clean kitchen
     • Do laundry
     • Read chapter of a book

[Edit]Daily Schedule Template

Sample Daily Schedule Template

Sample Daily Schedule Template

[Edit]Video

[Edit]Related wikiHows

• Keep to a Daily Schedule
• Form a Plan
• Plan a Homework Schedule
• Plan a Trip
• Schedule Your College Classes Effectively
• Keep to a Daily Schedule
• Make a Schedule and Stick to It

[Edit]Expert Interview

Thanks for reading our article! If you’d like to learn more about planning, check out our in-depth with [v161237_b01].

[Edit]References

[Edit]Quick Summary

1. ↑ [v161428_b01]. 26 May 2020.
2. ↑ https://hbr.org/2009/07/an-18minute-plan-for-managing
3. ↑ [v161441_b01]. 18 June 2020.
4. ↑ https://hbr.org/2009/07/an-18minute-plan-for-managing
5. ↑ https://hbr.org/2009/07/an-18minute-plan-for-managing
6. ↑ https://www.forbes.com/sites/theyec/2021/04/23/working-from-home-eight-tips-to-schedule-your-day-for-maximum-productivity/?sh=6651a98470e0M
7. ↑ https://hbr.org/2009/07/an-18minute-plan-for-managing
8. ↑ [v161237_b01]. 31 December 2019.
9. ↑ [v161237_b01]. 31 December 2019.
10. ↑ https://www.bowdoin.edu/baldwin-center/pdf/handout-self-rewards.pdf