How to Create a Custom Item with Json Things

Setting Up the Item JSON

Json Things loads content from a datapack or resource pack folder structure. Create a folder for your pack, then inside it make a things directory. Each item gets its own .json file placed there. The filename becomes the item's ID, so my_sword.json produces mypack:my_sword.

Inside the file, you define a type field that tells the mod what kind of thing this is. For a basic item, use the item type. You then set properties like max_stack_size, rarity, and optionally a texture pointing to a PNG in your pack's assets folder. If you skip the texture, the item renders as a missing-texture placeholder until you add one.

Testing In-Game

After saving your JSON, reload with /reload if the mod supports dynamic loading, or restart the client. Use /give @s mypack:my_sword to spawn it. If nothing appears, check the log for JSON parse errors — a single missing comma breaks the whole file. Common mistakes include trailing commas, wrong field names, and referencing textures that don't exist in the expected namespace path. Once the item appears, you can iterate on its properties without touching Java at all.