how do i craft a saddle on minecraft pc without wasting hours?

That's out of date now. Saddles became craftable in the summer 2025 update - three leather plus an iron ingot at a crafting table. On an older version it's still loot or a master leatherworker, but on current java you can just make one.

nothing in settings will help, there's no recipe to unlock - saddles aren't craftable at all, pc or otherwise. if you're sick of looting chests, a leatherworker villager sells them for emeralds once you've traded him up to master. fishing turns one up eventually too, but that's luck.