Need some inspiration for the Decorating Your Island in Animal Crossing ? In this article, we're sharing a few fun ideas to inspire you.
Here are 5 styles tested by the community, along with the items you'll need and how to get them. From a Zen Japanese island to a horror theme, there's something for everyone!
Explanatory video in French by Alucare, ideal complement to the page. View video (you can use YouTube's automatic translation)
A Japanese island
The Japanese theme is one of the most popular in the Animal Crossing: New Horizons community. That’s because the game natively offers dozens of items that are perfect for recreating a zen and soothing atmosphere. You won’t know where to start!
👉 Here are a few ideas for key items to use:
- ✅ Torii (available through the Nook Shopping catalog)
- ✅ Stone lanterns (DIY project, made from messages in bottles)
- ✅ Cherry blossom trees (seasonal effect: in the spring, the trees on your island are covered in pink petals)
- ✅ Bamboo partitions and tatami flooring (Nook Shopping catalog)
- ✅ Zen garden with raked sand (customizable via the Island Designer app)
💡 Design tip: Place the torii at the entrance to a path lined with lanterns to create a sense of perspective. Cherry trees look best in groups of at least three, ideally around a living area or a bridge.
Disneyland inspiration
Want to turn your island into a Disneyland-style amusement park? It's an ambitious goal, but the end result is sure to impress your visitors.
👉 Here are some items you might want to use:
- ✅ Rides and attractions (seasonal items or available through Nook Shopping, depending on updates)
- ✅ Colorful traffic signs (customizable using the design editor)
- ✅ Balloons and party decorations (Nook Shopping catalog)
- ✅ Colorful paved paths (Island Designer app)
- ✅ Festive lighting (floor lamps, string lights—available in the Nook Shopping catalog)
- ✅ Food stands and kiosks (outdoor furniture available from villagers)
💡 Design tip: Define separate themed “zones” separated by wide paths. Create a distinct entrance with arches or custom signs to give the impression of entering a real park.
Horrific island
Forget flowers and glitter: the horror theme is perfect for surprising your visitors and setting your island apart from the classic ones. With the right items, your island can look like it came straight out of a horror movie.
👉 Here are some suggestions for items to use:
- ✅ Tombstones (available through the Nook Shopping catalog)
- ✅ Carved pumpkins (can be grown every fall; get the seeds from Nook)
- ✅ Armatures and mannequins (indoor furniture that can be moved outdoors)
- ✅ Posts with skulls (DIY recipe obtained from the villagers)
- ✅ Dirt floors and dark paths (Island Designer app)
- ✅ Minimal lighting—just a few flashlights are enough to set the mood
💡 Design tip: Focus on dark areas and dead-end paths rather than wide, open walkways. You can also add mist created by fountains or waterfalls in the background to enhance the effect.
A natural decoration
Inspired by the world of Studio Ghibli and enchanted woodlands, this natural decor style emphasizes simplicity. The idea is to create a space where you can wander as if through a forest, without everything looking too contrived.
👉 Here are the items you can use to create a natural-themed decoration in Animal Crossing:
- ✅ Various trees (oaks, pear trees, apple trees; to be planted in irregular groups)
- ✅ Mixed wildflowers (let them grow without picking them all the time)
- ✅ Wooden benches and picnic tables (Nook Shopping catalog)
- ✅ Decorative Mushrooms (Fall DIY Projects)
- ✅ Dirt or grass paths (Island Designer app)
- ✅ Natural stream (terraforming using the Island Designer app)
💡 Design tip: Avoid straight lines, because gently curving paths and trees planted in a staggered pattern create an immediate natural look. Leave a few “empty” areas—it makes it look even more natural!
Decorating with a valley
One of the most creative Animal Crossing decoration ideas! It all adds up to a truly stunning result, with valleys full of waterfalls, cliffs…
This is one of the themes that requires the most terraforming, but the result really changes the look of your island. Your visitors are going to love your landscapes!
👉 Here are the key items to use:
- ✅ Stepped cliffs (created with the Island Designer app, level 3 unlocked)
- ✅ Multiple waterfalls (positioned at different heights to create a tiered effect)
- ✅ Wooden or stone bridges (up to 8 bridges per island)
- ✅ Dense vegetation along the cliff edges (trees, flowers, grasses)
- ✅ Wide main river (terraforming to widen the natural river channel)
- ✅ Houses integrated into the valley (move them using Nook)
💡 Design tip: Arrange your waterfalls in a staggered pattern rather than in a straight line: water falling at different levels creates a much more interesting sense of depth than several parallel waterfalls.
Where should I start?
Before you get started, here’s a quick practical tip: not all themes require the same level of progress in the game.
📌 Just getting started?
Start with the Japanese or nature theme. Most items are readily available through the Nook Shopping catalog or basic DIY recipes.
📌 Have you made good progress already?
For the "Valley" or "Horror" themes, you must have unlocked the Island Designer app to be able to edit paths, cliffs, and waterways.
We explain how to unlock the Island Designer further down in the FAQ.
📌 Want to make a quick impression on your visitors?
The Disneyland theme is accessible to players of all skill levels. In fact, it relies primarily on creativity using the pattern editor, not on terraforming.
FAQ: Your Questions About Animal Crossing Decor
How do I unlock the Island Designer app to design my island?
The Island Designer app unlocks once your island receives a 3-star rating from Marie. To achieve this, you must have converted the Residents' Office into City Hall, built the campground, and welcomed enough residents (at least 6).
Once you've earned 3 stars, Kéké comes to perform a concert on your island, after which Tom Nook automatically adds the app to your NookPhone.
What items are most commonly used on a Japanese island?
The items most commonly used by the community for a Japanese theme are torii gates, stone lanterns, bamboo screens, tatami mats, and cherry blossom trees.
Most are available through the Nook Shopping catalog or as DIY recipes found in messages in bottles.
The gravel or raked sand surface, created with Island Designer, perfectly complements the overall look.
How can I find more DIY decorating ideas?
There are several ways to find DIY recipes:
- Pick up the bottles washed up on the beach every morning,
- Shoot the balloons flying over the island,
- Talk to the residents of your island when they're at home crafting,
- Visit the Mystery Islands with Nook Miles tickets.
Each method gives you access to different recipes. Just combine them to fill out your collection faster!
How can I tell if Marie has given my island a good rating?
You can request an assessment from Marie at any time at City Hall.
It assigns a rating of 1 to 5 stars based on three main criteria:
- The number of pieces of outdoor furniture (you need a lot of them, and a variety of them),
- The variety of decorations,
- The absence of weeds or discarded objects on the ground.
You must also have welcomed more than 8 villagers to the island to have a chance at reaching 5 stars.
Getting back to decorating your Animal Crossing island, just choose the theme that suits you best and start small. Even a well-decorated entrance or a neat little garden corner can transform the overall atmosphere of your island!
If you're playing with friends, find out if you can also Visit an Animal Crossing island without a subscription.
And to keep your villagers busy in other ways, we'll also explain how How to cook in Animal Crossing: New Horizons.
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