All posts tagged in new horizons island ideas
Sep 14, 2020
The entrance to your island is the first thing that other players will see when visiting. Therefore if you want to leave a lasting impression and wow from the very start, it makes sense to make your entrance magnificent. If you’re unsure on how to go about this, why not use these awesome Animal Crossing: New Horizons entrances as inspiration.
Before you indulge yourself in the pure eye candy below, make sure you also take a peak at these stunning and just beyond precious design ideas on how to make the Able Sisters Shop look even cuter!
Waterfall Entrances:
Diagonal Bridge Entrances:
Magical Entrances:
Tropical Entrances:
Entrances With Fountains:
Thank you to fellow ACNH fan, Emily, for posting and sharing their island entrance with others via Pinterest :3 
This selfie was taken at the entrance of ‘Pink Sea’, an island which I visited via its dream address. For those of you who are wanting a super-kawaii pink island, I’d recommend a visit to Pink Sea for inspiration. I’ve been following Pink Sea’s creator, Jennifer, since ACNL, where I was awed by her super-cute town! The Dream Address for the island is DA-2045-8323-2479. You can check out all of the cool stuff she’s up to on her website, here. Nature-themed/Garden Entrances:
Credit to @MaiPlaysNH who posted images of her astounding island on her Twitter and Instagram accounts. These accounts have since been deleted, and so I am unable to give her the full credit/links to her profiles that she deserves. If anyone knows if she has new social media accounts/website so that full credit can be given, please let us know :3 Other Awesome Entrances:
And This (WIP) Little Duck-Themed Entrance (Just Because)
Stay tuned for more duck decoy shenanigans and other fun(-ny) little decor ideas for your ACNH island 👀 God-Tier Entrances: 🤯
#relatable 😂 Don’t Compare Your Island To Other Players’ & Take Your Time
It can be daunting knowing where to start with any island renovations. It can also be a bit disheartening to see other people’s awesome creations and feel like your own island is lackluster in comparison (I’ve been there!).
However, don’t be disheartened, as ACNH isn’t meant to be stressful! (Although the Bunny Day festivities kinda were, so thanks, Nintendo…)
🐰🪓
But back on topic, if you’re dead (like Zipper will be if he ever sets foot on my island again) set on making your airport/island entrance look super cool, then these simple tips will heed you well. Be sure to take all the time you need, plan your island entrance in advance (see below for tools and tips to help), and most importantly, make sure that you do you! 😊
Stay Organized, Make A Map
Planning is an important part of terraforming/landscaping your island. Therefore, like these awesome island maps shown below, you could definitely hand draw your island map, or use digital art software (which would make a nice memento). But it doesn’t even need to be that hard with this Google docs spreadsheet ACNH map creator 😀🗺️
See How Your Ideas Look Using A Planner First:
If you
are too busy hunting down that blasted bunny with an axedon’t have the time (or inclination) to hand-draw/create your entire island map, then don’t worry! A handy 3D ACNH island planner is available to download for free on itch.io.Here you can try out terraforming ideas and get an idea of how they’ll look in 3D before committing to paying for that darn bridge, only to have to give Tom Nook more bells to demolish it, yet again! If you own a Chromebook like myself, you may be disappointed to know that the app is only avilable to download on Mac, Windows, and Linux operating systems. Although you can still use the planner in-browser whilst using a Chromebook, which I discovered AFTER using the below method…
You can also use the more simplistic in-browser Happy Island Designer planner here. Whilst unfortunately not 3D, the tool does allow you to plan your island beforehand, instead of getting stuck right in, only to realize that you don’t know where to start.
I found it quite handy to see roughly how my island would look, due to the ability to place trees, flowers, and buildings. Additionally, you can upload a photo or screenshot of your island map layout before starting, something which would’ve saved me a lot of time, had I known beforehand… (Man, I need to do my research)! 🙄 Here is my first attempt at using Happy Island Designer:
If only the Residents Services Building was this far away from the airport on my island 😭 Video Tutorials & Speed-Builds:
Below are some great videos with content ranging from tips on how to design your island entrance, to speed builds of more awesome examples to inspire you:
Even more Animal Crossing New Horizons Design Ideas
For more island design inspiration, why not check out these useful articles like these stunning island designs, or some unique summer pool ideas and of course every island needs these breathtaking custom path designs.
Happy terraforming/bridge-constructing/decorating/landscaping your entrances! Be sure to share your designs with us on social media!
- Sep 11, 2020
In previous games, players were limited when decorating their Able Sisters’ exteriors. Pixelated paths were basically the only way of landscaping in Animal Crossing: Wild World. I remember trying to spruce up my Animal Crossing: Wild World shops by using mismatched flowers from Tom Nook. I also remember crudely insulting the tanuki tycoon on the bulletin board, but that’s for another time (and probably another place). But even using flowers to decorate was difficult due to the darn pavement beneath the shops.
Even in Animal Crossing: New Leaf, the shopping area was unchangeable. Additionally, players couldn’t curve paths, terraform, or place furniture outside. Therefore the addition of these features to Animal Crossing: new Horizons is what makes the game so attractive.
Players just have so much more freedom and ways to be creative when it comes to exterior design. However, the sudden abundance of tools given to us can be a little daunting. Somehow staring at plain grass doesn’t seem to help inspiration to hit any faster.
Not used to decorating the exteriors of shops in the games, I had no clue where to start. The outside areas of Able Sisters and Nook’s Cranny on my island remained pitifully drab until REALLY recently. Are you in the same boat? Get inspired by these Able Sisters exteriors from Animal Crossing: New Horizons.
Why not use one of these amazing path designs around your Able Sisters shop?
For inspiration on decorating other pesky outdoor areas, check out these excellent island entrances and cool campsites.
- May 13, 2020
If you’re like many of us, and struggling for ideas on how to improve your island, then look no further. From gyms, to playgrounds to everything in between, here are some of the most stunning Animal Crossing: New Horizons island designs!
Cafes & Restaurants
Pools
Playgrounds
Drawbridge playground by Ally from My Potato Games Gyms
Gardens
Rainbow flower garden by Ally from My Potato Games Magic-Themed
Simple fairy garden by Ally from My Potato Games Waterfalls
Forced Perspective Ideas
Other
Outdoor orchestra by Ally from MyPotatoGames More Animal Crossing New Horizons News
If you haven’t seen yet, make sure you check out this Animal Crossing Polly Pocket Edition!
