Animal Crossing Custom Designs
Image: Nintendo Life

The ability to make and share your own custom designs in Animal Crossing: New Horizons (or import designs from Animal Crossing: New Leaf via the NookLink app) has given the Animal Crossing community another chance to showcase its creativity. The results have been impressive, most impressive.

There are some stunning examples of custom designs appearing online which you can wear, use to upholster your furniture, hang on the wall or simply place on the ground around your village. By using the NookLink app included in the Nintendo Switch Online smartphone app or inputting a code at the kiosk in the Able Sisters' shop (when you get it), you too can adorn yourself and your island with these sweet designs.

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Below we've rounded up just a few of the amazing examples we've seen online. We'll add to them as and when something particularly amazing surfaces. Enjoy!

The best Animal Crossing: New Horizons custom designs we've seen

The Legend of Zelda

Pokémon

Super Mario

Animal Crossing

https://twitter.com/NateGullion/status/1244627699122888704?s=20

Gaming

Pop Culture

https://twitter.com/MaisieDraws/status/1244992737859919874?s=20

https://twitter.com/gemmacoldwell/status/1247113586905939968?s=20

Misc. (Clothing)

Misc. (Tiles and Objects)

Plain evil

Fake Hole

Super cool custom designs for lovely people

How do I download Custom Designs in Animal Crossing: New Horizons?

There are two easy ways to import custom designs into your copy of Animal Crossing: New Horizons:

In order to download the designs with a QR code above, you'll need to use the Nintendo Switch Online app on a smartphone. You can find out more in our guide on how to import designs from Animal Crossing: New Leaf and Animal Crossing: Happy Home Designer, but here are the basics:

  • You'll need to have purchased the Pro Designs upgrade for the Custom Designs app on your NookPhone.
  • You'll need to scan four separate QR codes for the Pro Designs.
  • Once the design is registered in NookLink, open up your in-game NookPhone and open the Custom Designs 'app'. Press '+' to download the design and that's it. Custom Designs that you didn't create cannot be edited.

Using codes in-game

If the design has a written code rather than a QR code, you'll have to wait until you have the permanent Able Sisters' shop on your island. Once they have moved in, use the Custom Design kiosk at the back of the shop to search for the design via the design code or the creator code.

Unfortunately, this is only available for Nintendo Switch Online subscribers.

Able Sisters Kiosk
Image: Nintendo Life

How do you get photos in the game?

By uploading images to certain sites like the Animal Crossing Pattern Tool you can import photographs and other images into the game. These sites generate custom QR codes which you scan just like you would when importing designs from previous games using NookLink.

This is obviously fantastic if you want to get your face (or the lovely Alex-from-Nintendo-Life's face) in your game. A word of warning, though. While there may be thousands of amazing pics to download, you may also find the odd Not-Safe-For-Work image floating around. Best take care when perusing websites, and just check what you're downloading on your phone before letting the kids download it in-game.

Animal Crossing New Horizons Back Wall Designs
Image: Nintendo Life

Fashion! We hope you enjoy these designs as much as we do. Let us know any other favourites you've found — or made yourself — in the comments below and perhaps we'll feature it above. Beep-beep!

This article is part of our Animal Crossing: New Horizons walkthrough, which includes a Complete Fish List, Complete Bug List and Complete Sea Creatures List. If you're looking for specific fish or bug, we can tell you how to catch the elusive Coelacanth, Mahi-Mahi, Giant Trevally, Stringfish, Golden Trout and all the Sharks and Beetles, along with a full list of Critters leaving at the end of the month. We've also compiled a Complete Villager List and a Complete List of K.K. Slider Songs, as well as the Best Custom Design Codes and Islands we've found so far, and the best islands to visit using Dream Address Codes.

We can also help with How to Spot Redd's Fake Paintings and Statues, How to Make Bells Fast, How to Breed Flowers, How to Get more DIY Recipes, How to Upgrade Nook's Cranny, where and when to find special characters like Gulliver, Sable, Label, Wisp, Celeste, Pirate Gulliver and Jack, plus tips on using the Star Wand, Tool Ring, Rock Trick, Cutting Down and Moving Trees, using amiibo on Harv's Island, How to Back Up Your Island Data, How to Time Travel, How to Get a 5-Star Island Rating and a whole lot more.

And finally Where to Buy Animal Crossing: New Horizons on Nintendo Switch if for some reason you haven't yet picked up the game.