How to create and share custom patterns in Animal Crossing: New Horizons

There are several ways to share your works of art

By Julia Lee@hardykiwis Mar 23, 2020, 3:01pm EDT

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An Animal Crossing character stands next to a large screen in the tailor’s shop

Julia Lee (she/her) is a guides producer, writing guides for games like The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom and Genshin Impact. She helped launch the Rift Herald in 2016.

Part of Animal Crossing: New Horizons guides

Animal Crossing: New Horizons on Switch allows players to create custom clothes and share them with others online. There are multiple ways to share the pieces you create, and there’s many ways to make custom gear for folks.

In this guide, we’ll show you how to make and share custom patterns.

Making custom patterns

One way you can create patterns is through this pattern editor website. It allows you to make patterns in your browser or even upload images, which it’ll convert into an Animal Crossing pattern. From here, it’ll let you save the pattern has a QR code that you can scan and import into your game.

A QR code with a possum Animal Crossing pattern. — I made a possum.

You can slo make patterns in-game. In New Horizons, you can creates clothes almost immediately using the simple pattern tool. After your tent becomes a home, buy the Custom Design Pro Editor for 800 Nook Miles from the Nook Stop. This will let you make fancier designs for all sorts of clothes, like hoodies or beanies.

Sharing with QR Codes

If you’re importing a code from the pattern maker above or from Animal Crossing: New Leaf, you’ll need the Nintendo Switch Online app for Android or iOS. Once you login with your Nintendo account, you’ll be able to access Nook Link.

Press the Plus button on the New Horizons title screen to link your character with your Nintendo account, and use the app to scan the QR code.

After you scan it, open your designs on your Nook Phone and press the Plus button to download the design.

Sharing from the Able Sisters shop

This method requires a Nintendo Switch Online Subscription.

After you build Nook’s Cranny, Mabel will come visit your town. After visiting a couple of times, she’ll ask you to place a plot to open her store on your island.

In the back of the Able Sisters shop will be a Custom Designs Kiosk. Here, you can upload and download designs.

After you upload a design, Animal Crossing: New Horizons will give you a long string of numbers and letters. Input the string of numbers and letters to download other peoples’ designs.