For many players, decorating is the most fun part of Animal Crossing: New Horizons (ACNH), but sometimes it can feel a bit monotonous when someone sticks to the same type of theme over and over. While fans of the series are waiting for any news on the next Animal Crossing, many may be considering how to make things on their islands feel more exciting and lively, not to mention giving themselves something to do in the game again. Before starting over with a completely new island, many clever ideas can breathe some life into the island getaway package.

Of course, there are many inspirational island masterpieces out there for ACNH, but these often use highly detailed custom designs and creations and can feel incredibly daunting to try to replicate. However, there are also fun decorating ideas to try that come on a much smaller scale that can be easily created using little to no custom designs. Just changing a small section of an island using one or more of these easy, creative concepts can shake things up and help some of the time until the next game comes out.

10 Make Use Of Those Gyroids

Picnics, Concert Goers, Or Simply Placed Around The Island

The gyroids have been a fun little feature in many Animal Crossing games, but one that has also caused some frustrations for players trying to figure out ways to use the gyroids in their designs. A little creativity with these musical friends can really add some whimsy to an island, as they make perfect props. Try using them as the audience at a concert with a stage or strategically placed in silly ways.

Alternatively, for ACNH players who may not like the gyroids, the toy teddy bears of varying sizes can also create whimsical arrangements for picnics or lounging on the beach. Either way, these can be small, subtle changes that add a surprising amount of fun to an island. Or, go big and fill the island with a massive Easter egg hunt for gyroids.

9 Decorate The Beach To Be A Resort With Stalls, Surfboards, And More

This Is An Island Getaway After All

New Horizons has embraced its setting of being on an island in ways such as the Deserted Island Getaway Package and providing ways to travel to other islands. Therefore, players can also make use of this clear theme and work to transform their island into a resort. Whether someone wants to go all out and decorate the full island as a vacation destination or simply add some amenities to their beaches, this is another easy way to make the island more fleshed out.

There are many items available in the base game, including surfboards, beach towels, hammocks, and more, that can accomplish this theme. Some players may also want to use custom designs to create boardwalks and more to further add some character to the space.

8 Create An Outdoor Farmers Market Area

Whether For Actual Items For Visitors, Or Just For Looks

Making use of the stalls or tables, players have made sections of their islands into adorable farmers markets for their villagers or visitors to the island. This area can be either cosmetic to provide atmosphere by filling the stalls with items like vegetables or fresh cooking, or more useful by having them hold items for visitors to receive as gifts when they make the trip. Using custom designs to place signs or decorate some of the items with patterns can add to the experience, but isn't necessary. A fantastic market can be easily put up using what is already available.

For a less rural look, some players have tried making an outdoor market that has more of a commercial feel. When done right, these can be stunning and unique locations. Of course, this can also get tricky deg in a way that doesn't feel out of place with the rest of the island vibe, so it may require a bit of extra thought to blend in nicely.

7 Make An Outdoor Mall, Complete With Outdoor Restaurant

Nooks Cranny And Able Sisters Deserve More Attention

Whether or not someone wants to make the farmers market listed above, putting in a little effort to expand on the stores in the game makes them feel less out of place. Nooks Cranny and Able Sisters each present wonderful opportunities for players to use the surrounding space to turn it into a built-up outdoor mall or at least more of a purposeful entrance area. When they are placed nearby each other and have a cohesive theme in some of the decorating, they can begin to feel like a little business district.

Building on this further, there are wonderful pieces in ACNH that can be used to create an outdoor cafe space or restaurant. Perhaps even using a gyroid or two as patrons or employees to run the place. This is especially perfect if someone has a Brewster gyroid, Brewstoid.

6 Give Each Villager A Large And Fully Decorated Yard

Draw Some Inspiration From Happy Home Paradise DLC

In the Happy Home Paradise DLC for the game, players are often encouraged to decorate the outside spaces of client homes as well as the interior. Though this sounds like a straightforward idea, for many players it was the first time they had really considered making each villager's home have a full yard space.

A little landscaping goes a long way to providing character and decoration, or even transforming the entire vibe of the area.

Whether you want to personalize each lot to fit the unique quirks and personalities of the villagers living there, or create a cohesive theme to tie the island together in a more suburban fashion, decorating each of the homes in ACNH makes the world feel more lived in and alive. It takes away from the deserted island feel, but a little landscaping goes a long way to providing character and decoration, or even transforming the entire vibe of the area.

5 Outdoor Movie Theaters Can Include A Variety Of Themes

Give The Villagers Some Entertainment Options

Living on a small island certainly limits the amount of entertainment options that villagers have, so why not devote a section of space to giving everyone an outdoor theater? Using either televisions, projectors, or screens with custom designs on them, players can create fun movie viewing areas. Then add chairs, benches, cushions, or use some custom designs to place rugs and the area will be a relaxing place for everyone to spend time.

Other ideas would be to add a refreshments area with popcorn or drinks, or even use the racecar beds in place of chairs to look more like a drive-in theater. Really, there are a plethora of ways to personalize this seemingly simple idea and create a magical space that can shake things up.

4 Bring The Museum Outside

Make A Walking Path Through A Large Outdoor Museum

For a small island, it is a bit of a surprise just how incredible the museum there is. Although Blathers does a fantastic job curating the inside of the massive structure, there is no reason why players can have fun bringing some of it outdoors as well. Marketing for the island could easily make use of having the museum for their travel brochures, and if the entire island was designed as an extension of that, it would only get better for tourism.

Placing some of the fossils and replicas from Flick around a winding path, or simply crafting a grand entrance leading visitors up to the museum, adds some gravitas to the structure and is just pretty fun to see.

3 Creating A Carnival Or Arcade Adds Some Energy To Island Life

Items From Festivale Are Especially Useful For This

ACNH has a wonderful stock of carnival items, particularly the adorable teacup rides, as well as arcade machines and decorations. Tying in with the resort idea once more, these items are ideal for a fun carnival or outdoor arcade. It can be colorful and festive with confetti machines and even many of the items from the Festivale celebration, which are perfect for adding that vibrant feeling of a party.

Or, players can try their hand at using some of the spookier themes to make a haunted carnival, perhaps with twists and turns or a maze for visitors to potentially lose themselves in. Either option can be unique and certainly a lot of fun to design.

2 Dedicate An Area To A Mini Golf Course And Playground

Use Fun Decorations And Easy Custom Designs

To really create an obvious mini golf course, players will need to be comfortable with making at least some of the basic custom designs to form the holes and fairways on the ground. However, the silly and unique items in the game provide a great backdrop for a whimsical area such as this, and can take on several different themes depending on the player's preference.

Mini golf and playgrounds often go hand in hand, so why not add a playground on the side? Whether or not custom designs are used on the playground space, there is still a number of items that are easily grouped together for this outdoor space.

1 Few Things Are More Relaxing Than A Relaxing Spa

Perhaps The Grumpy Villagers Just Need Some Zen

ACNH has become a relaxing and calming space for many players, a virtual home to escape from the pressures of daily life. So, why not create a perfectly peaceful retreat inside the game as well? Building a zen garden or spa using bamboo items, waterfalls, candles, and more can fill a player with an extra measure of peace and calm, even if they aren't physically able to experience it.

Any of these ideas, or any number of other design ideas, can breathe fresh life into Animal Crossing: New Horizons, and hopefully give players a bit of joy while waiting for the next game to be announced.