Using the Island Designer app, you can create all kinds of shapes for your ponds in Animal Crossing: New Horizons (ACNH)! From hearts and clovers to stars and moon, learn just how to make your perfectly-shaped pond with our guide!
Click to jump to a section! | |||
---|---|---|---|
Heart-Shaped Pond | Clover-Shaped Pond | Vertical Heart Pond | |
Star/Flower-Shaped Pond | Crescent Moon Pond | Diagonal Moon Pond | |
Ribbon-Shaped Pond |
List of Contents
Steps | Directions |
---|---|
1 | Unlock Island Designer app |
2 | Unlock Waterscaping Permit |
3 | Terraform water into Ponds |
You'll only be able to edit the landscape of your island with the Island Designer app!
Unlocking the app may be tricky so follow our guide below for a complete walkthrough!
Island Designer and Terraforming Unlock Walkthrough
Once unlocking the Island Designer app, purchase the Waterscaping Permit at the Nook Stop for 6,000 Nook Miles.
You'll need this to carve out water from the ground for your very own ponds!
You can now create your own ponds and rivers! Just open the Island Designer app on your NookPhone and choose the “Start construction!”
Choose the Waterscaping Permit on the bottom right corner to start crafting ponds!
How to Make a Heart-Shaped Pond (5x5) | |
---|---|
1 | Dig up a heart outline. |
2 | Fill in the center. |
3 | Round the edges. |
In-game | W | 5 | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Enlarge |
W | W | 4 | |||
W | W | 3 | ||||
W | W | 2 | ||||
W | W | W | W | 1 | ||
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | - |
To start, you need a space for the pond which is 5x5 in size. Follow the table above to dig up the outline of the heart.
In-game | 5 | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Enlarge |
W | 4 | ||||
W | W | 3 | ||||
W | W | W | 2 | |||
1 | ||||||
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | - |
Now, fill up the center of the outline. You can follow the table above by digging up the tiles marked with W.
In-game | ◯ | ◯ | 5 | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Enlarge |
4 | |||||
◯ | 3 | |||||
2 | ||||||
◯ | 1 | |||||
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | - |
All that's left to do is to round up the edges. Follow the tiles marked with '◯' to round them.
Enjoy your 5x5 heart pond!
How to Make a Clover-Shaped Pond | |
---|---|
1 | Create a heart-shaped pond. |
2 | Repeat the steps 3 times in opposing directions. |
To create a clover-shaped pond, follow the steps in the section above on how to create a heart-shaped pond, and reverse the directions to create a clover!
How to Make a Vertical Heart Pond (6x7) | |
---|---|
1 | Dig up a heart outline. |
2 | Fill in the center. |
3 | Round the edges. |
In-game | W | W | 6 | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Enlarge |
W | W | W | W | W | 5 | ||
W | W | 4 | ||||||
W | W | 3 | ||||||
W | W | 2 | ||||||
W | 1 | |||||||
4 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | - |
To start, you need a space for the pond which is 6x7 in size. Follow the table above to dig up the outline of the heart.
In-game | 6 | |||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Enlarge |
W | W | 5 | |||||
W | W | W | W | W | 4 | |||
W | W | W | 3 | |||||
W | 2 | |||||||
1 | ||||||||
4 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | - |
Now, fill up the center of the outline. You can follow the table above by digging up the tiles marked with W.
In-game | ◯ | ◯ | ◯ | ◯ | 6 | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Enlarge |
5 | |||||||
4 | ||||||||
◯ | ◯ | 3 | ||||||
◯ | ◯ | 2 | ||||||
◯ | ◯ | 1 | ||||||
4 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | - |
All that's left to do is to round up the edges. Follow the tiles marked with '◯' to round them.
How to Round Corners of Water
You can create a smaller heart pond by completing removing the 3rd row from the top, as it is occupied by water.
How to Make a Star / Flower Pond (9x7) | |
---|---|
1 | Dig up a star outline. |
2 | Fill in the center. |
3 | Round the edges. |
In-game | W | 7 | ||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Enlarge |
W | W | 6 | |||||||
W | W | W | W | 5 | ||||||
W | W | 4 | ||||||||
W | W | 3 | ||||||||
W | W | W | W | W | 2 | |||||
W | W | 1 | ||||||||
5 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | - |
To start, you need a space for the pond which is 9x7 in size. Follow the table above to dig up the outline of the star.
In-game | 7 | |||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Enlarge |
W | 6 | ||||||||
W | W | W | 5 | |||||||
W | W | W | W | W | W | W | 4 | |||
W | W | W | W | W | 3 | |||||
W | W | 2 | ||||||||
1 | ||||||||||
5 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | - |
Now, fill up the center of the outline. You can follow the table above by digging up the tiles marked with W.
In-game | ◯ | ◯ | 7 | |||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Enlarge |
6 | |||||||||
◯ | ◯ | 5 | ||||||||
4 | ||||||||||
◯ | ◯ | 3 | ||||||||
2 | ||||||||||
◯ | ◯ | ◯ | ◯ | 1 | ||||||
5 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | - |
All that's left to do is to round up the edges. Follow the tiles marked with '◯' to round them.
How to Round Corners of Water
How to Make a Crescent Moon Pond (8x9) | |
---|---|
1 | Dig up a moon outline. |
2 | Fill in the center. |
3 | Round the edges. |
In-game | W | W | W | 5 | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Enlarge |
W | W | 4 | ||||||
W | W | W | W | W | 3 | ||||
W | W | 2 | |||||||
W | W | 1 | |||||||
W | W | 2 | |||||||
W | W | W | W | W | 3 | ||||
W | W | 4 | |||||||
W | W | W | 5 | ||||||
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | - |
To start, you need a space for the pond which is 8x9 in size. Follow the table above to dig up the outline of the moon.
In-game | 5 | ||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Enlarge |
W | W | W | 4 | |||||
W | W | 3 | |||||||
W | W | W | 2 | ||||||
W | W | W | 1 | ||||||
W | W | W | 2 | ||||||
W | W | 3 | |||||||
W | W | W | 4 | ||||||
5 | |||||||||
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | - |
Now, fill up the center of the outline. You can follow the table above by digging up the tiles marked with W.
In-game | ◯ | ◯ | 5 | ||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Enlarge |
◯ | ◯ | 4 | ||||||
◯ | 3 | ||||||||
◯ | 2 | ||||||||
1 | |||||||||
◯ | 2 | ||||||||
◯ | 3 | ||||||||
◯ | ◯ | 4 | |||||||
◯ | ◯ | 5 | |||||||
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | - |
All that's left to do is to round up the edges. Follow the tiles marked with '◯' to round them.
How to Make a Diagonal Moon Pond (8x8) | |
---|---|
1 | Dig up a moon outline. |
2 | Fill in the center. |
3 | Round the edges. |
In-game | W | W | W | 8 | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Enlarge |
W | W | 7 | ||||||
W | W | 6 | |||||||
W | W | W | 5 | ||||||
W | W | W | 4 | ||||||
W | W | W | W | W | W | W | 3 | ||
W | W | 2 | |||||||
W | W | W | 1 | ||||||
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | - |
To start, you need a space for the pond which is 8x8 in size. Follow the table above to dig up the outline of the moon.
In-game | 8 | ||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Enlarge |
7 | ||||||||
W | 6 | ||||||||
W | 5 | ||||||||
W | 4 | ||||||||
3 | |||||||||
W | W | W | 2 | ||||||
1 | |||||||||
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | - |
Now, fill up the center of the outline. You can follow the table above by digging up the tiles marked with W.
In-game | ◯ | 8 | |||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Enlarge |
◯ | ◯ | 7 | ||||||
6 | |||||||||
5 | |||||||||
◯ | ◯ | 4 | |||||||
◯ | 3 | ||||||||
◯ | ◯ | 2 | |||||||
◯ | ◯ | 1 | |||||||
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | - |
All that's left to do is to round up the edges. Follow the tiles marked with '◯' to round them.
How to Round Corners of Water
You can create this crescent moon in other directions by following the tables below. Tiles marked in gray are water, and tiles marked with '◯' to should be rounded.
Lower Left | |||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
In-game | ◯ | ◯ | 8 | ||||||
Enlarge |
◯ | ◯ | 7 | ||||||
◯ | 6 | ||||||||
◯ | ◯ | 5 | |||||||
4 | |||||||||
3 | |||||||||
◯ | ◯ | 2 | |||||||
◯ | 1 | ||||||||
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | - |
Upper Left | |||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
In-game | ◯ | 8 | |||||||
Enlarge |
◯ | ◯ | 7 | ||||||
6 | |||||||||
5 | |||||||||
◯ | ◯ | 4 | |||||||
◯ | 3 | ||||||||
◯ | ◯ | 2 | |||||||
◯ | ◯ | 1 | |||||||
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | - |
Lower Right | |||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
In-game | ◯ | ◯ | 8 | ||||||
◯ | ◯ | 7 | |||||||
◯ | 6 | ||||||||
◯ | ◯ | 5 | |||||||
4 | |||||||||
3 | |||||||||
◯ | ◯ | 2 | |||||||
◯ | 1 | ||||||||
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | - |
How to Make a Ribbon-Shaped Pond (9x4) | |
---|---|
1 | Dig up a ribbon outline. |
2 | Round the edges. |
In-game | W | W | W | W | 4 | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Enlarge |
W | W | W | W | W | W | W | W | W | 3 |
W | W | W | W | W | W | W | W | W | 2 | |
W | W | W | W | 1 | ||||||
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | - |
To start, you need a space for the pond which is 9x4 in size. Follow the table above to dig up the outline of the ribbon.
In-game | ◯ | ◯ | ◯ | ◯ | 4 | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Enlarge |
3 | |||||||||
2 | ||||||||||
◯ | ◯ | ◯ | ◯ | 1 | ||||||
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | - |
All that's left to do is to round up the edges. Follow the tiles marked with '◯' to round them.
How to Round Corners of Water
The land will be rounded if you dig up the tile maked with '◯'.
You can round the edges of land by digging corners of land with the Waterscaping Permit.
If the tile already has water on the left and right sides, or top and bottom sides, you can't round it anymore.
It will also fail if the adjacent tile is also already rounded.
Even if the water is already angular, you can still round up the corner by filling it with land and digging it up again.
If you fill a water tile with land, its adjacent tile, if it is rounded, will also get filled.
You may want to terraform your own creations, so keep these in mind so you don't accidentally create rivers instead of ponds!
Differences Between Ponds and Rivers | |
Ponds | Rivers |
---|---|
• A body of water with similar length and width | • A long and thin body of water |
• A body of water that meets a waterfall or river mouth | |
• Fishing rod line does not move | • Fishing rod line flows down the stream |
Avoid adding long sections to your ponds, as these will transform it into a river. Keep your ponds at a similar length and width!
Connecting your pond to a waterfall or river mouth will also transform it into a river. Keep your ponds separate from other bodies of water!
Pond | River |
---|---|
Did you know that your fishing rod move differently will react differently in ponds and rivers?
In a pond the hook does not move, while in a river, the hook flows down the of the stream.
How to Make Shaped Ponds
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Can someone please fix the crescent moon charts about changing directions? The header of that section says that the gray squares are water and the circle is the angled squares, but either there is no gray shading or it blends in with the white too much to make it out. Included photo to demonstrate.. instead of shading the squares, the W in them would've been more helpful.