How to Get a Chest in Animal Crossing: A Comprehensive Guide
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The beloved Animal Crossing: New Horizons offers players a vast array of customization and storage options to make their island life uniquely their own. Among these, the humble yet essential chest is a fundamental item, providing early storage solutions and decorative appeal. But how exactly do you get your hands on one? The primary way to acquire a chest in Animal Crossing is by crafting it. You will need to obtain a DIY recipe and the necessary materials. Let’s break down the process step-by-step to make sure you know how to get this valuable item.
Crafting a Wooden Chest
The most common type of chest you’ll encounter is the wooden chest, which serves as an excellent starter storage solution. Here’s how to get one:
Obtaining the DIY Recipe
The recipe for the wooden chest isn’t readily available from the start. You’ll need to obtain it through specific in-game interactions:
- Lazy Villagers: Keep an eye on your lazy villagers. These villagers often have a laid-back personality, and you might find them crafting in their homes. If you visit them while they’re crafting, they might share the wooden chest DIY recipe with you.
- Message Bottles: Daily, one message bottle washes up on the shore of your island (unless you are manipulating time). These bottles often contain DIY recipes, and you could find the wooden chest recipe this way. Make sure to explore your island’s coastline daily to look for these.
Gathering the Materials
Once you have the DIY recipe, you’ll need the materials to craft the chest. The wooden chest requires 16 pieces of wood. This can be gathered by hitting the trees on your island using an axe. You will encounter three types of wood: Softwood, Hardwood, and Wood. Any combination of these will work toward your total of 16 pieces.
Crafting the Chest
Once you have your wood and have learned the recipe, head over to a crafting table (or workbench). Select the recipe and craft the wooden chest! Now you have a simple storage solution you can place in your home, or anywhere else on your island.
Customization
After crafting, you’ll find that you can also customize the wooden chest. You can modify its appearance using customization kits and choosing from different variations. This allows you to fit it into your home’s décor seamlessly.
Other Storage Options
While the wooden chest is a great starting point, Animal Crossing: New Horizons offers numerous ways to increase storage capacity:
Home Storage
The primary storage in the game comes from expanding your home. After you’ve upgraded your tent to a house, you can talk to Tom Nook at the Construction Consultation Counter in Resident Services to expand your storage. These upgrades cost bells, but ultimately increase the amount of furniture, clothing, and materials you can store.
- Initial Storage: You begin with 80 storage slots.
- Home Upgrades: Upgrading your house will increase your storage capacity substantially.
- Max Storage: The maximum storage capacity that you can reach in Animal Crossing is 5000 slots.
Storage Shed
Once your home is fully upgraded, you can unlock the storage shed. This requires an additional 500,000 bells but provides access to your home storage from anywhere on your island. It also serves as a nice piece of outdoor furniture.
Wardrobes & Dressers
While not primary storage, certain furniture items like wardrobes and dressers can also store clothing items. These items can be purchased or crafted.
- Clothes Closet: The clothes closet can be purchased from Nook’s Cranny for 3,100 Bells and is customizable through Cyrus at Harv’s Island.
- Chests of Drawers: The chest of drawers is crafted using 16 wood if you have the DIY recipe, which you can get from message bottles or from villagers who are crafting in their homes.
- Ironwood Dresser: The Ironwood Dresser requires 7 wood and 4 Iron Nuggets to craft and the DIY Recipe for this item can be obtained from Snooty villagers, either when they are crafting in their homes or from message bottles.
Managing Full Storage
Even with expanded storage, you might eventually fill up your available space. Here’s how to manage it:
Craft and Sell
If you have a lot of crafting materials, consider crafting items and selling them at Nook’s Cranny. This can be a good way to clear space.
Sell Unused Items
If you have furniture or items you know you won’t use, consider selling them. They can always be re-crafted later if needed.
Utilize the Pocket System
When your pockets are full, sell unwanted items to Nook. As a last resort, you can drop items in your house until you get a wardrobe to keep them out of the way.
Frequently Asked Questions
Here are some frequently asked questions about storage and chests in Animal Crossing: New Horizons:
1. Where is my storage in Animal Crossing?
Your primary storage is accessed when you’re inside your house. Press the right button on the D-pad to open it.
2. How do I get the DIY Recipe for the wooden chest?
The recipe can be obtained from lazy villagers when they are crafting in their houses or from message bottles on the beach.
3. How much wood is needed to make a wooden chest?
You will need 16 pieces of wood in total. Any combination of hardwood, softwood, and regular wood will work.
4. Is there unlimited storage in Animal Crossing: New Horizons?
No, storage is not unlimited. You start with 80 slots, and through house expansions and storage shed unlocks, the maximum is 5,000 slots.
5. Can I customize the wooden chest?
Yes, the wooden chest is customizable using customization kits.
6. What should I do when my storage is full?
You can sell items at Nook’s Cranny, craft new items and sell them, or gift items to villagers.
7. How do I get a storage shed?
You can unlock the storage shed after fully upgrading your home and paying an additional 500,000 bells.
8. Can I move my house in Animal Crossing?
Yes, you can move your house by talking to Tom Nook at Resident Services.
9. Is there a dresser I can store clothes in?
Yes, both the clothes closet (purchased from Nook’s Cranny) and chests of drawers (crafted) can be used for storing clothes.
10. What is the rarest villager in Animal Crossing?
Octopus villagers are considered the rarest in the franchise, though the game uses random generation.
11. Can villagers fall in love in Animal Crossing: New Horizons?
Villagers can’t fall in love with each other. The closest relationship is best friendship.
12. Where can I get a couch or bed?
You can get a variety of furniture items including couches and beds from Nook’s Cranny, through DIY recipes, and in special events. The simple sofa and simple bed are a good place to start.
13. How much does storage upgrade cost?
House storage upgrades vary in cost. The initial storage expansion is part of your normal house upgrade cost, while the shed costs 500,000 bells.
14. How do I get rid of unwanted apps on my phone?
This is outside the context of Animal Crossing. If your phone storage is full, you can uninstall apps you do not use, or clear the cache and data of apps.
15. Can I get married in Animal Crossing: New Horizons?
No, there is no marriage in Animal Crossing.
By understanding how to get a chest and manage your storage effectively, you’ll enhance your island life in Animal Crossing: New Horizons, giving you more freedom to decorate, explore, and enjoy the game. Happy playing!