Materials in Animal Crossing: New Horizons are resources used for crafting and cooking. In ACNH, players collect materials to make DIY items, tools, furniture, and food recipes. Because materials are needed across so many systems, they are one of the most important item categories for everyday progress and customization.

ACNH materials are used for DIY recipes, cooking, and major island progress. Players use materials to craft furniture, tools, fences, decorative items, and food, depending on the recipe they have learned. Since so many New Horizons recipes require basic resources, materials are essential for both beginners and advanced players.

The main materials in ACNH include wood, hardwood, softwood, iron nuggets, clay, and stone. Players also use other resources and ingredients depending on the recipe, such as star fragments and beach or island materials. These are the core resources behind many of the most common Animal Crossing: New Horizons crafting recipes.

Players get materials in Animal Crossing through everyday resource gathering. In New Horizons, materials can come from hitting rocks, shaking trees, exploring the island, visiting mystery islands or boat tours, and collecting special resources during certain events. While these methods work, gathering large amounts of crafting materials can still take time.

Materials are important in ACNH because they support crafting, cooking, and progression. Many recipes depend on common resources, and some milestones also require specific material counts. A well-known example is Nook’s Cranny, which requires 30 iron nuggets, plus 30 wood, 30 softwood, and 30 hardwood, making materials especially important early in the game.