For those of us who set our deserted island in Animal Crossing: New Horizons to the Southern Hemisphere, we have been slowly watching impatiently as our trees creeped into shades of amber and orange over the last few months. We jealously looked on as the northerners got their pretty cherry blossom Spring event and thought ‘where are our Autumn leaves?!’ Today, May 16, is finally the day and for approximately the next two weeks amber coloured leaves will prettily fall over your island. Some new crafting items will also be available during this limited time. When you sign into the game today Isabelle will mention the leaves and give you a DIY recipe for the red leaf pile if there are no other major announcements on your island. If there is an announcement you should get the DIY on a day when there is none.
How to get maple leaf furniture DIYs
The easiest way to get maple leaf furniture DIYs is through farming balloon presents. You are going to need a bunch of slingshots and some patience. While your roaming your island, when your clock reaches a time ending in a four or nine, make your way to either your left-side beach (morning until about 6 pm) or right-side beach (evening). Patrol up and down the beach and when the time ends in a zero or five there is a chance that a balloon present will be visible. Using this technique can potentially land you a balloon present every five minutes. Shoot them all down as all colours have a chance to contain a DIY recipe. You can also get these fall recipes from messages in a bottle. In addition to the mushroom furniture DIYs that started a couple of weeks ago, there are eight maple leaf recipes to unlock (in addition to the recipe from Isabelle): the maple leaf pond, maple leaf pochette, maple leaf wallpaper, maple leaf floor, maple leaf umbrella, tree’s bounty arch, tree’s bounty big tree and leaf stool.
How to get maple leaves
Now that you have some DIYs you’re going to need materials. In addition to the falling leaves, maple leaves will spawn during this period. They are different to the other leaves as they cast a shadow and twirl around for longer periods unless you run into them. You catch these leaves with your net but be careful because if you miss they will de-spawn. Maple leaves are only available during this period unless you visit a northern hemisphere island during their autumn, so make sure you have enough to make all the furniture (51 minimum) and maybe store some in your house storage just in case you want to make more.
How is your island coming along two months in? I hope everyone enjoys the autumn leaves. Animal Crossing: New Horizons is out now exclusively on Nintendo Switch.
