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Animal Crossing Golden Tools: How to earn and get Golden Tools in New Horizons explained

Everything you need to know about Golden Tools in New Horizons.

Golden Tools are the highest level of tools you use in Animal Crossing: New Horizons.

To make a Golden Tool, however, you must first earn its DIY recipe by completing a certain achievement in New Horizons.

Golden Tools are a sign of how far you've come in New Horizons - and double up as a useful bragging right.

On this page:

How to earn and craft:

Cover image for YouTube videoAnimal Crossing: New Horizons: 17 Advanced Tips and Tricks for Your Island
Animal Crossing: New Horizons: 17 Advanced Tips and Tricks for Your Island

Golden Tools in Animal Crossing: New Horizons explained

Golden Tools are the best tools that you can craft in New Horizons. Sadly, each one can still break like all the other tools in the game, but they still last a lot longer than every other tool you can craft.

If you want to craft a Golden Tool, however, you first need to find it's DIY recipe. Unlike other tool recipes, such as the Flimsy tools, you have to complete a very specific achievement in the game to discover these recipes.

Each Golden DIY recipe follows a similar forumla - you're going to need one Golden Nugget and one copy of the tool, which you're making a golden version out of. If you wanted to craft the Golden Slingshot, for example, this means that you need one Golden Nugget and one Slingshot to complete the DIY recipe of.

To make the Golden Slingshot, you must first make a regular Slingshot.

Below you'll find all the tools in New Horizons that have a golden variant:

  • Axe
  • Fishing Rod
  • Net
  • Shovel
  • Slingshot
  • Watering Can

It should be noted that neither the ladder or vaulting stick have a golden level variant.

As you can see Golden Tools are quite difficult to both find and make. Honestly? Due to how Golden Tools can still break, we recommend saving your Golden Nuggets for rare pieces of furniture.

We recommend saving your Golden Nuggets.

How to get a Golden Axe in Animal Crossing: New Horizons explained

You'll discover the DIY recipe for the Golden Axe in New Horizons after you've destroyed 100 Flimsy Axes, Stone Axes or Axes. Just keep using any type of axe and eventually you'll discover the Golden Axe DIY recipe.

To craft a Golden Axe you need:

You need to break axes to discover the Golden Axe.

How to get a Golden Fishing Rod in Animal Crossing: New Horizons explained

If you want to craft the Golden Fishing Rod in New Horizons, then, like in previous Animal Crossing games, you need to complete the fish section of the Critterpeida.

This task will take you around about a year due to how many of the fish that visit your island's waters are seasonal. While you can keep track of which fish you've already caught using the Critterpida, it's also a good idea to add each one to the Museum.

By doing so you'll earn the DIY recipe for the Golden Fishing Rod and complete the fish exhibit in the Museum at the same time.

To craft the Golden Fishing Rod you need:

How to get a Golden Net in Animal Crossing: New Horizons explained

To unlock the DIY recipe for the Golden Net in New Horizons you have to complete the bug section of the Critterpeida. This is exactly the same method that has been used to unlock this tool in previous Animal Crossing games.

If you're planning on earning this net, then this is also an excellent opportunity to complete the bug exhibit in the Museum. Not only will this help you complete both of these goals, but donating the bugs will help you keep track of exactly which ones you've caught.

To make a Golden Net you need:

How to get a Golden Shovel in Animal Crossing: New Horizons explained

If you want to make a Golden Shovel in New Horizons, then you'll need to help Gulliver find his five communicator parts 30 times. This means you need to check the shores of your island every day, so that you miss one of Gulliver's visits.

If you want to craft a Golden Shovel, you'll need:

If you want to earn the Golden Shovel, then you're going to need to wake Gulliver up a lot.

How to get a Golden Slingshot in Animal Crossing: New Horizons explained

Unlocking the DIY recipe for the Golden Slingshot involves shooting down any balloons you see floating across your island.

To earn the Golden Slingshot you need to shoot down 300 balloons, completing the 'It's Raining Treasure' Nook Miles achievement. Once you've done this, the next balloon that ventures across your island will be gold and shooting it down will reward you with the Golden Slingshot DIY recipe.

Shoot down the gold balloon to discover the Golden Slingshot DIY recipe.

To craft a Golden Slingshot you'll need:


The Animal Crossing 2.0 update and Happy Home Paradise is here! We can help you with the new additions - including where to find Brewster, Gyroids, new villagers, ordinances, new fences, storage shed, new hairstyles, Froggy Chair, group stretching and Kapp'n boat tours. Cooking is now unlockable, so you need to know how to make both flour and sugar, as well as how to grow carrots, potatoes and tomatoes. Meanwhile, if you're new to Animal Crossing, our New Horizons tips can help with the basics. From the off, there's fish and bugs to catch, flowers and fruit to grow with. One long term goal is building your Happy Home Academy score. Finally, you need tools such as the new ladder and vaulting pole to fully explore.


How to get a Golden Watering Can in Animal Crossing: New Horizons explained

Earning the DIY recipe for the Golden Watering Can in New Horizons is probably going to take you a while, because it requires you having a five-star level island. Basically - your island needs to be near perfect to unlock this recipe.

You can learn what your current island rating is by talking to Isabelle in Residential Services.

Once you have the Golden Watering Can you can use to turn Blue Roses into Golden Roses - check out our flower guide for more information!

If you want to build a Golden Watering Can, you'll need:

Good luck earning all of these Golden Tool DIY recipes!