Handiwork
Complete guide to the Handiwork skill in inZOI, covering crafting tools and jewelry at the Crafting Table, mining gemstones, refining raw materials, the Family Collection Log, the role of Handiwork in thief crime interactions, and its distinction from the separate Housework skill.
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Overview
Handiwork is one of the 27 skills in inZOI. According to the in-game description, this skill involves crafting tools and jewelry. Items created at the Crafting Table can be used by your Zoi or sold for Meow. Handiwork is available from the Teenager life stage through Senior.
Handiwork is a separate skill from Housework. While Housework focuses on home management activities like cleaning, laundry, repairing broken items, refurbishing furniture, and crafting custom furniture at a Furniture Workbench, Handiwork is specifically about crafting tools and jewelry from raw materials at a Crafting Table. The two skills serve different purposes and are leveled through different activities.
Handiwork also plays a role in the crime system introduced in the v0.5.0 December 2025 update. The success rates of thief interactions (such as lock picking, safe cracking, and ATM hacking) are influenced by Handiwork, Programming, and Fitness skills.
The Crafting Table
The primary way to develop the Handiwork skill is by using the Crafting Table, which can be purchased and placed on your lot through Build Mode. At the Crafting Table, your Zoi can refine raw gemstones into polished jewels and craft tools and jewelry from gathered materials.
The Crafting Table works hand-in-hand with the Collecting skill. Raw materials gathered through mining and exploration are brought to the Crafting Table to be transformed into usable or sellable items. The crafted output can be:
Item | Description |
|---|---|
Tools | Functional items that your Zoi can use for various activities, including better pickaxes for mining. |
Jewelry | Decorative accessories that can be worn by your Zoi or sold for Meow. Higher-quality gemstones and higher Handiwork skill produce more valuable jewelry. |
Polished Jewels | Raw gemstones refined into polished form, which can be used in further crafting or sold directly. |
Mining and Raw Materials
To supply your Crafting Table with materials, you need to mine gemstones from Mining Spots scattered across the game's cities. Before mining, you will need a pickaxe, which can be purchased from the Farm Store in Cahaya (located in the bottom right section of the map). Three types of pickaxes are available: Stone, Steel, and Copper, each with different durability and effectiveness.
Mining Spots appear as rocky patches and shiny spots on the ground. They can be found at locations including:
Xiang Park
Bliss Garden
Cahaya Farmland
Harang River Park in Dowon
Various locations across all three cities
To mine, interact with a Mining Spot and choose the "Mine with Tools" option. Successfully mined spots yield rocks, gemstones, or raw minerals straight into your inventory. Common materials include Iron, Silver, and Sodalite, along with various other gemstones.
The Collecting Skill Connection
Handiwork is closely related to the Collecting skill. While Collecting governs your Zoi's ability to gather raw materials through mining, fishing, and farming, Handiwork governs what you do with those materials at the Crafting Table. Developing both skills together creates a complete resource-gathering-to-crafting pipeline.
Family Collection Log
Everything your family collects -- from fish and crops to gemstones, jewels, and tools -- is automatically recorded in the Family Collection Log. Access it via the book icon on the right side of your screen. Completing collection sets in the log unlocks exclusive rewards such as furniture and decorative items. The Collection Log provides a long-term goal for players who enjoy completionist gameplay.
Character Studio Accessories
In addition to crafting at the Crafting Table during gameplay, you can also convert gemstones into decorative accessories for your Zoi in the Character Studio. This provides another use for gathered materials beyond selling and allows you to customize your Zoi's appearance with unique handcrafted pieces.
Role in Crime
The v0.5.0 update introduced a full crime system with two criminal paths: Thief and Scammer. The Thief path includes activities like:
Class | Description |
|---|---|
Level 0 | Stealing from homeless, snatching snacks and bags |
Level 1 | Skimming parking meter coins |
Level 2 | Robbing a POS machine, snatching a safe, picking locks, breaking down doors |
Level 3 | ATM hacking |
Level 4 | Safe cracking |
Level 5 | Disabling CCTV |
The success rates for all thief interactions are influenced by Handiwork, Programming, and Fitness. A higher Handiwork skill directly improves your chances of success when picking locks, cracking safes, and performing other physical theft activities. Only Young Adult and older Zois can commit crimes, and Zois may encounter crime opportunities when experiencing economic hardship (assets below 2,000 Meow or significant debt), social isolation, or when they have the Rulebreaker trait or Malicious characteristic.
Handiwork vs. Housework
Because the names are similar, many players confuse Handiwork with Housework. Here is how they differ:
Handiwork: Crafting tools and jewelry at the Crafting Table. Uses raw gemstones and minerals. Connected to mining and the Collecting skill. Affects thief crime success rates.
Housework: Home management including cleaning, laundry, repairing broken electronics, refurbishing deteriorating furniture, and crafting custom furniture at a Furniture Workbench. Connected to the Cleanliness Champion ambition.
The Furniture Workbench (which lets you build tables, chairs, computer desks, and light fixtures) raises Housework, not Handiwork. The Crafting Table (which lets you make tools and jewelry from gemstones) raises Handiwork.
Repair Risk
Some community members have noted a risk of death when repairing items, with electrocution being a possible outcome for Zois with low skill. While repairing broken items is technically part of the Housework skill, the Handiwork skill's connection to manual dexterity and tool use may also factor into repair success. Exercise caution when repairing electronics, especially at low skill levels -- consider hiring the 100-Meow professional repair service from the Pocket Market for particularly dangerous items.
Tips
Buy a pickaxe from the Farm Store in Cahaya before you can start mining. The Stone pickaxe is the cheapest starting option.
Visit Mining Spots regularly across all three cities to gather a diverse range of materials for crafting.
Pair Handiwork with the Collecting skill for a complete resource pipeline -- gather raw materials, then refine and craft at the Crafting Table.
Check the Family Collection Log regularly. Completing gemstone and tool collections unlocks exclusive rewards.
If you plan to pursue the Thief crime path, invest in Handiwork alongside Programming and Fitness to maximize success rates for lock picking, safe cracking, and other activities.
Convert surplus gemstones into accessories in the Character Studio for unique Zoi customization options.
Do not confuse Handiwork with Housework. They are separate skills leveled through different activities. The Furniture Workbench raises Housework; the Crafting Table raises Handiwork.
Crafted tools and jewelry can be sold for Meow, making Handiwork a viable supplementary income source alongside mining and farming.