Crafting is a huge part of Ark Survival Evolved and if you want to survive and progress in the game, you will need to do tons of it.
From making the gear that you need to build structures to thrive, there are all kinds of things that can be crafted to make things better.
To craft though, you will need the necessary resources as well as the crafting areas required to make certain items in the game.
How to Craft Items in ARK?
To craft items, you will need to have all the needed resources placed in the inventory of the crafting station (also known as crafting area) that you will be using.
The initial crafting area is your inventory, and all the starter items are crafted here which include the Smithy, which is later needed to craft almost everything else.
You will need to learn Engrams for the items that you need to craft and once you do, they become available in your crafting menu or a crafting area’s crafting menu.
Crafting Areas
Below is the list of the main crafting areas in the game, which include some that are the more advanced versions of the earlier ones you have access to.
Crafting Inventory
Your inventory is the initial crafting area in the game and everything that you have started from here, which includes what you need to start upgrading to different stages later.
In your inventory, you can use whatever resources you have on hand and craft the available items shown in the list.
Items that cannot be crafted due to a lack of resources will be shaded, while those available will be light and can be selected.
1) Smithy
The Smithy is one of the first crafting areas you will want to make as you first start as this is the key to crafting metal items and onwards.
From the Smithy, you can craft better gear, including Metal Tools, Flak Armor, and more as you make your way to crafting a Fabricator.
You can store items in the Smithy and whatever resources are in it will be available to be used for making what is in its crafting menu.
The following can be crafted in a Smithy:
- Advanced Workbench
- Aerial Symbiote
- Alarm Clock
- Allosaurus Saddle
- Ammo Box
- Andrewsarchus Saddle
- Ankylo Saddle
- Arthropluera Saddle
- Artifact Pedestal
- Ballista Turret
- Baryonyx Saddle
- Basilisk Saddle
- Basilosaurus Saddle
- Bear Trap
- Beer Barrel
- Behemoth Adobe Dinosaur Gate
- Behemoth Adobe Dinosaur Gateway
- Behemoth Gate
- Behemoth Gateway
- Behemoth Reinforced Dinosaur Gate
- Behemoth Stone Dinosaur Gateway
- Bronto Platform Saddle
- Bronto Saddle
- Camera
- Cannon
- Cannon Ball
- Carno Saddle
- Castoroides Saddle
- Catapult Turret
- Chain Bola
- Chalicotherium Saddle
- Charge Battery
- Chitin Boots
- Chitin Chestpiece
- Chitin Gauntlets
- Chitin Helmet
- Chitin Leggings
- Climbing Pick
- Compass
- Crossbow
- Daeodon Saddle
- Desert Cloth Boots
- Desert Cloth Gloves
- Desert Cloth Pants
- Desert Cloth Shirt
- Desert Goggles and Hat
- Desmodus Saddle
- Dino Leash
- Diplodocus Saddle
- Doedicurus Saddle
- Dunkleosteus Saddle
- Equus Saddle
- Fabricator
- Flak Boots
- Flak Chestpiece
- Flak Gauntlets
- Flak Helmet
- Flak Leggings
- Fur Boots
- Fur Cap
- Fur Chestpiece
- Fur Gauntlets
- Fur Leggings
- Gallimimus Saddle
- Gas Collector (Aberration)
- Geopolymer Cement Foundation (Mobile)
- Geopolymer Cement Pillar (Mobile)
- Giant Adobe Hatchframe (Scorched Earth)
- Giant Adobe Trapdoor (Scorched Earth)
- Giant Metal Hatchframe
- Giant Metal Trapdoor
- Giant Reinforced Trapdoor
- Giant Stone Hatchframe
- Giganotosaurus Saddle
- Glider Suit Skin (Aberration)
- Grappling Hook
- Greenhouse Ceiling
- Greenhouse Door
- Greenhouse Doorframe
- Greenhouse Double Door
- Greenhouse Double Doorframe
- Greenhouse Triangle Ceiling
- Greenhouse Triangle Roof
- Greenhouse Wall
- Greenhouse Window
- Grenade
- Handcuffs
- Harpoon Launcher
- Improvised Explosive Device
- Iron Skillet
- Karkinos Saddle
- Lance
- Large Bear Trap
- Large Metal Wall
- Large Wood Elevator Platform
- Loadout Mannequin
- Longneck Rifle
- Maewing Saddle
- Magmasaur Saddle
- Mammoth Saddle
- Managarmr Saddle
- Manta Saddle
- Mantis Saddle
- Medium Wood Elevator Platform
- Megachelon Platform Saddle
- Megalania Saddle
- Megaloceros Saddle
- Megalosaurus Saddle
- Megatherium Saddle
- Metal Billboard
- Metal Catwalk
- Metal Ceiling
- Metal Cliff Platform
- Metal Dinosaur Gate
- Metal Dinosaur Gateway
- Metal Door
- Metal Doorframe
- Metal Double Door
- Metal Double Doorframe
- Metal Fence Foundation
- Metal Fence Support
- Metal Foundation
- Metal Hammer
- Metal Hatchet
- Metal Hatchframe
- Metal Irrigation Pipe – Flexible
- Metal Irrigation Pipe – Inclined
- Metal Irrigation Pipe – Intake
- Metal Irrigation Pipe – Intersection
- Metal Irrigation Pipe – Straight
- Metal Irrigation Pipe – Tap
- Metal Irrigation Pipe – Vertical
- Metal Ladder
- Metal Ocean Platform
- Metal Pick
- Metal Pillar
- Metal Railing
- Metal Ramp
- Metal Shield
- Metal Sickle
- Metal Sign
- Metal Spike Wall
- Metal Staircase
- Metal Stairs
- Metal Trapdoor
- Metal Tree Platform
- Metal Triangle Ceiling
- Metal Triangle Foundation
- Metal Triangle Roof
- Metal Wall
- Metal Wall Sign
- Metal Water Reservoir
- Metal Window
- Metal Windowframe
- Mirror
- Mosasaur Platform Saddle
- Mosasaur Saddle
- Musket
- Paracer Platform Saddle
- Paracer Saddle
- Pike
- Plesiosaur Platform Saddle
- Plesiosaur Saddle
- Pliers
- Procoptodon Saddle
- Quetz Platform Saddle
- Quetz Saddle
- Radio
- Ravager Saddle
- Recurve Bow
- Rex Saddle
- Rock Drake Saddle
- Rock Golem Saddle
- Roll Rat Saddle
- Sabertooth Saddle
- Scissors
- Scope Attachment
- Shotgun
- Silencer Attachment
- Simple Bullet
- Simple Pistol
- Simple Rifle Ammo
- Simple Shotgun Ammo
- Sloped Greenhouse Roof
- Sloped Greenhouse Wall Left
- Sloped Greenhouse Wall Right
- Sloped Metal Roof
- Sloped Metal Wall Left
- Sloped Metal Wall Right
- Small Wood Elevator Platform
- Snow Owl Saddle
- Spear Bolt
- Spino Saddle
- Stone Cliff Platform
- Sword
- Tapejara Saddle
- Therizinosaurus Saddle
- Thorny Dragon Saddle
- Thylacoleo Saddle
- Titanosaur Platform Saddle
- Toilet
- Tranq Spear Bolt
- Tranquilizer Dart
- Tree Sap Tap
- Tusoteuthis Saddle
- Velonasaur Saddle
- Wall Torch
- Wood Elevator Top Switch
- Wood Elevator Track
- Wood Ocean Platform
- Wooden Tree Platform
- Woolly Rhino Saddle
- Yutyrannus Saddle
- Zip-Line Anchor
Saddled Creatures
Some creatures in Ark act as a portable Smithy and you can store items in their inventory and craft them while you are away from your base.
This allows you to farm resources and craft on your tamed creature as you go along to reduce weight and later set down any structures once you get back.
Having a creature with a saddle that can craft is an important part of surviving when you are not at your base and can be good for setting up temporary base locations.
The items that can be crafted in the inventory of certain saddled creatures are the same as what can be crafted in a Smithy.
2) Mortar and Pestle
The Mortar and Pestle is a basic crafting area that allows you to create other resources that can be used when crafting certain items.
It is mainly used for making Sparkpowder, Gunpowder, Narcotics, and more but does so at a slow rate and is later replaced by a Chemistry Bench.
Making a Mortar and Pestle is a good early way to get your hands on Narcotics, which are usually used in taming creatures during your earlier phases.
The following items can be crafted in a Mortar and Pestle:
- Bug Repellant
- Cementing Paste
- Clay
- Gunpowder
- Lesser Antidote
- Narcotic
- Preserving Salt
- Propellant
- Sparkpowder
- Stimulant
3) Fabricator
The Fabricator is an advanced crafting area in Ark Survival Evolved for when things are starting to get a bit serious.
This is where you begin crafting better gear, weapons, and the more advanced structures that help you progress faster in the game.
Fabricators require Gasoline to function and will require it to stay on as you craft the items within it, which requires you to store the needed resources as well.
The following items can be crafted by a Fabricator:
- Advanced Bullet
- Advanced Rifle Bullet
- Advanced Sniper Bullet
- Air Conditioner
- Assault Rifle
- Auto Turret
- Bunk Bed
- C4 Charge
- C4 Remote Detonator
- Canteen
- Chainsaw
- Charge Lantern
- Chemistry Bench
- Cluster Grenade
- Compound Bow
- Egg Incubator
- Electric Prod
- Electrical Cable Intersection
- Electrical Generator
- Electrical Outlet
- Electronics
- Elevator Track
- Fabricated Pistol
- Fabricated Sniper Rifle
- Flamethrower
- Flashlight Attachment
- Flexible Electrical Cable
- Gas Mask
- GPS
- Hazard Suit Boots
- Hazard Suit Gloves
- Hazard Suit Hat
- Hazard Suit Pants
- Hazard Suit Shirt
- Heavy Auto Turret
- Heavy Miner’s Helmet
- Holo-Scope Attachment
- Homing Underwater Mine
- Inclined Electrical Cable
- Industrial Cooker
- Industrial Forge
- Industrial Grill
- Industrial Grinder
- Lamppost
- Large Elevator Platform
- Laser Attachment
- Medium Elevator Platform
- Metal Arrow
- Minigun Turret
- Mining Drill
- Motorboat
- Night Vision Goggles
- Oil Pump
- Omnidirectional Lamppost
- Pheromone Dart
- Poison Grenade
- Polymer
- Pump-Action Shotgun
- Refrigerator
- Remote Keypad
- Revival Platform
- Riot Boots
- Riot Chestpiece
- Riot Gauntlets
- Riot Helmet
- Riot Leggings
- Riot Shield
- Rocket Homing Missile
- Rocket Launcher
- Rocket Propelled Grenade
- Rocket Turret
- SCUBA Flippers
- SCUBA Leggings
- SCUBA Mask
- SCUBA Tank
- Shocking Tranquilizer Dart
- Small Elevator Platform
- Spray Painter
- Straight Electrical Cable
- Transponder Node
- Transponder Tracker
- Tropeognathus Saddle
- Vault
- Vertical Electrical Cable
- Wind Turbine
- Zip-Line Motor Attachment Skin
4) Chemistry Bench
The Chemistry Bench can be considered an advanced version of the Mortar and Pestle, which allows you to craft items in bulk.
To power the Chemistry Bench, you will need to have Gasoline as well as an electric source nearby which can either be a Junction Box or a Tek Generator.
Items can be placed inside the Chemistry Bench and you will be able to craft similar to the Mortar and Pestle, consuming fewer resources for greater output.
The following can be crafted in the Chemistry Bench:
- Absorbent Substrate
- Bug Repellant
- Cementing Paste
- Clay
- Flamethrower Ammo
- Gasoline
- Gunpowder
- Lesser Antidote
- Mutagel
- Mutagen
- Narcotic
- Preserving Salt
- Propellant
- Sparkpowder
- Stimulant
5) Tek Replicator Crafting Station
The Tek Replicator is the endgame crafting station, allowing you to create almost all of the items in the game at a faster rate. This has a huge number of slots for you to stuff resources into, allowing you to craft a lot in one single crafting area.
The Tek Replicator is powered by Element and will consume it while it is turned on, which is best used to ensure it isn’t wasted.
The Tek Replicator can craft all the items that can be crafted by a Fabricator as well as some items that can be crafted in your inventory.
Verdict
Ark Survival Evolved has a lot of crafting going on and if you want to progress, you will need to make sure you do a lot of it.
When it comes to crafting, it is best you have all the necessary resources, and using the earlier crafting areas to make the right tools will help.
Later, the more advanced crafting areas will make things a lot easier, and they are also good for storage as well thanks to the many slots.
