Are you tired of the vanilla crafting mechanics which, even though they aren’t too bad, leave a lot to be desired? Well it’s time to dive into some of the coolest crafting Skyrim mods to make sure you’re not missing out on the fantastic life of a smithing expert. I think these mods do a world of wonder to improve the way crafting works in the game, and most of them give it a completely different feel. Do keep in mind that most of them are cool additions of things that should’ve made the game in the first place. But in any case, there are also some minor and major overhauls that’ll spice things up for you. I do suggest you start a new playthrough if you’re going to use some of these, as not having a clean slate to work with can prove to be a tad inconvenient. But I’ll stop rambling and get to the list!
15. Craftmeister Gear
Check Out This Mod Alright, this is absurdly overpowered. This mod is not meant to add a set of armor worn by legendary blacksmiths; it’s just meant to add a set of armor that will give you the skills you lack to create god-tier gear without having to code it into the game yourself. Is it a cool mod? Yes. Does it add useful things? Yes. Is it fair to use? Absolutely not. But it’s super fun so give it a try!
14. Craftable Gifts For Children
Check Out This Mod Do you claim to be the best parent in Skyrim? If you don’t have this mod installed, then I’m going to politely tell you that you aren’t – even if you think you are. Get that crafting table ready and make some cool toys that you can then give to your adopted child (or to your own child if you modded the game to allow that to happen). Look, I know that things like this won’t make your character look more like a macho-man. If that’s what you’re after. But being a good parent is important too. You may be a dragon slayer and the savior of Skyrim, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t be nice to your kid. Even though I did mention that I find most kids in Skyrim just plain useless… but hey, those aren’t my kids!
13. Soul Gem Crafting Recipes
Check Out This Mod Hear me out, this mod is not as overpowered as the title suggests. Basically what you can do with it is craft big soul gems using smaller ones. Grab those annoying little shards and turn them into useful, bigger soul gems by allowing your character to have the know-how by installing this mod. A cool additional that truly adds a new layer of QOL to the game.
12. Map Tomes and Writing Table
Check Out This Mod Well, scrolls had to come from somewhere, so you might as well craft them yourself, right? This mod allows you to create all of the vanilla scrolls if you’re a skilled enough person. The mod adds a new crafting station to the game as well as potion recipe books and even map books. You’ll be able to create your own scrolls as well as books, and there’s not much you’re not going to like about that. I realize that this feature might’ve been a bit too overpowered for base-game Skyrim, but come on guys; its’ been like a decade since the game came out. Let’s spice things up a bit!
11. DeCrafty
Check Out This Mod You know all of that weaponry that you have no use for any more than you usually sell to any merchant that you find for a few extra septims? Well, do that no more. Those coins will be pointless when compared to the raw materials that you can get out of those items with DeCrafty. You’ll be able to turn all of the weapons and armor that come in the base game into the components used to craft them. Gone are the days of selling to low-balling merchants.
10. Smelting Plus
Check Out This Mod This mod is also a de-crafting mod, but it has a bit of an elegant air to it. With Smelting Plus you’ll be able to smelt all of those annoying weapons and weaponry into their basic ingot parts. Keep in mind that this mod adds a staggering 296 new recipes to the game, so you’ll find yourself capable of smelting almost every single useless item in the game. Get those ingots rolling and become a true craftsman without batting an eye. Use all of that crap you collect in your adventures and do something good with it.
9. Batch Crafting Recipes
Check Out This Mod Alright this is arguably the best QoL mod on this list. Stop spamming that damn button to craft the same item over and over again – this mod solves this issue brilliantly. It adds batch crafting recipes for the most frequently crafted items in the game. And this is going to save you a TON of time and trouble in the long run. In fact, I’d go as far as to say that you’ll end up saving yourself a decent chunk of time in one crafting session alone, not even on the long run. Try it – you won’t regret it if you spend your time crafting items in TES.
8. Solars Portable Crafting
Check Out This Mod Portable Crafting Stations! Literally just crafting but on the go. That’s all that this mod adds. And trust me, it’s completely worth it. You won’t have to go around looking for a damned crafting station anymore. Simply head to your inventory and set up shop. As simple as that!
7. Smelting – A Way to Recycle
Check Out This Mod Yes, another smelting mod! Mods like this one are as useful as they get, so I’m adding to the list. So sue me. Actually don’t do that please, just give any of these mods a try and enjoy them. They will really improve the way your crafting experiences go in the Elder Scrolls! Honestly this mods are a cry of users complaining about having the same useless items over and over again in their inventories. Apart from being a cry for help, they’re extremely useful. I promise I won’t add any of these mods to the remaining points of this list, though.
6. Item Recycling
Check Out This Mod I lied. Item Recycling is another smelting mod that allows you to melt every metal in the game and turn it into ingots. I’m starting to notice a pattern here – do you too? Anyhow this mod does make your life easier, and since it’s one of the most popular mods for the game, it’s getting a spot on my list. It’s the most straightforward one to use so it gets one of the top spots, too!
5. Skyrim Scroll Crafting
Check Out This Mod Why does this scroll-crafting mod get a better spot on my list than the last one? Well, simply because it’s far better. I adore this mod. It adds a bunch of new scrolls to the game that can be crafted plus the ability to craft every single scroll that comes with the vanilla game. Super useful, and even though crafting books is not a thing here, it still gets a higher spot on my list than the former mod.
4. Mystic Condenser
Check Out This Mod Imagine having another smelting mod on this list. Crazy right? Well The Mystic Condenser mod is basically a way for you to dump all of your annoying and useless potions into a pot and combine them to create better potions by condensing the waste of all of those you carry in your inventory. Well worth checking out if you think you’d use it on the regular.
3. Honeystrand Meadery
Check Out This Mod I don’t know if you came here looking for a mod like this one, but I can assure you that I wasn’t looking for this when I came across it. Honeystrand Meadery allows you to have your own meadery in the world of Skyrim! Create new consumables and become the best brewer that has ever lived in Tamriel (and maybe the only one that can actually craft items) with this amazing and unique mod.
2. Smithing Perks Overhaul
Check Out This Mod Do you feel like smithing in Skyrim is just a bit broken, or otherwise underwhelming? You’ll want to check this mod out then. Smithing Perks Overhaul completely changes the way perks work in Skyrim, allowing you to make far better use of your skills as a pro craftsman and your items per se.
1. Complete Crafting Overhaul – Remade
Check Out This Mod When it comes to overhaul mods this is my go-to option. Smithing has a ton of issues in the vanilla game. And even though some of them were corrected in the Special Edition release, there’s still a lot to be desired. This mod allows you to completely change that and have smithing as good as it was intended to be. A complete and fantastic overhaul that will change your perception of how smithing works – in a very positive way!
