Miniature Library - Room DIY Kit With Mini Book Decorations

In an effort to reduce the free time we were spending on screens, I purchased several miniature room build kits to do with my 16-year-old daughter in our free time. For the first phase of pandemic, puzzles were a great way to kill time without technology, and we needed something similar but felt puzzled out. Let me tell you... this was great fun! A little challenging at times - some of the pieces (especially leaves and flowers in the garden room kit) are incedibly tiny and intricate, and once you have glue hands it was very difficult to keep working on them. We started with garden room, then did a little apartment-type one from another brand, and then the bookstore/study. I would sit and cut and glue while listening to an audiobook or podcast and before I knew it, hours would have passed. I mean, I'd look down and see that I'd only built a handful of tiny items in that time, which was laughable, but it was so soothing and a great way to break from electronics and the hustle and bustle.

Tips from me, basically a pro (as long as you don't zoom in on the pics, I'm totally pro-level): Pick up some krazy glue/super glue/gorilla glue and some glue sticks - the glue supplied is ok but sometimes the quick set of a thin layer of superglue is best. Also have an exacto-knife and cutting mat on hand if you have one - not necessary, but helpful. Take a look through the instructions before you start and assess what order to do things in. I also used a piece of cardboard to create sections in a shoebox so as I completed things, they could safely go into a section to dry or until we were ready to put them where they belong.

If you are balking at the price tag, let me assure you they are well worth it. Even if we end up tossing the completed projects out down the line because space is limited here, we spent SO MANY HOURS on these it was absurd, and it was satisfying along the way as we pulled sections together. I really feel like miniature kits like this are great and have been telling everyone I know about them! Just get one, you'll love it!

I loved every minute of this build! This is my first miniature kit and I am gonna be getting more! Great way to unwind at the end of the day. I did a few little tweaks here and there mostly due to my own missteps. I glued part of the chair on wrong, so I added a throw blanket. I cut through the wrong part of one of the kit papers, so I had to print some of my own tiny artworks to replace them. I tried to make a tiny pillow out of spare paper but it looked more like a manila mailer, so it became an idea lol. The wee little books are not all glued in because I think they're adorable especially the ones with turnable pages. Very detailed instructions. They even show you how to put everything on the shelves! As a person with perfectionist tendencies I truly appreciate the clear instructions.

Any SPN fans will note this kit is called Sam's Study. So yes, that is a tiny picture of the family Winchester.

My adult daughter and I opened this today and were in awe of the contents. We were looking for a project to do this winter for fun. This has more pieces than we expected, but it will be amazing when completed. Lots and lots of small pieces will challenge our patiences but we love miniatures so we will enjoy the work.
Working together once a week for a few hours, we figure this will take us thru most of the winter - and then we have another kit from mart miniature that we can start on. This is our first time making one of these miniature rooms but the kit is so complete and the instructions look very helpful.

First off, great price for an all in one kit. I love that you can make a complete room with this kit.

Two things that are kind of annoying but easily dealt with:
1. The instructions are not totally step by step for everything. Yes, they are easy to figure out if you've crafted before, but if you're giving this kit to a child or teen, they could have questions. There's steps missing for furniture builds and there's zero instructions on how to fold up some of the paper boxes. Like I said, easy enough for most people to figure out, but worth mentioning.
2. The “wood” furniture pieces for one of the brown shelves were different shades of brown, which wasn't an issue for me because I painted them, but if you are super picky about that, grab some brown paint and paint them all the same shade.

I'm still building this right now, with A LOT of customization because I didn't like the color and design choices for a lot of the pieces, but I really am enjoying it. I will try to post pictures here when I finish.

I would also definitely get another one of these kits in the future. I do recommend the kit.

One of my favorite things about the kit is the paper that has all of the pieces printed on it, true to size. It takes the guessing out of what piece is what!

I've made the exterior walls nicer by using cork board to make bricks, and I used coffee stir sticks to make hard wood instead of the ugly checkerboard paper floor they've provided.

This kit is very challenging but it is so much fun for people who like to work with their hands. Have to have the patience to work with very small things and you have to be somewhat of a perfectionist or items do not fit correctly. I had a real challenge with the wiring to make the lights work. There are four lights which means eight wires, (+ and -for each light) and then they want you to cut them short and attach two long wires to each group of four. One of the long wires was to go to the four negative wires and the other long wire to the four positive wires. They would not stay attached that way. The instructions had you cutting the wires too short and trying to find the ones that were negative and the ones that were positive in the wiring was frustrating. I bought 50' of dollhouse wire and I didn't cut any short. I ended up with eight very long wires (four + and four-) I then braided four + wires in one group very tightly and the same with other four - wires. I ran the braided wire for - in one direction and the + wires in the other direction and glued them with super glue to the underside of the roofing and you can't see them. It was much easier doing it that way than trying to attach one wire to four short wires. Just thought I'd throw that in for anyone who is having difficulties with the wiring. It worked! Loved doing this kit. It was my first and I am now working on another one I have bought. You get addicted.