CUTEBEE Book Nook for Adults, DIY Miniature House Kits, Corner Coffee Shop

Instructions are fairily clear but not a lot of explanations in writing, especially for the lights and touch pad installation. The parts fit well and I loved putting it together. The hardest part is attaching the plastic windows especially the curved one.. I used superglue which got messy at times. A water soluable glue will not work. It really looks good in a dim room with lights on. I have it next to other book nooks to create a street scene of shops. It's fun and relativelivly easy to assemble but there was a time or two I wish I had a third hand. LOL Recommended

This was my very first attempt with a book nook. I wasn't familiar with any of them until last month and have found a delightful new hobby. It's relaxing in the sense I don't have to cut or stitch anything like my other crafts. After browsing around more, I'm so relieved I began with this CUTEBEE kit because I have found I like their 'sealed' printed surface designs far better than paper-glued surfaces of other kits out there (I ended up returning one after realizing how much better this Corner Coffee Shop design has printed panels). Sellers don't typically mention whether surfaces are printed or papered, unfortunately. I was not in a hurry to build this and found it to be quiet project where my mind can still wander while building. The details printed on these surfaces are amazingly clear, even down to the miniscule lettering of the menu board which I can actually read legibly. The laser cut pieces all snapped out without issue, especially with the small wood punch tools they give you for skimpier pieces. I also like the detailed stickers for the books, though I did put some paper bits behind the sticker table runners where they extend over the edge ... didn't like the idea of a sticker piece that could collect dust or eventually get stuck to itself or curl outward, etc. I used craft glue in a number of places where the fit seemed a bit looser (and on most of the walls where they attach to the base. The "snap" of snugging pieces together was a reassuring sound where no glue was needed. The hardest part of this build (and the reason for one star deduction), were the lack of details on how to attach the windows, as well as their sequence of assembly. I ended up improvising on what made better building sense to me. This kit has many windows, the curved one being a challenge. After attaching them with a PVC glue (none was included in the kit), the glue did not hold properly so I took them all off and cleaned up the residue to rethink the process. This is where a good sealed printed wood surface is far more forgiving than a simple paper glued surface for walls, floors, etc. I ended up using 3M double-sided tape. I cut a piece of tape measured long enough to match the longest edge of one window, laid it carefully a scant 1/8" onto the widow edge, and then trimmed off the excess with small sharp scissors alongside the widow;s edge. The remainder of that cut tape piece would then be applied along the next longest edge of the same window, the excess trimmed off the same way. With the 1/2" wide 3M tape, I was able to use one cut length to rim all 4 edges of the one window, being careful not to lay any tape pieces or taped surfaces down where lint or dust would get attached (though dry fingertip skin sometimes get pulled onto the tape ... need to find suitable gloves for this purpose). These pre-taped windows were easy to press onto the walls, and then I used a pair of plastic tweezers to rub along the inside framed edges for a firmer bond. I'm sure there is a good non-messy glue out there that could be used instead, but I wanted to try the tape because I already had some. The finished result was neat and tidy, so long as the tape didn't show beyond the open window frames. As for the curved window, that was a bit of a nightmare until I realized I could use a hair dryer to heat-set the pvc plastic to follow the curve. After taping the window in place, I pushed from the outer wall edge to get the plastic to lean more into the curves and then used a couple of small metal pinch clips to keep it in place while heating the plastic. The blowing air pressure from the hair dryer also worked to keep the window in against it's rounded position. I probably spent about 45-60 seconds keeping the hair dryer nozzle about 8" away from the surface so it wouldn't melt anything. Once cooled, that window is now permanently set to shape and holds in place nicely. I put the 2nd window on that panel AFTER the curved one was done. As for the cutout rooftop, I attached multiple small pieces of 3M tape to the backside of the wood scrolling before placing the ceiling window on to make it more secure when dusting all those outer crevices with a soft brush. The directions for the lights were easy to follow, and I like that there are 3 of them. The touch sensor is in a convenient place and has worked flawlessly with one gentle touch to turn on or off. I'm so happy I chose this as my first kit, and while not considered beginner friendly to some, with patience and care it is a beautiful finished piece. I love walking past the shop displayed, switching the light on and off again before walking away. This kit has set the bar for my future kit purchases pretty high from the beginning. The quality of this coffee shop build and intricate design details will keep me coming back to consider more from this company line.

This is a really fun project to assemble. I did have some challenges with gluing the acrylic to the frame so it's smudged and I don't know how to fix that. My other challenge was with the lighting. Accidentally I disconnected the wiring to the touch sensor pad as I was installing and situating the wires. I bought a battery pack I found in Amazon with an on/off switch so I would still have lighting. Also some pieces are VERY fragile, like the accordion door to the battery compartment. I used a good amount of glue but mainly because I like the pieces to be very secure. Overall I'm very happy with the process and outcome. Highly recommend!

This was the fourth CUTEBEE book nook kit I’ve assembled. I began with a beginner kit and increased the difficulty level with each new kit. This one is a level four. This kit went together well until I got to the wiring. According to the instructions, there were four sets of wires to connect. My kit had five and the instructions were not clear as to which set went where. I was stumped, beyond frustrated! My grandson looked at it and agreed there was a discrepancy between the kit and the instructions. With a little improvising, he was able to get the wiring connected and my coffee shop now has lights! Next I will be assembling a kit to give as a gift. It’s a level two difficulty which I expect to zip through. It will likely be quite some time before I attempt a level four again.

Very pretty the quality is amazing it came with everything you need no missing parts easy to assemble

She loved it

This was my second book nook kit and it was a good level of difficulty and as complex as I had hoped. It took roughly 3 evenings. Pretty solid kit with minor complaints: - Lots of gluing but glue not included - Some pieces were way too snug and required a knife to expand the holes - Window panes were individual pieces of PVC which had to be glued on, and kind of a hassle to deal with especially since they got dirty easily - I don't love how some stickers remain with sticky surfaces exposed - The sliding mechanism to open the side wall of the nook gets caught for me when I try to close it, so I cannot use that feature Overall, would recommend. I built it as a gift and the recipient was pleased.

A lot of the pieces pop out after you get them situated, making you have to go back steps to fix them.