Best Book Nook Brands
Among the top-rated book nook kits, only a handful of brand names stand out. Some are big names like Rolife and Cutebee, others are smaller specialist brands like Bookshelf Memories, Krafty Wood Creations, and Hemispheres Co. When you're new to the craft though, the best book nook brands are unknown. To help clarify and bring familiarity, all the known brands and go-to sources for quality book nook kits and supplies to customize kits are compiled here.
A Little Glossary
- A bookshelf insert is fully assembled. Brands like miniAlley sell these, as do some stores on Etsy.
- A DIY book nook kit refers to a type of 3D wooden puzzle. The book nook is in puzzle format, requiring assembly, and blank book nook kits will need painting and decorating too.
Premium Brands for DIY Book Nook Kits
Bookshelf Memories
Bookshelf Memories debut release of the Tokyo Alley book nook kit is among the first to be wholly inclusive of every component needed to assemble the bookshelf insert, including the tools and glue.
Anavrin
Anavrin have commissioned several designs that are sold exclusively on the online store, not listed on marketplaces.
DIY Book Nook Manufacturers
Most of the mass-produced kits roll off the production line of just 4 manufacturers.
- Rolife
- Cutebee
- Tone Cheer
- Hongda
These are four of the biggest book nook brands in the manufacturing space. However, manufacturers have various business models. They can act as OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturers), meaning, the whole kit can be branded under a different name, i.e. made by Guangzhou Hongda Craft Co., Ltd, sold under the Spilay brand name. ODM (Original Design Manufacturers), are essentially a white label production model. One brand creates the design, registers the IP and sells the branded kits, i.e. Cutebee book nook kits being sold as Cutefun or Fsolis book nook kits.
Book Nook Brands on Amazon
To keep things compact, each of the brands on Amazon are importers. Most of the kits launch first on Aliexpress or Alibaba (because all the factories that make these are in China). Of the hundreds of listings for Book Nook Kits on Amazon, the majority can be found on just 7 stores. Follow them to be notified when new designs go live.
1. The Cutefun store
Many of the designs are the same as Cutebee, however, the branding on the kit packaging is Cutefun.
2. Fsolis
The Fsolis store has been on Amazon for a couple of years. Previously, Fsolis traded on Aliexpress exclusively. The address listed on the business license is Guangdong, China. This is the same province that Cutebee book nook kits are made and many of the designs are duplicates.
For Cutebee book nook kits, compare prices for Cutebee, Cutefun, and Fsolis.
3. Aslowsnail
This is one of the newer brands to launch in 2024 and is the brand behind the “Dark Family” book nook kit based on the movie: The Adams Family.
4. Ahilmrn
One of the lesser known stores.
5. Spilay
Many of the designs by Hongda-diyhouse.com are listed on the Spilay store front.
6. MiniCity
MiniCity (not to be confused with miniAlley) are best known for the Beyond Library book nook kit, which was later expanded to a dollhouse sized book nook in the “Beyond Library Max” edition.
7. Tonecheer
Tonecheer is another manufacturer with some unique designs including Sakura’s Travel and Adventure in Egypt.
Best Etsy Storefronts for Book Nooks and Miniatures
Etsy is the handcrafter’s marketplace. Many independent artists have designed their own book nook kits using laser cut parts, and an assortment of accessories.
1. Martins Gift Shop
Martins Gift Shop has a range of laser cut book nook kits, each requiring assembly and are unpainted book nook kits. Ideal for those who want to customize a book nook kit with hand painting, or adding embellishments like gems and beads.
2. Hemispheres Co.
This is where you’ll find laser cut and unpainted book nook kits, and unique to the store is bookscape dioramas. You can have a wooden bookshelf insert for your bookshelf and a bookscape diorama for above a mid-sized bookcase.
3. The DIY Craft Art
The book nook kits here are curated, however, there’s a range of “kit” types that can be suited to decorating bookshelves. To give an example, for a Japanese theme, you could a Tokyo Alley book nook kit, and a torri gate kit.
4. Krafty Wood Creations
This store has mostly unpainted laser cut book nook kits.
5. Cornel 73
This is the Etsy store front of Cornels-Creations.com. A UK based family run business specializing in 1:48 scale miniatures. They sell mostly unpainted book nook kits and accessories to customize them.
6. 3D Printing by Chris
The store sells various bookshelf inserts (assembled) and the same designs are available as book nook kits. You can choose how to power the lights, too - with a battery, or USB.
7. Creative DIY Craft
A curation of book nook kits. Some have options to have them assembled, others are in kit form to be assembled.
The Brands and Stores for Miniatures to Customize Book Nook Kits
If it weren’t for the joy of assembling and customizing book nooks, people would be limited to the designs of others. Part of the fun is the customization of kits. For that, there are specialist miniature stores.
1. Seaside Miniatures
The Seaside Miniatures store has various scale miniatures that would work for accessorising book nook kits, like a pair of 1:12 Christmas stockings to hang from the fireplace in the Eternal Bookstore (one of Amazon’s trending book nook kits in December 2024)
2. RoRCrafts
The RoRCrafts store sell diorama boxes to make your own bookshelf inserts, and some laser cut book nook kits.
3. Blackthorn Miniatures
This store has blank book nook kits in several designs like a store front, a library, a hallway with a window, as well as scale miniatures to make any theme of book nook you can imagine.
4. Nooks and More
This store sell the design files to make a bookshelf insert. These are the SVG files to use with a laser cutting machine.
5. Petite Properties
This store primarily sell dollhouse furniture, however, they do have a variety of 1:24 scale miniatures that could be made to work with book nooks, such as the cupboard under the staircase that could be used in a Harry Potter book nook kit design.
6. Mini Materials
This is a store to get miniatures of building materials. Concrete, lumbar, wall panels, and scale sized accessories from tombstones to street signs, and trashcans for alleyways.
7. Miniatures.com
A source for miniaturized versions of anything. The only thing you won’t find here is sci-fi and fantasy related items. The 1:12 scale furniture items like bookshelf kits and the various non-opening book sets could be used to custimize book nook kits.
8. Mountain Miniatures
The store specializes in higher end miniatures mostly in 1:12 and 1:24 scale. The decor and lighting categories have a range of miniatures that could be used to customize a book nook.
9. Mary’s Miniatures
This is a curation of 15 vendors. The page for the most inspiration is the “Holiday and Event Miniatures”. You can find accessories to customize any book nook based on the season. For example, add miniature heart balloons for Valentine’s day, and swap them out for Easter with an Easter card display stand in a bookstore book nook kit.