How to Choose Quality Book Nook Kits: Tips for the Perfect Gift
People of all ages can enjoy the benefits of 3D puzzles, which are what DIY book nook kits are. Once assembled, they become a beautiful home decor accessory, bringing more joy to bookshelves. For those without experience building miniatures (or who aren’t aware of what’s available), you’ll likely benefit from some navigational assistance.
There are so many designs and varying levels of quality, plus there are different skill levels required to complete the kit that has to be considered. To help in your quest, we’ve compiled a list of need-to-knows that’ll help you find the best kit that’s sure to be a warmly received gift.
5 Tips to Find the Perfect DIY Book Nook Kit to Gift Anyone
1. Focus on Personalization
Book nook kits can be just another 3D puzzle. They are more meaningful when they have personal significance. As examples of personalization, rather than focusing on kits with the most detail, or the least skills required, buy a book nook kit with a theme of interest.
For example, fans of Harry Potter are more likely to enjoy assembling fantasy-themed book nook kits, whereas a car enthusiast is likely to enjoy a copy of “50 Years with Car and Driver” along with a “Car Players” kit, which ranks among the top-rated DIY book nook kits. On its own, it may not seem like much, but paired with an interest you know they have, you can personalize the gift so much better.
2. Know How to Shop for Quality in a Book Nook Kit
The quality of materials determines the build experience. If a kit is made of sub-par materials, it’s likely to be frustrating building it. Craft plywood is the most common type used and is usually 3mm (⅛”). Quality material is birch plywood and baltic birch. They’re made with thin veneers that are glued together with the grain going in alternating directions. This helps prevent the wood from warping to the extent that it could damage the structure of the model.
If you want a shortcut, there are only two major brands that mass-manufacture quality DIY book nooks. Rolife and Cutebee, the latter of which has more variety in the designs. If they don’t have a design that fits with what you need, check the material of a product listing to see what it’s made of.
Plywood, birch, or baltic birch are the best types of craft plywood for book nook kits. Another material commonly used is basswood - still a good quality, but a softwood rather than a hardwood. The advantage of basswood is for unpainted book nook kits as it’s smoother. Plywood benefits from light sanding before painting or varnishing.
Now, for kits that fail to disclose the types of material used to make it, go with customer reviews. On most marketplaces, you can filter customer reviews by keywords. Search for these terms:
The miniature parts in book nook kits are attached to a board that needs to be separated without damaging them. Smaller parts can splinter, making assembly nigh impossible.
The deeper the scores are on the board, the easier they are to pop off without damaging the edges. For kits with inadequate scoring to separate the parts, a craft knife does a good job of protecting the pieces.
Some kits are pre-painted, and others get decorated with paper or stickers. In paper kits, sheets are provided with the decals needing to be cut and then glued to the part it’s for. Kits can also have stickers making it faster to assemble because it’s peel and stick with no glue required.
Unpainted kits can benefit from light sanding for the paint to take easier. Kits with pre-printed parts may also include sandpaper to smoothen the edges. This is because they can be too tight fitting. Rather than force pieces to fit together, lightly sand the edges for an easier fit. Some kits include a sheet of sandpaper or may have an emery board or a small nail file included.
3. Consider the Skill Level Required to Complete the Kit
Generally, the more pieces a kit has, the harder it is to complete. That’s because DIY book nook kits tend to be the same size, around 10” x 6” give or take an inch or two - They always have less width than height. Wide models are more like miniature dollhouses for a shelf rather than a bookshelf insert. The more pieces a kit has, the smaller and more delicate the miniatures will be as there’s limited space to fit all the pieces into the design.
Rolifeonline.com has a filter to sort book nook kits by the number of pieces. 100 - 149, 150 - 199, and 200+. Use that as a gauge for the skill levels required. Up to 150 pieces could be considered the best book nook kits for beginners. Up to 200 pieces would be better suited to those with experience, and over 200-piece 3D puzzles would be better suited to experienced crafters.
However, the real skill is patience. The difficulty is just the amount of focus a kit would take. For those with strong attention spans, they could begin with an intricately designed kit and complete it over several weeks, rather than in a single sitting.
4. Consider Unique Themes Unrelated to Literature
Book nook kits aren’t just for vivid readers. For non-readers, consider other interests they have. For people who have an interest in tech-free activities, perhaps spending time doing Japanese crafts to reduce screen time, a similar-themed book nook kit like the Sakura Densya or Tokyo Alley book nook kit may be ideal. For families vacationing in an RV, a DIY book nook kit with fewer than 200 pieces could be one of the things to do in an RV in a single afternoon, spending quality time as a family.
5. Wrap the Gifts for a Uniquely Personal Presentation
Any gift can be made personal by its presentation. As a no-tech family activity, you could make your own hand-stamped wrapping paper using unique designs personalised to each person you're giving to. Car stamps for car enthusiasts, paw stamps for pet-related gifts, and cherry blossom stamps for Japanese-themed gifts. On the topic of Japanese themes, you could further tailor the presentation by swapping the wrapping paper for fabric. In Japan, this is called furoshiki wrapping and it's more eco-friendly than paper too.