Your Ultimate Guide to DIY Book Nook Kits

The past several years has seen an explosion of interest in DIY book nook kits. Most are entry-level 3D puzzles the size of books with all (or most) of the materials needed to assemble it included in a box the size of a standard puzzle. Once assembled, they become gorgeous bookshelf accessories, otherwise known as bookshelf inserts.

What is a Book Nook Kit?

When you ask your friends for gift recommendations, the replies can surprise you. A book nook kit, what’s that? It’s sort of like a 3D puzzle. It’s the shape of a book, but inside it is a whole miniature world, similar to a diorama. Rather than read a book and imagine the scenery, it’s brought to life in miniature form depicted inside a book casing.

Here's an up close of our Tokyo Alley book nook kit, that could be a decorative piece of memorabilia following a trip to Japan. 

Book nook kits make great gifts for bibliophiles anytime because assembling them can be a fun, relaxing, and therapeutic hobby. Once completed, they can be used as a personalized bookshelf accessory, completely rejuvenating the visual aesthetics of a bookcase or shelf.

From Conceptualization to Completion

It’s important to understand that not all kits are created equal. Some are subpar quality that can be difficult to impossible to complete. Behind every quality book nook kit is a team of talented creatives. During the design phase, artists and illustrators sketch out the design and where applicable, calculate the measurements for the pieces.

The vast majority of models are not made to scale, however, for customizing book nooks made from a kit, know that the miniatures that work best are 1:12 and 1:24. A scale of 1:12 means that for every 1 inch in miniature scale, it represents 12 inches in real life. A 3ft dragon gets shrunk to 3”.

Although most DIY book nook kits are not made to any specific scale, some of the larger models like Cutebee DIY bookends are often 1:24. Rolife book nook kits aren’t made to scale either, however, the parent company Robotime do make miniature houses that can be used as bookshelf accessories too. The largest scale in those is 1:18.

For comparison, children's doll houses designed for play are 1:6 scale. Those are too big for a bookshelf, and importantly, DIY book nook kits are not toys. They’re usually labeled as suitable for ages 14+, however, there are a few kid-friendly book nook kits if you were looking for a family activity to do together. 

The materials used in the manufacturing process is what determines the quality. The most precise cuts are done on quality hardwoods with a thickness of at least 3mm. Any thinner can be too brittle for a wooden puzzle as you can find pieces breaking when you’re assembling the kit. Some kits come with spares, but most manufacturers will offer at least 90-days parts warranty so that if a part does break in the process, you can let them know the model and the part number to have replacement parts sent.

When buying a book nook kit, check the warranty to see if spare parts can be sourced. It’s not always possible to get spare parts so beware of inexpensive kits as it could be because it’s being, (or has been) discontinued, in which case, sourcing spare parts will be a hit or miss.

The Tools that Make Assembling a Book Nook Kit a Breeze

Not all kits include everything needed to complete it, or at least, to make it as fun an assembly process as it could be. Within the DIY book nook kits sold at Bookshelf Memories, all the materials needed are included in each kit:

• The auxiliary tools for handling small objects,
• Premium crafters glue,
• LED lights - and the power source 
• Laser cut popout accessories
• High-res graphics,
• 3D props crafted with premium grade wood, plastics, and resin.

Not to tout our own horn too much, but when we say these make terrific gifts, that’s why! Our DIY book nook kits are premium quality and ready to get started building right out of the box. Kits purchased elsewhere may require additional accessories before assembly can begin.

Take note of the following if you’re planning to buy a book nook kit from elsewhere, or intend on gifting a book nook to someone you know would love these…

• A high-quality kit that has been designed in your country because some parts like glues, batteries, and paints are combustible, forbidding them from being shipped internationally. Check that you have all the pieces required. You may need to buy batteries for lights.
• A craft knife is handy for detaching the small pieces from the boards. You can use your fingers, but to be certain the wood doesn’t splinter, a craft knife can be used to prise the pieces apart.
• An organizer is optional. Use these to store the different parts of the book nook, such as lights, doors, signs, plants, and furnishing.
• Tweezers help manouver the miniatures inside the book nook and hold them in place while the glue sets.

When your kit arrives, check the instructions are in English. On it, there’s usually a parts list. When gifting these, it’s worth opening it up and checking that all the parts are there. If you want to make it easier for someone to get started assembling without having to make a list of add-ons or book nook kit accessories to make the process more enjoyable, you could include some little extras like tweezers, craft sand paper or a nail file, or a spare tube of glue.

The Benefits of a Premium Quality Book Nook Kit Can’t Be Understated!

The quality of the materials used is tantamount to the experience. If you were to start with a sub-par kit, you’d have a frustrating experience. You could be popping puzzle pieces to find the graphics tear, or the wood splinters at the edges making it nigh-impossible to fit together without glue. Speaking of glue, it should be superior for fast drying. You don’t want adhesives that need you holding tiny pieces in place with tweezers for 30 minutes before you can move onto the next part. Begin with a premium quality kit and you’ll have a far more pleasurable experience.

Look for the types of inks used too. UV-resistant inks mean that you can sit your book nook on a shelf and the ink pigments won’t fade, irrespective of direct sunlight. It’ll look pristine decades after being built.

Illustrative Instructions that Guide You Through the Assembly Process

Before buying just any random kit, check for images of the book nook manual. Not all have multilingual instructions, and if you’re buying from overseas, it’s understandably not always going to include English instructions or be translated well. Diagrams are helpful and considering the instructions will be used each time you’re assembling another piece of the puzzle, a professionally illustrated guidebook that walks you through the build process step-by-step is certainly helpful.

Not just that, it's part of the experience. A quality guidebook can get people excited to start assembling instead of putting it off. When the instructions are easy on the eyes, and simple to understand, you get your kit built faster, without any glitches along the way.

Assembling DIY Book Nook Kits

With your materials gathered, all you need now is space. Unbox your kit and lay all the pieces in front of you. Read the instructions in the kit and check that all the pieces that should be included are. Mistakes happen, and you don’t want to find out mid-build that you’re missing crucial components.

To begin bringing your book nook to life, the journey starts with the instructions. We favor full color with pictures. Not shapes with letters that leave you pulling your hair in frustration about what parts go where. The first part is the miniatures. Not the side panels. By assembling the 3D props and graphic elements that will eventually be placed on the interior walls, you can instantly start to visualize the concept.

Assemble the finer items first, then move on to affixing those to their final place on the walls. It’s easier to move items when the book nook is open. If you plan to add custom decals or other miniatures for book nooks, hold off on gluing the side panels in place. That way, you can open it up when you have any add-ons, or custom miniatures to add to your book nook. Once it’s sealed, the only time you should need to handle it is to change the battery for lights, which is (or should be) conveniently located to the back of the book nook.

5 Book Nook Assembly Tips

1. Check the instruction manual first. Look at the parts list and check there are no missing parts.
2. For light up book nook kits, test the LED bulbs.
3. To remove the wooden pieces from the board, flip it over and you’ll see tiny connectors. Use a craft knife to separate the pieces from the boards. That’ll avoid the wood splintering, and by working on the reverse side, you can't scratch the paintwork. Smooth it off by sanding it with a sheet of sand paper, nail file, or emery board.
4. Use a toothpick or a precision glue applicator to attach paper without the glue going everywhere. The glue should be clear drying anyway, but nevertheless, there’s no point using more glue than you need (and you don’t need much).
5. For parts that have been sanded, you can use an acrylic paint marker for a neater finish. Dual tipped markers are handy as you can use the fine tip for edges, and if you want to customize the color of anything, use the brush end. 

Display Ideas for an Awesome Book Nook Display

With your finalized book nook assembled, it’s ready to put it to use in its final resting place. The term ‘bookshelf insert’ doesn’t really do this justice. The best locations for assembled book nook kits are on shelves with complimentary bookshelf décor pieces.They’re beautiful aesthetics to any shelf, regardless if they’re surrounded by books or other decorative ornamentals, particularly, bookshelf accessories that continue the same theme as the book nook kit.

Take, for example, the Tokyo Alley Book Nook Kit. Unless you have book titles in Kanji, hiragana, and katakana (Japanese writing), the authenticity will be lost when surrounded by English literature. To capture as much of the culture that’s encapsulated within the book nook kit, surround it with similar items with authentic charm that compliments the look and feel of the piece. For Japanese style DIY book nook kits, there are numerous Japanese Crafts for adults, and decorative touches you can add to a bookshelf arrangement ranging from Kokeshi dolls, terami balls, and/or maneki-neko (the lucky cat ornament).

The more cultural fitting the surrounding décor items are, the stronger the visual illusion that's created will be.

FAQs

Are book nooks hard to put together?

With instructions and no missing parts, book nook kits are easy to assemble. They’ll be difficult if the instructions aren’t clear, or are incomplete, or include lights but leave those to last in the instructions without having you check that they work first.

What is the best glue for book nooks?

Any craft glue that dries fast and dries clear.

Where to buy book nook kits?

Local book stores where possible, and specialist stores online. Mass produced designs can be comparison shopped for price on online marketplaces - Amazon, Aliexpress, Temu, Wish, and Etsy. Some kits are exclusive though, meaning they are not available on marketplaces, but exclusively from the designer. 

Unique book nook kits are sold on specialist stores like Bookshelf Memories and (to our knowledge) some on Anavrin are exclusive too. On Etsy, there are resellers (same designs as online marketplaces) and some scratch builders who build unique models and ship them as completed or assembled bookshelf inserts. Others sell blank book nook kits, which require painting prior to assembly.

For furnishing blank kits, you’d need scratch building supplies from miniature hobbyist stores. Most DIY book nook kits include all the accessories. When they don’t, the product listing should state. If nothing is specified, contact the seller to ask if it’s complete or requires additional supplies.

Are book nooks the same as dioramas?

They’re similar. A diorama is a three-dimensional rendering of a scene. A book nook uses the same idea but is intended to be a display piece on a bookshelf. The intent is to create an illusion of a miniature world inside a book. A glimpse into a different culture, an imaginary world brought to life in miniature form, possibly be illuminated with tiny LED lights, and with picturesque details meticulously laid out within the display.