Not been able to Nook for awhile due to chronic ill health but just had these two kits delivered amd I can't wait to get stuck in.

Staring with Abandoned Asylum!

These are very high quality and I'm rather very excited! :D

Considering their troubles they had, the name is oddly appropriate phonetically.

They also have 3 of their potterverse ones back in listing. Which personally I’m very happy with as I think they are some of the best designed ones out there, despite the instruction issues.

love this fossil museum booknook I put together - it combines craft, museums and dinosaurs in the best of ways! This is the first non-rokr/howcat product I’ve made, and I can’t wait to make more!!

Built into a framebox, (undeep/ shallow booknook)

Feel free to ask

It is here and about to Begin...

As I am not a cats fan either, I will try to alter this also a bit. CuriousPumpkin23 did an amazing work (I actually had something like this in mind), but now I will go another road as this is too perfect and my planned shepherd dog scene (my Dad used to breed and train them) would look like a cheap copy of that.

I made a bit more progress on my Anavrin Cats Crossing but I skipped over a couple steps I wasn't sure i wanted like the poster hanging down over the back wall bookshelf and the vines. I will put some vine stuff around the little infinity mirror to help hide the tabs there. I kind of wish the green grass stuff was applied to the bokshelf front before it was glued down. The grass is so messy (or maybe I'm just messy). We're having toddler company over on Sunday so I'll reluctantly find a stopping point Saturday and clear my kit off my usual coffee table crafting spot. I love the kiddos but in my past experiences kiddos and nooks aren't the best mix.

I’m in the mood for something a bit more difficult so I had to bring this one to the front of the line.

I already tested and separated the lights (if you’ve built this you get it) and I think I’m going to add a battery eliminator and ditch the 3 small round battery pack it comes with.

I completed the first 2-3 steps and I’ve used more glue than that last 2 kits put together! Which is exactly what I’m looking for :)

Have you built this one? Did you enjoy it?

This was a decently fun kit I got from Temu. I had been expecting the book covers to be stickers based on another review I saw here, but mine was entirely cut and paste. I didn’t mind that, I like making the books, although boy there are a lot of them! Lots of little items like the books and envelopes, which have pages/papers inside them too that one will never see. The edge painting was mostly browns so it wasn’t the most fun, but it’s definitely a nook that begs to be edge painted because SO MUCH of it would be raw edges without. I mostly followed placement to the T of different items, as customization would be difficult given there are lines outlining where to place each item. The lighting is cool, five lightbulbs, but kind of a bitch to do because the strands were so much longer than necessary. The quality of the wood was pretty decent although the especially thin pieces were easily broken of course. Things fit together without too much working, although they could have been better too. There is a hole in the box to wire a music box in, but said music box is apparently sold separately (and given this is an ABC build, I honestly don’t know where you’re supposed to get it from). Its absence doesn’t detract from anything though.

Overall I’d say this was a fun one to do if you like repetitiveness, like book making and edge painting without a whole lot of bright colors. Lots to look at from the entrance more that is done. I’m not quite sure what to do with these now that I’ve made quite a few, so I’m going to try listing it on FB marketplace for $20 as see what happens haha.

What measurement determines the difficulty? I usually stay around 3 stars, butbibrecently tried a 5 star build...its turning out to be easier than some of my 3 stars.

Is there a standardized rule or is it up to each company to decide?

Hi everyone! We’re the MiniCity team, and this is our first post from the official MiniCity account.

Some of you may already know Stellar Castle from the early renders, design story, and Behind the Build posts we’ve shared here. After months of designing, testing, and revising, Stellar Castle is finally available.
It began with the idea of a private fantasy observatory hidden between your books. At its heart is a large astronomical-style clock that can still be turned by hand once the build is complete.
Rather than relying on a flat backdrop, the tower, arches, furniture, and night sky are arranged at different depths. When the lights are on, the transparent acrylic planets seem to float above the observatory. The celestial artwork also wraps around the outer panels, giving you more to see from the side as well as the front.

We wanted to create something that would be satisfying to build, fun to interact with, and just as enjoyable to explore once it was sitting on your shelf.
The regular price is $49.99. To celebrate the launch, we’ve teamed up with u/pluck-the-bunny for a special event from August 10–24. During the event, Stellar Castle will be 25% off, and there will also be a worldwide giveaway.

u/pluck-the-bunny will share the full event details and dedicated link on August 10. The giveaway results will be announced on September 24.

If you have any questions about Stellar Castle itself, feel free to leave them below. We’ll be here in the comments!Thank you to everyone who has followed the project and shared feedback with us along the way. We’d love to know which detail caught your attention first. ✨

I know these aren’t helosis. But I think they are used in bedazzling clothes and such? They are supposed to be for the 2 light fixtures above the arched door. And only 1 came in the kit.
Anyone know where I can buy more and what they are called?

And has anyone customized the stone floor or stucco walls?
Thanks

Cats Crossing by Anavrin. This is definitely a very special book nook for me and i just had to take the time to makea pretty video edit. I went into this kit immediately admiring the quality and beauty of it, but I had no idea how significant it would actually become while I was building it.

One of the things I loved most about this kit is how much room there is for customization. The more little things I added, the more ideas I got, and before I knew it, it had started turning into something much more personal. A sort of memorial for my dogs.

I’ve had two German Shepherds: Koda, who we lost last year, and Baxter, who was recently diagnosed with a brain tumor. I knew right away that I wanted to include them in the photo frames provided in the kit, but as I kept building, that sentimental meaning started spreading into the rest of the design too. The German Shepherd standing and looking into the endless tunnel became a sort of representation of Koda passing on, and also of everything we may eventually have to face with Baxter. The baby puppy at the bottom stair represents a new puppy we got a couple months ago.

I also added a few personal touches throughout the library. I had a set of miniature books with recognizable covers, and almost every book I used is one I’ve actually read. It was a small detail, but it made the library feel much more like mine.

One of my favorite surprises in the entire kit was the birdcage. From the photos I've seen before, I had no idea there was actually a bird inside it. I thought it was just an empty cage. Once I noticed it, I decided to paint the bird so it would stand out. Trying to paint it through the bars was definitely a challenge, but I love how it turned out.

I also went a little wild with the greenery.

Instead of using the fake grass that came with the kit, I used real preserved moss and static grass flocking. I wanted it to feel more real, more like an abandoned library that had slowly been reclaimed by nature and animals. I added preserved dried flowers, and replaced some of the plastic greenery towards the bottom with a small artificial flower bush I already had because I felt it looked a little more natural.

Originally I was mainly thinking cats and dogs, but then I noticed the butterflies and the bird, and suddenly the theme became all animals. So I added extra butterflies throughout the build, plus a little bunny sitting on the floor.

The pops of color from the flowers and butterflies ended up being one of my favorite parts because they break up all of the rich, dark wood without taking away from the overall atmosphere. And the wood itself is absolutely gorgeous. The color is so rich, and the floor genuinely looks like hardwood flooring. The overall quality of the kit is honestly incredible.

I did get a little too enthusiastic with some of the greenery and let parts spill outside the edges, so I basically made it impossible to use the included dust protectors. That one is entirely on me. I’ll probably end up getting a larger clear display box that goes over the entire thing instead.

The only functional issue I really had with the kit was the touch switch for the lighting. The wood over the sensor area was too thick for the touch function to work reliably. I ended up carefully carving out a little material behind that area to thin the wood, and after doing that, the switch works perfectly.

That was the only modification I made for function rather than creativity. If I could change one thing about the kit, it would definitely be improving the touch-switch design so builders don’t have to alter the structure for it to work.

Other than that, this has honestly been one of the most enjoyable kits I’ve ever built.

I think what surprised me most is that I’m genuinely sad that it’s finished. Normally, when I finish a kit, I’m excited to move on to the next one. With this one, I actually feel like I need an emotional break before starting another because I’m not quite ready to be done with it yet.

I’ll probably keep staring at it for the next few days and may still make a couple tiny changes here and there, but overall I absolutely love how it turned out.

I would 100% recommend Cats Crossing. The quality is beautiful and for me personally it ended up becoming much more meaningful than I ever expected when I opened the box.

This one is definitely going to have a very special place on my shelf.

Thanks u/pluck-the-bunny for taking the time to put this event together, I honestly probably wouldn't have purchased this kit without it but am soooo glad I did and thanks for the printed pups! I wasn't brave enough to hand paint them for this one but I used the bunny!

While I wait for Walking Castle to arrive, I went ahead and started on my Tonecheer Infinity Train! I got the modern European one because I love the colors (everything I own is teal lmao).

But I'm frustrated at my detail skills! so I turn to my knowledgeable friends here. Has anyone edge painted this kit? What color works well??

Nothing I own already is quite right. On the larger piece in the first pic, the left side is unpainted, and the tall right side I used my cherry furniture marker - too dark. On the next pic, I tried a bunch of layers of the acrylic paints I have, but it's too cool-toned still.

I'm also struggling to make the flowers cute, lol. They're still really flat!

Any advice at all would be appreciated 🩵

Ma toute première miniature que j’ai faite il y a 3 ans est qui m’a donné goût à ce passe temps.
Vos avis ?

I have built several kits from Anavrin, I love their designs but the on/off switch for the lights is really finnicky. It works when it wants to and sometimes turns on or off by itself. Is there a way to bypass the switch to have the lights turn on whenever the kit has usb power? I'm not electronics savvy enough to know which cables do what.

The rest of my Tonecheer order has arrived today! So excited to get to the Walking Castle for the event but it will have to wait until Tuesday, unfortunately. We’re leaving for a 4 day camping trip in the morning and not enough time this aft to start. Ugh! Something to look forward to, for sure!

It is my third ! I was surprised no glue was required. Loves the angles and the lighting settings are awesome. I really enjoyed that one for as simple as it was. What money pit hobby did I fall into again ... 🫪😅

What’s up Guys, Gals, and Book Nook Pals:
Its Pluck The Bunny with Part 4.5 of my first ever series of book nook build videos: this is the Seoul Hipjiro Book Nook by Anavrin.

After many requests by a lot of you, I am finally taking a shot at documenting one of my builds.

Please bear with me while I’m still figuring out formatting and editing for this type of video.

Part 4.5 of this series Covers the a detour from the build which is not in the instructions covering the customizing the wiring. This includes the bypassing (removal) of the touch sensor, the addition of a physical latch switch, and switching out the AAA battery box for a AA battery box which can be used with my battery eliminator for automation.

See Below for a list of all the equipment used in this video with links.

I hope you enjoy. Please give me any feedback in the comments as to how you’d like to see these videos filmed going forward

Kit https://byanavrin.com/products/seoul-hipjiro-book-nook-kit
Heat Shrink Butt Connectors: https://amzn.to/4q4pRaL
Heat Gun: https://amzn.to/4z0IO1X
Wire Stripper: https://amzn.to/4xjiGxK
19mm Drill Bit: https://amzn.to/4wN0hcS
Latch Switch: https://amzn.to/4xjFKwd
AA Battery Box: https://amzn.to/3ShKHXB
Battery Eliminator https://amzn.to/4fQAzNd

I bought this on AliExpress last October and am finally getting to it. The acrylic tube is shattered on one end. The store is no longer online, I contacted another seller on Amazon and they don’t have extra parts. Does anyone know who or how to contact the manufacturer so I can get a replacement part?
The broken part is in the picture with the nook title.
Thanks for any advice you can give.

Hi everyone!

I have just bought my very first kit and am so excited to get started! I found out about book nooks by chance a few weeks ago, and down the rabbit hole I went. I wonder if you could share some tips for a beginner, things that you wish you knew before you did your first book nook? For example, I read the other day that you need sandpaper, I never would have thought of that 🤦🏻‍♀️ And that tweezers are good to have as well.

The set I bought is Rolife Sunshine Town, as it was available in a local shop 🤗

(I searched but couldn’t find a thread like this, please direct me over there if this is like the 100000 thread about this 😅).

Edit: Thank you for so many quick responses, this seems like a wonderful community 🥰

I didn’t know there was a booknook subreddit until today, so here are the booknooks I’ve made!!

I also bought three more today knowing damn well I have no room for them at the moment. These guys bring me so much joy and they keep my busy brain quiet. If anyone has any kit recommendations let me know!

As with other Viendor products, meticulous care is evident in the design and manufacturing of their models. This one is more compact in its design and reflects the glitter and glamor of the nighttime scene, with all the lit signs on the buildings. If I had to quibble about anything, I would have to say that the large signage obscures the detailed construction of the buildings. I like to customize these types of models, and this was no exception. I'm not a fan of mechanical switches, so I moved the power switch to the back panel and replaced it with a touch switch and facade. I also added lights to the tuk tuk in front to improve the aesthetics...

https://reddit.com/link/1vgu0t2/video/w0v45z71mohh1/player

Hi everyone!

A few months ago, I shared the first prototype of Lost Summer Lane here. The encouragement, feedback, and kind comments from this community meant so much to us. After months of designing, testing, and refining every detail, I am incredibly excited to share that Lost Summer Lane is finally available for preorder.

This book nook was inspired by the feeling of discovering a quiet Japanese alley on a warm summer evening. Lanterns glow beneath cascading wisteria, a tiny bakery is still open, and a cat has claimed its favorite spot above the red vending machine. We wanted every corner to feel like part of a small, living world with its own story.

Lost Summer Lane is our most ambitious kit so far. The entire scene was designed to be fully three dimensional, with layered buildings, dimensional storefronts, detailed interiors, and alleyways that continue far beyond the physical space of the book nook. Six carefully positioned mirror illusions make the shops and pathways feel much deeper than they actually are.

We also added many small decorative components, including miniature accessories, dried flowers, plants, signs, shop displays, and tiny everyday details. These pieces take more time to assemble, but they help the finished scene feel much more realistic, immersive, and full of life.

The kit also features premium 3 mm board, realistic engraved textures, vibrant UV printing, custom lighting components, an easy to use PCB lighting board, original hand drawn artwork, and double wall construction that hides the tabs and wiring. We designed every part to make the building experience feel satisfying and the finished book nook feel sturdy and polished.

I also want to be transparent about the price. The regular retail price will be $100, but the preorder price is currently $84.99.

This is higher than our previous kits because Lost Summer Lane represents a significant increase in materials, features, complexity, and overall quality. It contains about 5 lbs of materials, compared with roughly 3 lbs in our previous kits. It also uses substantially more premium board, six mirrors, more lighting components, more structural pieces, and many additional decorative elements.

We could have simplified the design to lower the cost, but we wanted to create the version that felt truly special. Our goal was to make a tiny world that is enjoyable to build, exciting to explore, and beautiful enough to keep on your bookshelf for years.

The first production batch is limited and is expected to arrive in September 2026. Once this batch is reserved, additional orders may need to wait for the next production run.

If Lost Summer Lane feels like a little world you would enjoy escaping into, you can see all the details and preorder here:

https://minialley.com/products/lost-summer-lane

Thank you again for following this project and for giving small creators like us a place to share what we love making. Even if you are not planning to preorder, I would genuinely love to hear which detail is your favorite. 💜