Forest Times

This was my first time doing a miniature project and I am very pleased with the results. I remember thinking when I first opened the package "wow, that's a lot smaller than I thought." I've since learned that you have to pay attention to SCALE, and being a 1:24 scale, this is smaller than the 1:12 scale found on most children's dollhouses. But this isn't really a children's dollhouse, this is a fun, puzzle-like challenge for anyone that has lots of free time on their hands. I'll admit, there were times when I felt a bit overwhelmed at the task, like making the tiny books, but I just kept plugging away at it. I found that for the most part the directions were easy enough to follow, although you have to apply common sense to some things. For example, the pillows they instruct you to glue, but after that didn't seem to work at all, even using fabric glue, I resorted to needle and thread which is what I should have used from the beginning because the glue I used showed through the fabric. I also totally missed the part about the clear acrylic piece being used to create the mesh basket, so I eliminated the basket altogether. Also I went ahead and glued all the furniture items at the beginning so I didn't risk losing any of the wood pieces. I worked on the project over a period of 8 weeks, and kept everything on a large tray so I could move it out of sight when I was working on it. I personalized it by changing up a few things, like the blue wallpaper which I changed to a red paper I had on hand to give it more contrast. I also changed the plants the little dog is watering as I didn't like how the taller plants blocked seeing the dog. If I had to do it over again I would have used a different glue on the flooring since the glossy paper they provide is non-porous causing it to buckle a bit. Luckily most of that is covered by the area rug. I also would have glued the chandelier before completing the house and the manner in which they have you wire the wall sconce could be improved. As a completed project it is super cute and the lighting feature makes it even more endearing as a night light. I also purchased the Christmas version which I look forward to completing for the holidays. I wish they made more versions in this series where it is a self-contained room with a roof.

I’ve always thought I may like making dollhouses but definitely don’t want to make big ones, it’s hard to find a place to display. This is perfect and figured this would be good for beginners to see if I really enjoy it. First day I worked on it for hours! It was addictive since you make one little thing and move on, it’s not tedious but takes patience. I am already looking into more like this and will make many more again! Can’t wait to make seasonal ones too!!

I really enjoyed this kit and I look forward to displaying it at Christmas. It was my first time doing a miniature kit and my expectations were somewhat low after reading the reviews. But I was pleasantly surprised! The product quality was good and it was fun! So much so that I purchased a second one from this line and that's my next project.Some things of note:1. Parts and materials: there were a lot of reviews that said there were missing pieces. That was not my experience; however, I would suggest you take some time before getting started on your project to inventory everything in the kit. There is an instruction booklet in the box that details with images everything that should be included. Also in the box you should find a glossy paper with lots of images you will need to fussy cut out to complete the project (everything from the wallpaper and flooring to tiny decor items). Make sure you have that paper, and don't toss it. Also in the box should be a paper with cutting templates/patterns on it. This is key to cutting the fabrics and other construction materials to the correct dimensions. So make sure you have that and don't toss it.2. Tools and glue (or lack there of): There are no tools included, nor is there glue. I recommend you have the following items at hand: Tacky Glue (regular, quick grab or both), a strong double-sided tape adhesive such as Scor-tape or Redline tape, a small Phillips screwdriver (only needed to unscrew and rescrew the battery compartment), detail scissors (small and pointy), regular scissors, fabric scissors, a handful of toothpicks, a few bulldog clips in various sizes, a few straight pins, a craft knife with a fresh blade, a small cutting surface (like a self-healing mat), detail tweezers (a couple pair if you have them), small pieces of cardboard (to pour glue onto so that you can then pick it up with a toothpick to glue tiny elements together), scrap paper, small containers to corral beads and tiny things (I used lids from empty vitamin bottles, but any little vessel(s) would work), and a magnifying glass. Young, healthy eyes might get by without the magnifying glass, but my 55 year-old eyes found it helpful when working with the tiny printed images in the kit.3. Batteries: There are no batteries included and the product description mentions you need 2 AAA batteries. That is incorrect, and you'll quickly figure that out when you see the included battery compartment. I wasn't sure what type of battery was needed. I scoured the comments to see if anyone discussed it, and I didn't see the specific battery type mentioned. I finally took my trusty magnifying glass and looked at the lid of the battery compartment and could read that they are LR1130 AG10 batteries. It takes 2.4. No music: There is no music box element included in the kit. I didn't want it anyway. I believe you can purchase that separately. The space for it on the wall gets covered with furniture so you don't see it from inside the house.5. Scale: the scale seems a bit all over the place, but I don't mind. It's still charming. It seems to be a combo of 1:18 and 1:24 scale. The house possibly 1:18 and the furnishings 1:24-ish. The elements are pretty little, so don't expect 1:12 scale if that is what you are used to working in.6. Lighting: The wiring instructions are a little vague. Essentially, all gray wires are twisted tigether and wrapped in tape and all white wires are twisted together and wrapped with tape. From my own stash I added an additional string of tiny lights/fairy lights to my project's side exterior.7. Be patient and be creative. It took me the better part of a 4-day weekend to complete. And there were lots of fiddly bits, some of which could get a little frustrating. My advice is, if you are struggling to make something work, take a break from it and work on another part. Also try to think of different ways to make something work. If you don't like certain elements, it's your kit, omit them if you want. Replace them with something you have that you like better if you want. Use the different elements the way you want to. Change things up if you desire. There are no miniature kit gods who are going to tell you that you can't change something. Be the boss of the kit.8. Make it yours and have fun!

The media could not be loaded. my first time ever doing this.. i was going to return it because i seen it and freaked out, sat down and actually enjoyed it a lot, completed in one day, it had all the pieces. instructions were clear enough but something's were a bit hard for me like the lamp and the curtains with the rods. but you can't tell unless you know how it supposed to look.

This item does not come with everything that you will need. You will need to purchase glue, battery, and tweezers separately. The lighting is also not guaranteed to work either.