Review - The CuteBee Christmas Wish Store Book Nook craft kit

I received this craft kit in exchange for a review

Earlier this year I shared a preview review for the CuteBee Book Nook craft kit with a Christmas theme, and I'm delighted to say that I have now finished this lovely kit and I can share a full review!

The Christmas Wish Store Book Nook is designed to sit on a bookshelf and offer a glimpse into a magical world nestled within. This kit has a Christmas theme, and not only does it feature Christmas toys, gifts and decorations it also has interactive elements - there are cleverly positioned lights which can be turned on and off, the Christmas tree can be rotated using a cog at the back, and there is even a music box tucked inside for some Christmas music!

The kit contains almost everything that you need to create the book nook - all that you need to supply is some glue and batteries. The kit is very well packaged in a handy box which you can use to keep everything together while you are working on it. 

You complete the kit by carefully working through the instruction booklet. Most of the elements that you need for the construction are small wooden pieces which are pressed out from clearly labelled wooden sheets. It's best to pop them out as you need them, otherwise you would easily get into a muddle! I found that all the pieces were easy to remove from the backing. Some of the very tiny or fragile parts have a spare in case you have any problems with removal or build.

I found it very straightforward to work through the instructions and assemble each component at a time. Some of the parts aren't needed until later on, so it's helpful to have a box or somewhere to keep pieces as you build them, and make sure that you don't miss the step to add them later on! You do need to be quite firm when it comes to pressing the pieces out and slotting them together, sometimes I was a little timid but you do need to use a small amount of force. 

I didn't add much extra glue apart from where it was recommended, but if a piece felt a little loose I added a small amount just to make sure it remained sturdy. You need to make sure to follow the instructions very carefully - for example the pieces are printed on one side and you need to make sure that the printed side will be the one facing outwards when complete.

There are several lightbulbs that need to be secured in the correct places. There is no wiring involved but you do need to be careful to make sure that you are working with the right piece of wire as they are all different lengths. This was a little fiddy in places but not too complicated.

When finished the book nook forms a sealed unit with a plastic sheet at the front to keep it dust free. I did have to make one modification, because I found that the sensor for the lights didn't work through the wood as it is supposed to. I ended up cutting a small corner from the top of the box and posting the wires through so that the switch is accessible from the outside. It's not the prettiest solution, but it's much easier than having to remove the front each time to turn the lights on and off.

Below is a photograph with the plastic front removed so that you can see the inside fully without reflectio. There is a lot of detail inside, and I love the bright colours and cute elements. The printing on the pieces is really clear. There are also some plastic pieces which are glued in place, like the tree and snowman at the front. Several of the elements are accessorised with shiny tinsel, for some sparkle when the lights are turned on.

I really enjoyed putting this kit together - it was complicated enough to be challenging but still fun to put together. I assembled it over several evenings and I found it an absorbing craft that I wanted to keep working on. I loved clipping together all the tiny pieces and seeing how it all fitted together so beautifully to make a really sweet little festive decoration.

There are lots more of these craft kits in the series and they would make a great gift for the crafty person in your life.