MAGQOO 3D Wooden Dollhouse Miniature DIY Doll House Kit with Furniture,1:24 DIY Box Theater Kit (Island Adventures)

Island AdventuresThe first thing you need to know, is that this is a kit that gives you the supplies and instructions for how to make the product shown. It’s up to you to assemble it. This will take quite a bit of time (for me, about 10 hours, spread across 5 days), effort, patience, and concentration, but it can be done. I have pretty much no experience in miniatures, but I was able to assemble it without too much trouble. When I did, I felt very accomplished, and I ended up with a cute and unique product that was an excellent price value.Are Miniature Kits For Me?I, personally, love these miniature kits. I find them super cute and imaginative. They’re easy to store or display. They don’t take up much room. You can give them away as gifts to kids or adults. I enjoy assembling them. The kits are challenging, but fun, and they give me something to do when I’m bored. I’ve learned new skills, like wiring. I feel a great sense of pride and accomplishment when I finish. And, at around $10 bucks, the price can’t be beat. (I mean, have you seen how much miniatures cost? You buy one tiny fairy, and it will set you back $8, easily.)That said, miniature kits are rather niche, so it might not be for you.These kits may be good for you if:* You like to be challenged* You don’t mind putting in extra time and effort to get a good value* You’re good at cutting, pasting, and following directions* You feel a sense of accomplishment when you make something cute.* You have no experience with assembling miniatures, but you want to try it out, without investing too much of your time an money.These kits may not be good for you if:* You have bad eyesight* You don’t like cutting, pasting, or following directions* You get impatient or frustrated easily* You don’t find the process of crafting fun and you just want a cute toy* You’re too young (this might be too challenging for kids under 12—if they want to do it, they will definitely need supervision)This Specific KitThis kit contained glue, batteries, and tweezers, which made it a good value. The precise glue and batteries used for these miniatures can be hard to find and expensive. Several different companies offer the same kits, and my advice is to spend a couple extra bucks on the ones that include glue and batteries. It’s cheaper and easier in the long run.“Island Adventures” is a fun design that sparks the imagination. I gave the tin box theatre to my nephew, after I’d assembled it, for his 8th birthday, and he seemed to like it. In addition, this design is one of the easier ones to assemble, as it has less of the fine-detailed furniture pieces. You spend less time fiddling with tiny chairs and tiny books and more time cutting foam, pouring sand, and arranging seaweed. The hardest part was getting the boat to float on the waves.One drawback of this design is that the electronic switch is inside the “Island Adventure” placard, so to turn it on and off, you need to fish out the switch with tweezers, exposing you to the wires. This may not be ideal for kids. If it’s really a concern, you can just skip the electronic part altogether. The lights are cute and provide a “Wow” factor, but you can enjoy it without it.Tips for Assembly* Find a YouTube video that shows someone assembling this particular piece and save the video. (The one I found is called: “Island Adventures- Cute Room- Assembly- DIY- Dollhouse miniature-Tin Box” by Sandrartes.) That way, if you get stuck or confused, you can just watch them.* Before you start on the kit, make sure you have all the tools you’ll need for assembly: tweezers (included), scissors (a good sharp pair, not nail scissors), an exacto knife (for cutting foam), a ruler that shows centimeters, a sharpie or pen that can write on foam, some small clips (for holding the template to the paper), and GLUE.* If there is one thing you need, it’s good glue. I used 3: the glue that came in the kit (good for the house, the boat, and the bunnies), Elmers Glue-All (for foam, sand, plants, and decorations), and tacky glue (for cloth). For the Glue-All and Tacky glue, I found it easier to paint it on with a brush. The Glue All took forever to dry, but it was very sturdy and clear, once it did.* Have a dedicated space to keep the small pieces while you are assembling it. I used a tray an a T.V. table. You do not want the pieces to get lost.* The supplies they give you are just enough to make the piece, with almost no spares, so be very, very careful with them. I don’t open all the bags at once, for fear of losing something.* 90% of the times I follow directions, but when something is too frustrating—or when it comes to decorating with flowers—I just go, “Forget it!” and do things my way. And that’s part of the fun, too. You’re ways of problem-solving and your artistic vision make the piece your own unique creation.

This is my second theater box (the first was the forest bunnies in this series). It was much easier and with less steps than the other box, however I have to consider that I mastered some skills and instruction-deciphering in completing the first. The first took me about 12 hours over about 2 weeks time. This one was completed in about 6-7 hr in less than a week.The slow down with these projects is waiting for the glue to set, and because the directions are so complex you really can't work ahead or get other items prepped in order to quickly advance the next steps (seriously, don't even try).You could probably do this whole project on a TV tray, but I used a corner of the kitchen table, which I was able to leave undisturbed and spread out my materials as I worked through them. I also suggest you keep the garbage in a little bag or box and not toss it until you are done, because several times I had to dig back through for something.You will need a bright desk lamp and possibly reading glasses (even if you wouldn't normally use them-borrow a pair from your dad). This kit didn't come with tweezers but the kit before did, so I was able to reuse those. This definitely helps with the smaller items. I also found it helpful to have smaller, heavy objects to use for holding up smaller assemblies as they dry. Some things have to be dried at an angle or in an unusual way. An XActo knife is very useful for the smallest of items, but I tried to use scissors for as much as possible since I could get a more precise cut with them.Be careful with your styrofoam bases and make sure you cut them so that the tin will close. Remember you will be laying them with additional fabric or materials and that increases the thickness. In the two that I made, both only just close and I wish I had made the styro with a slightly thinner profile. Even though there is a pattern and measurements, dense styro is difficult to cut cleanly and evenly.Overall, I really enjoyed the 2 kits I've done so far and have a 3rd one purchased that I'll work on when cold weather and short days arrive. It was a nice change from jigsaw puzzles which got me through the early days of Covid.

My first of this tin mini type of kit. Came out great. Tiny pieces, be sure to keep your pieces labeled and check reference in front of instructions to match each piece. Lots of fun. Good gift for mini dollhouse hobbyist. Took me about 11 hours to assemble so wonderful for the price! All pieces were there with some extra materials even.

This was a really cute and fun craft to make...but I was missing the batteries and the glue but besides that everything was fine and the instructions were easy to follow

I really enjoyed putting this together. It was challenging at times. You are working with tiny pieces and delicate materials so you have to be careful not to tear or lose things. I put it together in a relatively short amount of time and by the end of it I was sorry I was finished, it was so much fun. The finished product is really cute and all my friends were impressed by it. I got the island adventures one and I will be purchasing more in the set.

This was my first miniature kit and I’m hooked! It took me two days. It was challenging but not frustrating. I didn’t realize the bottom light changes colors so that was a pleasant surprise. I noticed other reviews mentioning that they didn’t receive glue and batteries but I did so maybe they have corrected this issue. I will definitely buy similar kits again

Really enjoyed doing this craft. Not too much tiny cutting out of paper. Instructions were accurate and easy to follow. Super cute when done. I will order another one!

This little kit was so much fun to make. They are filled with small details that really make the diorama pop. Just a word of advice, install the LED lights right after you place in the background photo. I now want to make all of these!