This Project cut the Line

I had been meaning to work on half-finished projects first, but I just couldn’t wait on this one. My friend gifted it to me for the holidays and it was new and shiny and I couldn’t help myself.

How could I resist the colors??

We’re not sure we understand the “Island of Love” theme, but it’s a minor aspect.

I was a little intimidated at first, seeing all the intricate shapes, but peeking in the box, I could see everything was already cut to the right shape and for the first time, I wouldn’t have to build furniture from scratch.

Just buildings.

One piece that is attached to the wall.

Simply pop out the wooden pieces and glue them on. The directions are simple to follow, which isn’t always the case with these mini kits.

More detail on how the pieces are glued.

You can see the pieces popped out and then on the bottom-most, there is an indicator where you past the next piece to it.

Many of these kits are created by vendors overseas where English is not the primary language. Because of this, I have noticed that directions and words are often not clear and I have to analyze the images to make my best guess. But these instructions and images were very clear and the pieces often had outlines where another piece was to be glued on it. They really took out the guesswork.

One side done. You build the two sides separately and then connect them together.

You can see some of the larger pieces, like the windows and roofing, are glued on, but there are guides for where each item goes. And then the smaller pieces - cats and plants - fit in with little notches. I glued the first few before I realized it was a tight squeeze and they weren’t moving.

The completed project.

The lighting piece of this was far simpler than the other kits I’ve worked on. And it uses AA batteries, which I have on hand. The light is motion-activated, so it’ll turn on when someone moves nearby and then go off after a few minutes.

One thing I hadn’t noticed until I was putting the two sides together: there is a mirror in the back that reflects the street back, making it look much deeper than the actual box.

I definitely haven’t been adding more of these to my wishlist. They are a little pricier, especially if you look at cost per size and hour spent working on it. But it is an easier one to start with as the pieces are mostly ready to go and you just glue them together. Great starter piece!

Project Notes:

Link to Kit - cost $49.99

Difficulty level: 2/5 (one of the easier mini DIY kits I’ve done and a great start for beginners)

Time commitment: 5 hours