Miniature DIY model kits are the perfect way to try out mini modelling without spending a fortune on materials or tools, or having to buy lots of different items from different places. With these kits, the vast majority of what you need is already included.
I first heard about miniature DIY kits when my friend completed Sam’s Study, a miniature library by specialist miniature DIY brand Rolife and I thought it was the cutest thing I’d ever seen!
There are lots of different kits available and below I’ve looked at the following to give you a better idea of which kit is right for your budget and skill level:
- what’s included in the kit
- how easy it is to assemble
- the quality
- the price
I’ve done this for the following mini DIY kit brands as these seem to be the most popular brands and they also produce a multitude of kits to choose from:
- Rolife
- CUTEBEE
It actually gets a bit confusing, as there’s not that many companies that manufacture miniature DIY kits themselves, but there are a lot of companies rebranding and selling the kits as their own. For example, these super cute DIY miniature kits in a tin are all over Etsy and Amazon, but are also sold via Alibaba the wholesale store. I naively thought they were handmade by a seller on Etsy!
I’ve based my recommendations on the two companies that manufacture and sell their own kits (as far as I can tell after much time spent researching!).
My main piece of advice for building any of these kits is to read the instructions through thoroughly before you start making anything!
Rolife Miniature DIY Kits
Let’s get the confusing bit out of the way first, these kits are manufactured by a Chinese brand called Robotime, but they are sometimes sold on Amazon under other brand names, such as Fsolis (which incidentally also seem to be a third party seller for the mini DIY kits in a tin!).
Anyway, to be sure you’re buying the right thing, search for Robotime Rolife DIY miniature kits, or check out their Amazon shop here.
The Sam’s Study kit was the first kit I bought from the Rolife range, followed closely by Simon’s Coffee Shop. There around 24 kits in total (you can see the full range on the company’s website here) but the availability on Amazon varies, though Etsy sellers do seem to stock different kits at times.
Some sellers on Etsy don’t specify which kits are Rolife e.g. PuzzleCollectionUK sell a huge range of Rolife and Robotime products but don’t mention the brand names in the description. So bear this in mind if you’re looking specifically to buy a Rolife kit from Etsy.
What’s Included In Rolife Kits
Everything you need to complete the kit should be included in the box, including glue, paste and tweezers.
When I made Sam’s Study, I found the only items missing were the batteries that power the LED lights. According to my DIY kit pioneer friend, this is because the company can’t send batteries overseas so it’s pot luck whether a kit has them in or not. After a quick trip to Homebase I got the two AAA lithium batteries needed for the lighting for a few pounds.
The other item I ran out of was the heat shrink wire which is used on the lighting. I only ran out of this because I didn’t use the correct wire for the correct part (I used the thicker diameter wire when I should have used the smaller wire), so had I not done this, I’d have had enough!
Other items I needed but didn’t need to buy include a ruler and a pair of thin nose pliers.
How Easy Are The Rolife Kits To Assemble
The kit is pretty straightforward to assemble, provided you read the step-by-step instructions properly. Any part I found difficult was due to me not reading the instructions correctly.
However, I found assembling the lighting very difficult and it felt like in this part the instructions were not super clear. I have zero experience in electrics too so that could have been the problem! I also found the wire work tricky for the lights and think the instructions could have been clearer here too. This has been the case with Sam’s Study and Simon’s Coffee Shop.
All the parts come in plastic wallets, but I thought the items included in each wallet made one piece of furniture so got very confused, very quickly, especially as the bags aren’t labelled in a particularly coherent way. If I were to do this kit again, I’d group together all the parts for each piece of furniture before I started.
One final gripe with the instructions is that that here are two types of adhesive included in the kit – glue and paste. The instructions didn’t always make it clear which to use but I used the glue for anything related to wood and electrical wire and the paste for anything related to paper.
In addition to the instructions, there’s a separate document that lists all the parts in the box – you simply line up each part with the outlines on the document to find which piece belongs to which piece of furniture. This made everything much easier.
Much of the furniture slots in place so it’s clear to see how they’re assembled without having to measure where each part should go.
Rolife Kit Quality
These kits are great quality, particularly the wood which was smooth and unsplintered. All of the accessories have a huge amount of attention to detail. This, and the lovely packaging, makes these kits feel really high quality.
However, some Amazon reviews state that the wood is warped and difficult to fit together. I haven’t found this myself though.
Best for: Beginners or people wanting straightforward, mindful miniature crafting
Average price: £38-£45 approx
Recommended product: Sam’s Study currently £42.99 on Amazon.
I recommend this product as it’s one of the simpler ones to get started with and a lot of the work involved is kind of repetitive (think hundreds of tiny books!), which I actually prefer as it’s easier to be more mindful when crafting.
CUTEBEE
CUTEBEE seem to manufacture their own miniature DIY kits as well as sell other manufactuers’ kits under their brand. Once again we have the cute DIY kits in a tin coming under the CUTEBEE brand!
The main unique selling point of CUTEBEE is that as well as selling kits that make single rooms, they also sell kits featuring multiple rooms.
The official CUTEBEE website is here but there’s also the My Cutebee website here which ships worldwide and seems to contain the full range of kits. There are over 170 in total which range from model shop windows to full-on dollhouses.
You can also buy a decent range of CUTEBEE DIY kits from their Amazon shop and their Etsy shop. Many of the designs come with a music box as well, I personally think this is a bit random but some people might love it!
What’s Included In CUTEBEE Kits
The main thing you’ll notice that isn’t provided is PVA glue, though tweezers and a craft knife are also not included and are very handy for making these. Presumably these items aren’t included due to restrictions on shipping overseas.
A bonus item that comes with many of the products is a dustcover – ideal for keeping dust and kids’ hands off your finished model!
You’ll also need to buy two AAA batteries for the lighting in many of the kits too.
Everything else you need is included in the kit!
How Easy Are CUTEBEE Kits To Assemble
CUTEBEE kits are VERY intricate and even a seasoned crafter may find they take a lot of fiddly work to complete. The instructions are clear enough and feature very detailed photos, but prepare to sign your life over for a while to complete the larger dollhouse-style kits!
With these kits everything has to be made from scratch or hand sewn with the parts included in the kit, for the larger kits, this can mean assembling hundreds of different items. So if you don’t have a lot of patience or aren’t into modelling anything too fiddly, then stick to the Rolife range as these tend to be a bit more straightforward.
Like Rolife kits, these kits comes with a part sheet so you can easily identify which parts are for which item and also if any parts are missing. However, the instructions aren’t as clear or easy to follow as they are in Rolife kits.
CUTEBEE Kit Quality
CUTEBEE kits are high quality and on a par with Rolife. However, there are quite a few Amazon reviews which state that parts are missing from the kits so there are therefore not able to be completed.
Best for: Intermediate modellers happy to work with very small, fiddly pieces.
Average price: £15 – £50+ depending on the size of the product
Recommended product: Blue Times Dollhouse Miniature with Furniture currently £29.99 on Amazon.
I recommend this product as it’s a reasonable price, has great reviews and offers something a little different to Rolife as it’s more of a mini doll’s house than just a single room.
Keep checking back for further product reviews and recommendations for mini DIY kit brands.
