RolifeDIY Miniature House Kits for Adults Greenhouse Dolls House Craft Kits For Adults Model Kits for Adults to Build Birthday Gift for Women and Girls (Cathy's Flower House)

I was really pleased with the completed model. However some adaptations were needed. I used PVA woodworking glue instead of the adhesives provided. The books were quite repetitive in appearance so I printed a few highly reduced photos of my own books to construct amongst those provided. Also, personalised the pictures with much reduced prints of family and pets. Construction was generally ok using the printed plan to get the sizes of wood pieces correct. I didn't like the floor so used lolly sticks to make realistic floorboards. I used emulsion paint left over from decorating for the outer part of the model, then used acrylic paints for the inner walls. The light was a total nightmare which was binned and replaced with ready wired leds. Also used a larger battery box which hides behind the completed model. The chair is a challenge but looked ok when completed. Initially thought the item was overpriced when I saw the contents of the kit and took into account the extra items I needed to buy or print myself. Overall an enjoyable, if frustrating at times, experience. The finished model was well worth the time and money spent.

I’ve enjoyed making this. I would say it is quite fiddly, needs a lot of patience and probably has taken me 12 hours or more to make it. It came with double sided tape only which was very fiddly. Towards the end I found out my glue gun and it made much easier and the items more stable. Instructions quite easy to follow once I had figured out the number/bag system.

This review relates to Cathy's Flower House.I've previously made some other Rolife kits: Sunshine Town, Time Travel and Sakura Densya but this kit is of a different order of magnitude in terms of difficulty and assembly time.Don't embark on assembling this kit unless you have good eyesight (and/or a strong pair of glasses), a steady hand and plenty of patience. Unlike the other Rolife kits that I mentioned above, in this one most of the pieces are glued together, rather than push-fit.The clear glue supplied is spirit based (similar to Uhu) so it's quick drying but not washable, so if you get it on the wrong places it's difficult to remove. I used my own PVA glue for a lot of the parts (that don't need quick drying glue) and some superglue.The pieces are very accurately cut and it all fits together well. The detail is incredible and it is excellent value for money considering the number of parts supplied.Some tips for assembly:1. There are 2 part sheets at the bottom of the box that show the numbered pieces to scale - use this to correctly identify the parts (because some are quite similar).2. The instructions show the bag number of the parts used in that step, like 2(2-1) for example. Always put unused parts back into the right numbered bag (you can't tip out all the parts into one tray) so that you can find the right parts quickly.3. Wipe off any excess glue quickly (before it sets).4. Use a steel ruler and a fine ballpoint pen or something similar to score the fold lines on the card pieces.5. Double check that you've used all the parts in each step - if you miss something off it might be impossible to fit it later on.6. You won't complete this kit in a weekend, or even two - allow yourself plenty of time. As an example, the paint brush in my photo is constructed from part of a cocktail stick, some aluminium foil and some cut paper for the bristles. It took me 3 attempts to make, I was only successful by cutting the Al foil strip 6mm wide instead of 4mm as instructed.7. The main clear plastic sheet for the greenhouse and the panes for the door have a plastic film on that needs to be peeled off prior to assembly, I don't think that the instructions mention this.Assembling all of the plants is time consuming: plant 1 took me half a day and there are more than 20 plants to make, but overall it's a lovely model and the end result is stunning.

If anyone is looking for a nice way to keep their minds occupied while being stuck at home during this pandemic, I can certainly recommend this beautiful model (I purchased the greenhouse). Instructions are clear and concise, you also get two other pages that you can use to measure up your parts if you're not sure that you have the right one. Most are pre-painted except for a few of the larger parts that encompass the flooring etc iirc. My kit came with two types of glue, latex and a type of liquid glue that's unlabelled but seems to resemble UHU all purpose in how it behaves.Would I recommend this to beginners? Well, probably not. There is a lot of intricate and detailed work to do. If you have zero experience with models, don't expect this to be an easy ride, it will take many hours of diligent work and bucket loads of patience, the parts are small and require steady hands. If you have experience with crafts/arts/models, it will of course help but I imagine many would easily get frustrated otherwise.Having said that, everything is there if you're willing to take your time and have a go.. it's worth every penny and I commend the modeller(s) who created this little work of art. The detail and intricacy in every part is truly gorgeous. I can't wait to finally finish it and turn on that little light.Extra tools I'd recommend:Small pair of scissors (possibly even surgical, some of the plant cutouts/leaves and other bits are that small)Hobby knife with various bladesSolid pair of tweezers (the ones in the kit are just about okay but you'd do well do have something sturdier)If your kit doesn't come with glue due to shipping restrictions, I'd recommend getting a good wood glue and UHU is good (but can be messy if you're not nimble), some superglue wouldnt go amiss in certain applications either.Other than that.. I think all you need is a good attitude to get it done!