3 designs, about 4 hours
CuteBee City Walk book nook kit: Champs-Elysees Florist, Green Life or Journey Trace
$60.95
Miniature storefront kits that build into a lit city shop for your bookshelf. Pre-cut wood and printed paper parts slot and glue together, with warm LED lighting controlled by a touch switch.
Expected delivery Thu, Nov 5 to Thu, Nov 12
- Free shipping over $49
- 30-day returns
Shipping and returns
Free shipping over $49. Arrives in 8-15 days. Shipping times and costs per country
Not what you were looking for? Return it within 30 days of delivery. How returns work
Specifications
- Type
- Book nook
- Build time
- About 4 hours
- Level
- Some practice
- Pieces
- 196 to 241, by design
- Built size
- 6.3 x 6.1 x 7.1 in (16 x 15.5 x 18 cm), W x D x H
- Light
- Warm LED with touch switch, 2 AAA batteries (not included), no soldering
- Parts
- Pre-cut wood sheets and printed paper parts
- Assembly
- Slot and glue, glue not included
- In the box
- Illustrated guide
- You add
- White craft glue, fine tweezers, 2 AAA batteries
- Age
- 14+
- Safety
- Small parts and fine wires. Decorative, not a toy.
Three shops, one size
All three designs share the same footprint: 6.3 in wide, 6.1 in deep and 7.1 in tall (16 x 15.5 x 18 cm). That makes them easy to plan for. They fit a standard bookshelf with room to spare, and two or three side by side read like a short city street.
The Champs-Elysees Florist is the lightest of the three, with a pale green front, tall arched windows and buckets of flowers by the door. The Green Life Bookshop wraps a cream facade in climbing ivy and potted plants, with a carved wooden door at its center. The Journey Trace Bookshop is the darkest, in deep blue with a gold sign over the door and shelves packed with tiny books.
What the build is like
You work from pre-cut wood sheets and printed paper parts, following an illustrated guide step by step. Pieces press out of the sheets, then slot and glue together. The florist has 199 pieces, the Green Life Bookshop 196 and the Journey Trace Bookshop 241, so the bookshop with the map wall takes a little longer.
Plan on about 4 hours in total. Most of that time goes into the small furniture and the shop dressing: shelves, plant pots, signs and the little things that make the window worth looking into. The walls and floor go up fast. Stop at any natural point and carry on another evening.
A few things make it easier. Sort the sheets before you start, so you can find each piece by its number. Use a thin white craft glue and a toothpick rather than squeezing glue straight from the bottle. Fine tweezers help with the smallest paper parts.
The light
A warm LED set comes wired for you, with a battery box and a touch switch hidden in the build. It takes 2 AAA batteries, which are not in the box. There is no soldering: the lights fit in place as you build, and the wires run inside the walls.
Where it goes
Each shop front is meant to be seen from the front, so it suits a shelf, a desk or a windowsill out of direct sun. On a bookshelf, allow a little room behind it for the battery switch. Dust it with a soft, dry brush now and then.
Why a City Walk kit
These three show what the City Walk series does well: clear guides, parts that fit, and scenes that look full once the light comes on. If this is your first kit, the florist is a friendly place to start.
Questions
How big is each City Walk shop?
All three measure about 6.3 x 6.1 x 7.1 in (16 x 15.5 x 18 cm), width by depth by height. They fit most bookshelves, desks and windowsills, with room left above them.
Is glue included?
No. Plan on a white craft glue that dries clear. A small bottle is plenty, and a toothpick helps you place it on the smallest parts without smudges.
What batteries does the light take?
2 AAA batteries, not included. The battery box has a touch switch, so you can turn the shop on and off without reaching behind it.
Which design is easiest?
The Green Life Bookshop and the Champs-Elysees Florist are close, at 196 and 199 pieces. The Journey Trace Bookshop has 241 pieces and more small book and map parts, so it takes a little longer.
You might also like
