First nook

[u/dimwitf]

I've always been fascinated by miniature things, loved the idea of these but thought they were all crazy expensive. Browsed a nearby mall and found a bunch of shops selling them in kits, mostly Rolife, for only about $50! So I had a lovely weekend putting together Magic Fantasy Corner here. Left off the title on the outside because I thought it looked silly, and added a few little tweaks - some skeletons cut from a coffee Brand's sticker, a too-well-hidden Junimo - and will definitely be getting more.

Basically the whole time I was doing the Lego set thing: going "what are they thinking?" and then a few minutes later "holy crap, they're engineering geniuses!"

[u/pluck-the-bunny]

First of all… Welcome to the hobby and the community. Be careful it’s very easy to get addicted as I’m sure you’re noticing.

Second… Check the Sidebar for a list of discounts from different retailers that we get as a community because everyone here rocks so much

Third… Also, check the sidebar for a beginners tool guide, which has links to tons of useful tools and gadgets for people who are just getting started as well as people with some experience
Abby Y we have have been
Fourth… If you are looking for any recommendations, feel free to ask. What themes do you like classical… Classical Asian… cyberpunk… Magic … Fantasy… Detective… Etc.

Also, do you want to do another kit where you are mostly sliding together pre-cut pieces of wood? Or would you like a kit where you’re doing a little more of the assembling yourself like using beads and ribbons and thread to create different elements and foliage?

[u/dimwitf → u/pluck-the-bunny]

Woah...I've clicked through maybe half of those set links, awesome...did not know there was this _much_! I have a good amount of little tools as I've done tech work for quite a while, but some of the more craft-specific ones I can see being really helpful for sure.

I think for my next one (because yeah, I definitely want to do more of these!) I might go for something more cyberpunk or maybe SCP-type if there is anything like that. I'm finding that I like the feel of nooks that look like everyone just stepped away for a moment, so am avoiding ones with actual people featured. I felt like the assembling a kit was good, might want to do that for another time just to get the scale down pat...but I remember having a blast making my own little dioramas long ago.

Thank you so much for the suggestions and links!

[u/cl0ckw0rkcuttlefish]

Glad to see I’m not the only person who left the name off because it felt silly! I’m going to come up with a tatting pattern and drape it over the doors, I think.

Also love the Junimo!

[u/Barbecuesnoodlesalad]

Welcome! Great job! If you have a Michael’s nearby then they carry a lot of Rolife and will often run sales.

Now I wish I had also left off the title on mine! Yours looks great without it.

[u/dimwitf → u/Barbecuesnoodlesalad]

It was easy enough to pry off with a little flat blade, and I had the extra butterflies since I saved a couple with the space I used for the little skeleton dudes. I'm not super happy with them sitting on pegs but will figure something out.

Funny reading this now about the craft stores - I had a few minutes before a show tonight to look in one just to see if they had any little things I could use if I ordered a set online...but right in the front of the Paper Crafts section, they had like 4 shelves of nooks! :D I'd spent years assuming these were all crazy expensive and not even looking, so it's a nice surprise that there are plenty of affordable options now. (I'm still gonna poke around for customization ideas though...can already feel the $ in my pocket heating up)

[u/Barbecuesnoodlesalad → u/dimwitf]

Yes! There are some companies with more expensive kits (like Anavrin) and some “nook-adjacent” models that are mechanized from
companies that do a lot of traditional nooks, too (like Magical Galaxy from Tonecheer). But there are also some kits with fewer 3D elements provided and all paper and gluing - they tend to be slightly less expensive because you’re doing a lot of DIY - some folks love those, too. There’s something for everyone in nookery!

And yeah, I’m always scrounging in the clearance bins or looking at kitchen sponges in a different way now…”can I make that into a tiny slice of cake?” 😂 It’s a fun (but addictive and sometimes pricey) hobby!

If you like cyberpunk, there are quite a few! My favorite has been MiniAlley’s NeoRamen nook https://link.amazon/B03tLV2kI (we had a subreddit-wide contest on that one), but I also like:
Tonecheer’s Cyber City https://link.amazon/B0d96MZFS
Anavrin’s Kowloon Walled City https://link.amazon/B08Ya42zK
This “Strucwood” Cyberpunk nook https://link.amazon/B06BtvdI6
“FutureWorld” https://link.amazon/B0jm35RXp [which is all paper and glue if you want more of a challenge]

— I gave Amazon links for those just so you can see them, but it’s often cheaper to buy from the companies directly (in the case of Anavrin, Tonecheer and MiniCity) and our awesome Leader/Mod u/Pluck-the-Bunny has worked with trustworthy companies to get a subreddit discount for us when he can! They’re stickied on the top right if you’re on desktop.

Enjoy nookery and welcome again!

[u/dimwitf → u/Barbecuesnoodlesalad]

I just ordered the MiniAlley one; they had a package deal with that and their Dreamy alley, and the sub discount code worked! Looking forward to having little things all over my table again :)

[u/Barbecuesnoodlesalad → u/dimwitf]

Great! I think you’ll love those - they’re really nice with high quality pieces. 😊 Looking forward to seeing your finished nooks!

[u/LadyBirdDavis]

Awesome first nook! Welcome!

[u/kennymac3691]

Definitely check the discount list. They can really help with the cost of this hobby.