DIY Miniature Dollhouse Kit with Music Box Rylai 3D Puzzle Challenge for Adult Kids Xmas Gifts Moonlight Cast Series K012

I’ve made a number of these small kits by various makers, and found this one a bit more challenging than average. Even with directions, it was difficult to match all of the small white pieces correctly. I ended up short a coffee table top, with an extra cupboard door. Once things started getting confusing, I made each of the components I was certain of to try to avoid making errors. Supplies were plentiful and I made a few modifications, especially with fabric. I also like to use “O” scale model train flowers and plants as attractive short cuts. I found wiring with the switch in the tower incomprehensible, even after multiple reads. So, I just wired it the same way as other kits and lights look great. Don’t recommend as the first kit like this that you try.

I've put together a few dozen of these types of kits, which is probably the only reason I could get this one together at all. As everyone else mentions, it's just not very well built. The pieces don't fit together as they should. For example, the windows/doors are all a couple millimeters too big for their frames. I had to sand down a ton of parts just to force them to fit, and they still didn't fit well. Some of the larger boards were warped. The blue trim doesn't fit together at all - angles on the edges are too sharp, so they aren't flush to each other. There are lots of little gaps and ridges that shouldn't be there. It asks you to screw tiny gold screws in, which split the chipboard.The instructions, like a lot of these kits, don't explain how parts go together very well. Tiny text is one thing but this has light colored tiny text on a noisy background, so you can't read it with magnification. I missed a few parts because the instructions were unclear. The wiring instructions didn't make any sense at all, and I only got it right because I've done these before.Some of the parts are also a different color from the actual kit. The paper cut outs for the wooden pieces aren't quite the right size, so you'll wind up either with dashed lines and white edges on your walls, or there will be gaps where the paper doesn't quite reach the edge. Plus some of it was just poorly conceived - asking you to glue white paper to brown chipboard to simulate white walls looks a little tacky. You also have a 100% paper tower on top, which is begging to get squished down on accident.If you're prepared to sand pieces down, use a few of your own parts sometimes, maybe paint it, and otherwise toss half the instructions in favor of your own ideas, it'll probably turn out great. Mine was okay. Not awesome, but from a distance it looks okay. I wound up painting a bunch of parts myself. The concept is really cool, it just wasn't well executed.

There aren't many reviews of this kit yet, so I will give lots of details for those interested:General observations:- Like most kits, this doesn't include batteries and glue. Batteries for this one are fortunately 3A.-A common problem with these kits are slightly warped bigger outer wood pieces. Even if slight, on this project the effects of warping are cumulative because of multiple floor, ceiling and outer decorative pieces that have to fit together. It was challenging, but I worked around it, adding decoration to cover gaps.-FYI- lines on the wallpaper are there for placement of other pieces, and won't show when those pieces are placed. The paper that I used (I replaced some) fit well.-The directions aren't as clear as some. The wiring directions are especially vague. Those experienced with these kinds of projects will be able to figure it out; beginners might be left with questions.What I like about this kit:-It is a castle.-All the pieces needed were included.-The layout is good; the listed dimensions are correct; the tower is especially nice with details such as ladders leading up and a telescope in the top room. The hinged front is also a clever way to keep the rooms safe and dust-free.-There is a music box.-There is lots of room for customization. The more of these kits one does, the more confidence one has to improvise. I like to add characters, and change materials. I used my own pictures instead of ones provided, for example.What could be improved:- I think the white paint on the outside could be a bit nicer, and I especially do not like the white paper on the turrets. The outside walls and windows (except the tower) are rather plain (but can be embellished- which I did).- This is a castle, so in my opinion the room furnishings should either be medieval or elegant; not look like they belong in a cottage! So I made it more elegant with different paper and materials, most of which were leftovers from other projects.

Some of the pieces did not fit. The tower pieces are not the same wood, and they do not match up on a straight line. My tower is very crooked, but i put the uglinest in the back side. The lighting system was terrible. I have bought diy dollhouses from Rylai before and the lighting was well explained. This time it was almost nonexistent. Unless you are an electrical engineer. It did turn out well in the end. I changed all the fabric to some that i had. And i did not make another piano! I made another sofa instead.

The biggest problem I had was trying to figure out how I was supposed to put pieces together and where they should go. Part of the problem was the instructions were so small I had trouble seeing them (I have 20/20 vision with my glasses. The other problem is the English is not good in the instructions, making it also hard to understand. It’s a very pretty little kit, if you don’t get too frustrated.