Garden House Book Nook Video Tour @StepCatStudios

Title: Garden House
Brand: Rolife/ Rolfe
Begun: January 19, 2024
Completed: January 19, 2024
Book Nook #2 -
I honestly thought all book nooks would be set up similarly to the first one I completed. Let’s just say I got schooled on that with my very second nook. When my sister and her family came over to celebrate her birthday, her husband gave her a nook, Pastoral Diary. I thought it was absolutely gorgeous, and it didn’t take me long to start searching Amazon for one for myself. In the process, I found several others that fascinated me. Of course, I wanted to buy them all right away, but they’re expensive (at least for my budget anyway.) I started a wish list on Amazon, and just started adding to it. That way I could watch for sales, and I already would know which ones I like. Sounds perfect, right? Well….. we won’t talk about how many I have in my stash at home waiting to be brought to life. I still have plenty on my Amazon wish list too, 🤣
But, I digress…in that initial search on my sister’s birthday, I bought 3 nooks. One was the Pastoral Diary, one I returned because it was not at all what was described (paper, fabric, and corrugated cardboard instead of wood), and one was this one, The Garden House. I got them all on sale - I usually try not to pay more than $30-$35 for one. I prefer to get them when they’re under $25. When I opened the box for The Garden House, there were so many bags of pieces, and only a couple of boards. I started to think I’d gotten in over my head, but the manual had pictures of everything I needed to do. I thought, “Okay, so I have to glue instead of push into place. Maybe it’ll be easier on my fingers.”
This kit had two kinds of glue. One kind it called wood glue, which was to be used for the wood pieces. Makes sense, right? The other was alcohol glue, which was to be used for everything else. Problem: both glue tubes looked the same in the materials list, and the tubes weren’t labeled. Both said they dried clear and had a strong bond. Being a newbie to this world, I had no idea which was which, so I used them both interchangeably. 🤷‍♀️ The kit also came with a cm ruler, lots of wires, wire tape in a big white patch that was to be cut as directed, flowers, hollow pvc tubes, clear plastic sheets, metal I was supposed to cut and bend(how??), and pieces of fabric. To say I had moments of thinking I’d gotten in over my head was an understatement! 🛟
I decided not to panic and take this elephant 🐘 one bite at a time. It turned out to be quite fun figuring out how to craft each little piece, from the pillow and blanket resting on the chair to the standing lamp and flower pots created from beads. When I got to the part where I had to cut and bend wire, I went to the mini toolbox we keep in the house (not mini as in book nook mini, but mini as in portable and including essential tools). I found a pair of needle nose pliers that worked, and added a craft toolkit to my Amazon list. As the nook took shape, I was struck with the notion of taking photos of the progress. I was thinking it would just be for myself, so I could see the process again once the nook was complete, and remember what I’d learned and accomplished.
In some ways, these nooks remind me of the challenges we face as we tackle our goals in life. You figure out what to do as you go along. You use what works best at the time and make notes of what to do better next time. You celebrate the small milestones along the way, and look back on what you’ve done and marvel that not only did you finish, but it looks good too!
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