Dark Family is a Halloween book nook: a two-storey gothic parlour full of coffins, candles and curiosities, with a haunted manor silhouetted against a full moon printed on the outside wall. It's a spooky, detailed little scene, and it looks its best on a shelf in October with the lights low. This guide takes you through the build in order, with a complete build video from start to finish.
Dark Family: Quick Facts
- What you build: a two-level gothic interior with a guillotine, three coffins, bookcases, a fireplace, a clock, a chess set, chairs and candles, closed in by printed side walls, a back wall with a stained-glass window, and a roof.
- Finished size: 23 x 18 x 11 cm, sized to sit on a bookshelf.
- Build time: plan for 8 to 10 hours. The video in this guide is only half an hour because most of it is sped up.
- Difficulty: it asks for patience rather than skill: lots of small boxes, coffins and books to make, parts that need a firm push to seat, and wiring to tuck away.
- Lighting: warm LED lights, including a glowing fire in the fireplace and a light behind the stained-glass window, with a touch sensor on top.
Before You Start: What to Have Ready
Our guide to the tools and supplies you need to build a book nook covers the basics. For this kit, have ready:
- A clear craft glue with a fine nozzle. Many small parts don't stay put on friction alone.
- Fine tweezers for the skeleton, the candles and the little props.
- A small, light hammer or a wooden block. Some walls and floors only seat properly with a few gentle taps.
- A dark touch-up marker for pale cut edges; on a black-and-brown kit like this one they show up easily.
The Build Video
This complete build by Eric makes Stuff covers the whole kit, from making the books to fitting the roof. It's fast, so pause it whenever you reach the stage you're working on.
Video 1: The complete Dark Family build (27:48)
Step 1: The Books and the Small Furniture
The build starts with the miniatures: stacks of books (their covers are stickers, which saves a lot of time), a guillotine, a set of small boxes and crates, three coffins, chairs, small tables and a grandfather clock. It's the most repetitive part of the kit, so put on a podcast.
- Check the part letters carefully. The manual can list a part under the wrong sheet letter, so if a number doesn't match, look at the neighbouring sheet.
- Glue each box and coffin fully and let it dry before moving on; they'll be handled a lot later.
Step 2: The Ground Floor
The first scene piece goes onto the base, followed by the steps, the guillotine in the centre, the bookcase wall, a coffin, the clock and a lamp. A skeleton is glued in place, and a hand rises from one of the coffins.
- If a part won't seat, line it up carefully and tap it down with a light hammer or the handle of a screwdriver, rather than forcing it with your fingers.
- Put a dot of glue under the lamp and the small props; they tend to come loose as you work around them.
Step 3: The Fireplace Light and the First Wiring
A light goes under the fireplace to make the fire glow, and the wires are run towards the back through their slots. Then the ceiling of the ground floor goes on.
- The fireplace light can be fiddly to clip in. If it won't stay, glue it in place; it never needs to come out.
- Route the wires tidily as you go. It's much harder to hide them once the upper floor is in.
Step 4: The Upper Floor
Upstairs gets a second bookcase with its own light, a lamp, chairs, a table with a chess set, another coffin, a cat and a railing along the edge. A small bookcase and a few more props hide the wiring behind them.
- Glue the railings. They're thin, and the book nook will be moved around more than you think.
- Test the lights before you fix the last pieces over the wiring.
Step 5: The Back Wall, the Sides and the Roof
The top piece holds the touch sensor that switches the lights on and off. The back wall takes the battery box and a stained-glass window with a light behind it, then the side panel with the manor artwork goes on, and finally the roof and the front frame.
- Mark where the glue goes on the roof before you apply it and keep it to the outer edges, so none of it runs into the scene.
- Peel the protective film off the clear parts before closing everything up.
- If a side panel doesn't want to sit flush, tap it gently along its edges rather than pressing on the middle.
Common Problems and How to Fix Them
Walls and floors won't slot in
Check the part is the right way round, line up every tab, then tap it down gently. Sanding a tight tab with a sanding stick also helps.
Small props keep falling over
This kit relies on friction for a lot of small parts. A small drop of glue under each one solves it.
The lights don't work
Check the batteries, the connections at the battery box and the touch sensor on top. Our guide on what to do when book nook LEDs aren't working has a full checklist.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long does it take to build Dark Family?
Plan for 8 to 10 hours. The build video is much shorter because it's sped up. For a general view of build times, see how long it takes to build a book nook.
Is it hard to build?
It isn't technically difficult, but there are many small parts to make and some pieces need a firm, careful push to seat. If it's your first kit, our list of the best book nook kits for beginners has gentler options.
How big is it?
23 x 18 x 11 cm, so it fits on a standard bookshelf.
How do you turn the lights on?
With the touch sensor on the top of the book nook.
Is there a PDF of the Dark Family instructions?
The kit includes a printed manual. We don't host a PDF, but the video in this guide shows the whole build.
Ready to Build Your Own?
If you'd like a spooky corner on your shelf this Halloween, the Dark Family book nook kit comes with everything you've seen in the video. For another build with a full video guide, see our TARDIS book nook guide.
About the Video in This Guide
The video comes from Eric makes Stuff, who filmed the whole Dark Family build. We aren't connected to the channel; it's simply the most complete walkthrough of this kit we've found. If it helps you, give the channel a subscribe.
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