Vintage Library Book Nook Instructions: Library of Books Build Guide with Videos

The Vintage Library book nook, sold by its maker as Library of Books, is a warm, old-world library tucked behind a tall arched opening: shelves of leather-look volumes on two levels, arched alcoves, framed paintings, a telescope, a painter's easel, a study table and a book stand with an open book. The outer case is printed like an ornate antique book, so it blends right in on a real bookshelf. This guide follows the build with a detailed video series filmed by a first-time book nook builder, tips included.

Vintage Library: Quick Facts

• Kit name: Library of Books, 217 pieces.
• What you build: a library interior with bookcases and arched alcoves, dozens of miniature books, a book stand, a telescope, an easel, a study table, a stand of rolled-up plans, a plant, a clock and framed pictures, all lit with warm LEDs.
• Difficulty: intermediate. The builder in these videos had never made a book nook before and managed fine; the fiddly parts are small pieces that are hard to free from the board and laminated parts with no alignment tabs.
• Format: a bookshelf insert whose outer case looks like an antique book.

A Note About the Videos

The three videos in this guide cover the books, the furniture and the shelving, which is roughly the first two-thirds of the build. The channel hasn't published the final part (lighting and closing the case) yet. We'll add it here as soon as it's out.

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 good-quality fast-tack paper glue. Cheap school glue is too wet: it soaks the paper book covers and makes them tear. Spread it very thinly, "like the last bit of marmalade on toast".
• A glue that grips quickly for the wooden parts, ideally with a precision nozzle. Super glue works but can mark the veneer if it spills; a gel craft glue such as B-7000 is a popular alternative.
• A sharp craft knife with a fresh blade and a metal ruler for cutting out the book covers.
• Small weights (steel blocks, or a couple of heavy books) to hold the books flat while they dry and to prop parts at the right angle.
• A sanding block and a brown paint pen or touch-up marker for the edges where the veneer chips.
• Optionally, a small rubber-headed hammer for tapping tight parts into place without chipping them.

And one tip that saves a lot of trouble: flick through the whole manual before you start, and whenever a part's orientation isn't obvious, look ahead to see where it ends up rather than guessing.

Part 1: The Books and the Book Stand

The build starts with the library itself: dozens of small wooden blanks wrapped in printed paper covers, then a set of concertina books with real folded pages inside. The part ends with the first piece of furniture, a small book stand that holds one of the open books.

• Cut just inside the printed line so no white edge shows on the covers.
• Weigh the books down while they dry. The concertina books in particular spring open otherwise.
• For the concertina books, check the fold direction in the manual first, keep each fold square with the edge of the strip, and round the cover's spine over a cocktail stick before gluing the pages in.
• Don't glue the books into blocks yet. Lay them out in the suggested groups and bag them, then glue them when you place them on the shelves, so you can adjust them if they don't fit.
• The wooden furniture is only coloured on one side: that's the side that faces out.

Part 2: The Furnishings

This part makes the rest of the furniture and decorations: a telescope on a tripod, a painter's easel, a study table with books and small items, a round stand full of rolled-up plans, a potted plant, a clock and a series of framed pictures.

• Free small parts gently, rocking them back and forth with a fingernail. Forcing them can chip the veneer, and some boards hold their parts much more tightly than others.
• Use a quick-grab glue for the tripod legs: the recesses are shallow, so a slow glue won't hold them while it dries.
• Roll the plans around a cocktail stick, which gives the right diameter for all four to fit in the stand, and glue the ends.
• Sanding can lighten the coloured edges; touch them up with a brown paint pen afterwards.

Part 3: The Shelving and the Room

Now the room itself takes shape: the arched alcoves, the bookcases and shelves with their small ornaments, a wall lamp, and the first of the wiring for the lights.

• Parts made of several layers stacked together have no alignment tabs. Line them up carefully and use a glue that gives you a few seconds to adjust before it grabs.
• Use a weight or a square block to hold parts at a precise angle where the kit doesn't give you pegs to set it.
• The small wall lamp has no pilot hole. A tiny groove cut in the archway gives it something to sit in.
• Glue small round items on the shelves very securely; anything that comes loose once the case is closed will rattle around inside.
• The wiring shown in the manual may not match exactly how the wires come in the kit. Trust the manual's routing and check again when the lights go in.

Common Problems and How to Fix Them

Parts chip when you press them out

Score around stubborn parts with a craft knife, rock them out gently, and colour any chips with a brown paint pen.

The paper covers wrinkle or tear

The glue is too wet or there's too much of it. Switch to a fast-tack paper glue and spread a very thin layer.

Glue marks show on the wood

Super glue spills leave glossy, crusty marks on the veneer. Use a precision nozzle, or a gel glue that's more forgiving.

The lights don't work

Check the batteries and every connection. Our guide on what to do when book nook LEDs aren't working has a full checklist.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is the Vintage Library the same kit as Library of Books?

Yes. Library of Books is the name on the original box; we sell it as the Vintage Library book nook.

How difficult is it?

Intermediate. It's manageable for a first book nook if you're patient, but there are many small books to make and some fiddly parts. For gentler options, see our list of the best book nook kits for beginners.

How many pieces does it have?

217 pieces.

Which glue should I use?

A good fast-tack paper glue for the book covers and pictures, and a quick-grabbing glue with a fine nozzle for the wooden parts.

Is there a PDF of the instructions?

The kit includes a printed manual. We don't host a PDF, but the videos in this guide show the build step by step.

Ready to Build Your Own?

If a quiet old library for your shelf sounds good, the Vintage Library book nook kit comes with everything you've seen in the videos. For another build with a complete video guide, see our Dreamy Book Hall guide.

About the Videos in This Guide

The videos come from Milgeek, where the build is filmed with a running commentary full of practical tips. We aren't connected to the channel; it's simply the most detailed walkthrough of this kit we've found. If it helps you, give the channel a subscribe.

The videos are in build order, and each one carries on with the next part when it finishes.