A miniature look inside my Rolife diy diorama craft dollhouse

Last summer I spotted a new and intriguing display at The Plant Place Garden Centre.

The stand was filled with miniature dolls house style rooms – around 6 – 8 inches cubed – including a tiny tea room, greenhouse and a book store.

The display models were so eye-catching that several shoppers, like me, had stopped to take a closer look.

The most incredible thing about them is the level of intricate details – teeny-tiny hand-crafted coffee machines and individually folded books, a few millimetres square.

I’m not one to jump on every craft and hobby trend, but these just fascinated me so much that I had to try one for myself.

I started with the ‘Tea Time’ cafe – it was the most appealing design, as a lover of coffee culture.

The instructions say it should take 24 hours – well, it actually took me four months!

It’s a great challenge and a test of patience.

I found it quite relaxing to work on this during an evening, to get away from the smartphone and do something more mindful than scrolling through Facebook.

It involves painting, gluing, and assembling...and the most tricky part was wiring up the LED lighting!

Miniature tea pots and cafetieres are all made using tiny beads and wire provided in the kit.

Cute little flowers and plants are glued together using the miniscule paper petals and blades of grass.

I thumbed through the instructions countless times to get things right – but I felt a sense of achievement when it was finished.

It now has it's own place on my shelf...and I'm working my way through the full collection of dioramas from Rolife.

The Rolife model kits and book nooks are also available from Dawson’s Emporium, in St Annes.

Here is my step-by-step guide to how I completed my first diorama.