DIY Night Light 3D Puzzle Bear Lantern Kit - Christmas Gift

I visited the grandchildren (4&6) as a surprise for Valentine's Day. This arrived on Feb 14th and is SO beautiful. It's lovely to look at, and for a long while. Very tranquil, like watching fish. It truly looks better than the pictures portray. I got the heart shape and while it looks kind of awkward online and the box, the heart looks much more aesthetically pleasing in person, and more like a true heart shape (but it is angular, which really adds dimension and more light refraction to the project). It's made of a strong plastic material but semi-flexible (not rigid) and sturdy enough to take some minor beating. I dropped the completed project on the floor a few times and it was perfectly fine. More on that later. There is a fine plastic protective film on both sides of the material which can be tricky and time consuming to get off, but once you have a little piece lifted, it comes off super quick and in one piece. The color of the material is stunning. It's a kaleidoscope of soft opalescent colors that blend into a harmonious whole. And with the lights on the inside mixed with the angled construction, it really makes a unique masterpiece. Truly. The project is constructed similar to a puzzle but connected via small plastic anchors. There are holes in the puzzle pieces (you don't see them once constructed) that fit together. To help you match sides/pieces (most confusing part of the project), the holes are set apart the same distance for the mates (pieces joined together) but are set at a different length from other matching mates. You always connect a straight side with a flap side (flap goes under the straight side). The anchors are snug and sturdy, but if you make a mistake (like me), you can force them apart. You think you will break the material but you won't. Worse case scenario is you break an anchor, but they give you a LOT of extra anchors. So, make sure you follow the directions (which are less than to be desired). The anchors first go into the straight side and then through the flap side of its matching mate. The lights are a long string and pretty. Only on and off. No blinking. Make sure you follow the directions of when and where to insert them. It is NOT at the end of the project, but the middle, when you are still constructing the project. The project has a larger hole towards the bottom (ventricle area of the heart). The hole helps with the final constructing process when you need your fingers inside the heart to help afix the anchors but you can't slip your fingers through the seams of the project. The hole provides you permanent access. This is great for girls AND boys. I made one for my granddaughter (4 yo) first because I knew she would like it, and showed it to my grandson (6). He said "wowww" and that it was "so cool," and "I wish I had one!" Yeah, he liked it! Darn, I had to build the second one. = ( Drawbacks: (1) Directions. The directions need more clarity, especially the pictures. To help, they have provided a video but I didn't watch it. Suggestion: watch the video! (2) Time. When the directions say it takes an hour to put together, they mean it! And in my case, more. (3) Assembly. It can get confusing, so this is not a project for kids to assemble on their own. I'm not sure how useful or clear the video is so maybe this is a moot point. I put together two of them one after the other and STILL struggled when connecting the 3 modular (multiple pieces connected together) pieces together. (4) Cord. The lights are very pretty and are on a long strand inside the heart. They are connected to the cord which is outside the heart. The cord is all too short. They provide a plastic hook with a security snap to hang the project, but to hang you need length, and this cord doesn't have it. And since it is a USB connector on the opposite end, I had to use my cell phone charger to plug it into the wall (will only work if plugged into an outlet). I don't know if they make USB extension cords, but it would be helpful. Or, what would be fabulous is if they manufactured a rechargeable unit. Anyhow, finding a decent location caused me to drop it as I tried to rest the hook on several things nearby. It's not my house so I didn't use nails. (5) Price. $20 if I remember correctly. I would buy it again because it's calming and handsome to look at, but the time it takes to put it together was not my cup of tea, and the cord is way too short, so the price point is questionable. But the materials are solid, so, it's up to you. Nice feature is that you could technically pull it apart for storage purposes, but you may need more anchors to reassemble, so save the extra anchors just in case!

Difficult to put together but it looks nice. I wasn’t able to get all the pieces snapped together but it looks great. Had alot of issues getting pinched and sore fingers.

This product was so much fun for my granddaughter and I, we will be checking out other lanterns to make more for her room. The directions were a little confusing for a child but we figured it out.

Got this for my 8yo grand to make for her Dad or Mom for Valentine's Day! She said she was happy to receive an activity kit, but asked if she could keep it for herself to place in her room because it was so pretty! (parents would've let her do that anyway, lol) --would give 5 stars, but haven't seen the finished product yet...

I purchased these for three of my granddaughters. They love them! They have enjoyed putting them together!!

Very cute but hard to put together. Definitely not for kids under 10. You have to follow the instructions exactly and they are very vague.

It's so much more beautiful than I expected!!! Gorgeous!!! Too difficult for small kids ,- but a teenager would figure it out .

I am a very crafty person. This puzzle absolutely made me crazy. The directions were awful. They need to make the directions in black and white. They took pictures for the directions in the bright colors of the product which you could not see exactly how to put it together. After many hours I finally got it together. Looked good but way to much aggravation

Un poco dificil de armar, pero al acabarla se ve linda ¡¡¡

Si monta in poco tempo e l'effetto è molto bello. Le istruzioni sono in inglese ma c'é anche il video passo passo.

Einderschön

This requires a parents assistance so it’s a great joint project and is beautiful when completed .

Great gifts for my friend, just enough difficulty to make it suitable for a teen or adult. Very pretty