Kids of the 80s: do you remember these?

[WeeM]

I was fondly remembering these and wondered if anyone else does…my DD would love doing this sort of crafty thing now!

It was a cardboard 3D model that you built and there were loads of sections/pieces that came flat in a book format and you pressed or cut them out. There were loads of different ones but I remember having a ghost house and an old Victorian M&S shop. The pieces all had little numbered tabs that you folded and glued together. I sat making them for hours on end then played with them afterwards.

wish you could still get them!

Hi OP I loved these type of crafts when I was a kid! Had the model haunted house which is no longer available, plus i made a castle of some sort too. I recently bought that book you posted @Needmorelego but am now a bit less enthusiastic about making it after reading that it's a bit complicated to build!

Ps love your username. DH bought me the Home Alone house for Xmas last year and plan to build it once Halloween is over.

@VictorBaucherOrSomething that haunted house was just the first one that came up on Amazon 😂
It does look quite complicated.
As I said earlier I used to make my own - but it was probably pretty much just basic square houses with a triangle for a roof.
I don't think I went too fancy.
I used to make the dress your own paper dolls and design outfits for them too.

This Model Haunted House (Usborne Cut Out Models) amzn.eu/d/11Kl6vV Usborne Haunted House

this was the one I had-the nostalgia! Only £48 on Amazon 😱!

I was reading the reviews of that Amazon one posted up thread and a few people said it’s really complicated which is a shame.

I think the M&S one was sold for the 100th anniversary of the business, which would have been 1984. I had one and loved it. After we moved into our new house a few years ago, I found a copy of the book, untouched, in a cupboard.

Do you remember Uncle Remus kits?

Oh yes I loved these, made a theatre one then performed puppet type shows with it!
I would have been ten in 1984 so sounds about right.
Can't remember the other ones I did but the Victorian shop is ringing a vague bell. Can someone post a pic?
We had some press out and colour in houses to make a village during lockdown but wasn't quite the same. I want something more elaborate!

Tbh I kind of forgot I had that book, I think it's hiding under a pile of DSs school papers. Need to dig it out and (try to!) build it.

I have now fallen down a 1980s Usborne EBay rabbit hole and found loads of books I owned!

@WeAreTheHeroes you are right…I remember it had penny bazaar on the front I’m sure and lots of little trays of things for sale on the counter inside.

Im not sure I do remember Uncle Remus kits actually

I had the M&S penny bazaar and loved it. I also made a Little Grey Rabbit house, and a ghost house one that had plays you could perform with it.

I loved them so much, thanks for the reminder OP. I wonder if I could persuade DD that they're fun?

I love our modern Usborne theatre
amzn.eu/d/9hVmL6c

It's paper and foam so you can dismantle, store then rebuild.

We've put ours up about 5 times so far. Love the way they have music for each scene. It really is beautiful

I remember them too. I got one for DD at a museum a few years ago.
We also had a few that we more "permenant" buildings to go with a train set and she enjoyed doing those when she was 11 or 12.

There were some very accurate ones to scale for model railway buildings.

I came searching for info on these and wanted to send you this which I just found!