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Chroma Club Subscription Box Review + Coupon – April 2016

Shawn Brossart
ByShawn BrossartApr 13, 2016 | 8 comments

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Chroma Club
2.5 overall rating
2 Ratings | 0 Reviews

Chroma Club is a new subscription targeting creativity and relaxation through coloring.  Their website says their books “are the perfect blend of art, fun and challenge, with illustrations drawn by artists from around the world."  Each Chroma Club book contains 8 coloring pages with designs ranging in complexity from beginner to intricate drawings.

My Subscription Addiction paid for this box. (Check out the review process post to learn more about how we review boxes.)

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The Subscription Box: Chroma Club

The Cost: $8.00 per month

ACTIVE DEAL: Save $4 off your first month! (3 and 6-month subscriptions)
CODE: HALFOFF

The Products: Every month you will receive an original coloring book.  Chroma Club prints and ships using eco-friendly paper.

Ships to:  US and International.  Shipping is free in the U.S. There is a $0.75 surcharge for shipping to Canada and a $2.50 surcharge to any other country in the world.

Check out the Craft Subscription Box Directory and make sure to add the Chroma Club to your subscription list or wish list!

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Chroma.Club’s goal is to "blend the calming benefits of art therapy with the fun of creativity and innovation, by publishing design that won't bore you, and will create a real connection between the original artworks and the colors you use to add more fun, life, or character to them."

While coloring in this way isn’t considered traditional art therapy as it does not address a specific concern with the assistance of a certified therapist, there seems to be quite a bit of press (and a few studies too) recently about the stress relieving impact of coloring.  I found this article very interesting. 

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I really enjoyed coloring this page.  I was attentive to how I felt when coloring the pages and I definitely felt more relaxed coloring this page then when I was coloring the butterfly.   It might have been a personal preference but it truly did work for me.  If you are interested in reading a study showing reduced anxiety levels in people who colored mandalas (as compared to free form coloring), you can find it here.   

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This was fun to color but I liked the mandala better.  My obsessive self was a little frustrated when the image wasn’t an exact mirror on both left and right sides.  Plus, for some reason this required a bit more thought when coloring.  The repetitive patterns of the mandala put me in a much more relaxed state during the activity. 

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The patterns on this fish are very small.  I want some gel pens before tackling this one!

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Verdict:  We enjoyed using our Chroma Club coloring book.  I left the book with some colored pencils on the kitchen table and throughout the day my daughter and I would sit for a bit to color.  The downside to that approach is that someone else encroaches on your coloring “plan” but the point of an activity like this is to relax and enjoy, so that is what I tried to do.  We found this size was a bit difficult for two people to color at the same time; however, the size is great for one person who wants to carry the book around.  I can see myself taking the book when traveling or when I expect we’ll be waiting some place. 

It’s hard to value this subscription.  I think you have to ask yourself if the $8.00 cost is worth it for you.  An adult coloring book on Amazon typically costs between $5.00-$10.00.  We own three adult coloring books and if you compare the number of pages you receive, the large book format from Amazon is a better deal.  What I don’t like about the large books is that they aren’t as easy to take with you and they typically stick to one theme.  Chroma Club has different designs and themes with an easy to carry booklet which I find more conducive to our needs and interests. 

Does Chroma Club look like something you might enjoy each month?

Starting at $8.00
Active Deal
Save $4 off your first month! (3 and 6-month subscriptions)
Use Coupon Code HALFOFF
Subscribe Now
"Chroma Club is a monthly coloring book subscription that delivers curated unique artwork to our members. Chroma Club comes as flip book of black and white artwork to color with a mix of designs blending traditional mandalas, floral patterns, animals, geometric patterns and quirky designs"
Shawn Brossart
Shawn Brossart
Shawn is a recent subscription box addict but when she fell, she fell hard. She can’t resist a bargain so she receives all kinds of boxes. Her current favorites are natural, holistic, and health and fitness related.

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8 comments

Carol

I’ve been coloring for years. I’m not a fan of pencils, I use sharpies or some other ink. I find ink, sharpies more relaxing

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Shawn

Hi Carol. I have Sharpies but was thinking they would run and/or go through the paper. No such problems for you?

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Celicia Gantz

Welcome Shawn! I loved reading your review. I love coloring as well and find it so relaxing. I wanted to suggest a few pens for your book. From what I can see from the pictures, it looks like the pages may be too thin for the SakuraUSA Gellyrolls which are amazing, but they take longer to dry and will bleed through if the paper is not thick enough. The gel pens from Fiskars are pretty good too. Have you ever seen the PaperMate Flairs in your grocery store or craft store? They’re not gel pens but they have really good pigmentation and don’t bleed.

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Shawn

Celicia, thank you for reading my review and especially thanks for the recommendations on the gel pens. I bought a cheap set already but am looking forward to getting the Fiskars on your recommendation next. Is there such a thing as having enough shades of each color? I’ll have to look at the PaperMate Flairs too. I can definitely say that gel pens make me feel so much better about my coloring skills! 🙂 Thanks again for the warm welcome.

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Virginia

I already suffer from anxiety and the issue with me is not the coloring but picking what colors to use. That alone brings on an anxiety attack. Will leave the coloring to others including my daughter.

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Natalie

I feel exactly the same way! If I don’t plan out a color scheme before hand I end up getting annoyed with the time wasted doing something I ended up hating. I often end up sticking to just one color family because I can’t make the decisions without being stressed.

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chris

Welcome, Shawn! Interesting points about coloring mandalas. Great review!

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Shawn

Thank you very much Chris!

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