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New Hobby Box Subscription Box Review + Coupon – May 2016

Anna Rodriguez
ByAnna RodriguezJun 8, 2016 | 7 comments

new-hobby-may

New Hobby Box
4.4 overall rating
13 Ratings | 8 Reviews

New Hobby Box is a subscription that sends you everything you need to take up a new hobby every month! I love learning how to do new things, so I was really excited to try this!

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

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The Subscription: New Hobby Box

The Cost: $30 + $7.26 shipping = $37.26 per month with discounts for longer commitments

COUPON: Save 10% off your first box with ADDICTION (6-month subscriptions only).

The Products: Everything you need to try out a new hobby every month

Ships to: US

Good to Know: You can skip any month you're not interested in!

Check out all our New Hobby Box reviews and the Lifestyle Subscription Box Directory!

Keep Track of Your Subscriptions: Add this box to your subscription list or wishlist!

new-hobby-may-supplies

These are the supplies I was sent this month. My new hobby for May was scrimshaw! What is scrimshaw? I had no idea either, but it is etching and inking on whale bone! It's an old whaler's craft, but now it is done on all types of bones and other materials.

New Hobby Box does not send printed instructions, so the tutorials are all online. You can print them out, but so far I have found the videos they post even more helpful.

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Y'all, scrimshaw is really hard. I know this picture is a little blurry, but it's not as blurry as you think, and it wouldn't matter if it was crystal clear. You get the idea. This is my effort at scrimshaw on plastic. They did send some little pieces of faux bone, and I may give it a shot at some point, but this was pretty discouraging.

Verdict: Despite the fact that scrimshaw is really hard, and I don't have a natural talent for it, I'm glad I tried it. It also seems that everyone finds it very difficult, so maybe if I keep at it I might be okay at it. I love that New Hobby Box gave me the opportunity to try it. I have seen lots of comments about how the value of the items sent are not worth the price on this and other crafting / skill boxes, and I have to say that I don't think it's fair to appraise these boxes just by the value of the materials. The project selection, material sourcing, and instruction all has a lot of value to me, personally. It's definitely one of those boxes that you just have to decide for yourself if it's worth it. I'm a huge fan of New Hobby Box!

Spoiler Alert: July's hobby is how to pick locks! It sounds kind of salacious, but it will probably be one of those skills I'm glad I have!

What do you think of New Hobby Box?

Starting at $29.99
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New hobby Box is a subscription box for men and women, 18 years and older, that sends you a new hobby every month. The hobbies are meant to expose you to new things and teach you lesser known skills.
Anna Rodriguez
Anna Rodriguez
Anna has been a fan of subscription boxes since joining Birchbox in 2013, but didn't become a true addict until discovering subscriptions she could share with her children. Her favorites include Kiwi Crate and Fab Kids.

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7 comments

Mieke

My husband worked for a bank for a few months a couple of years ago, and one of the things they taught him was how to pick locks. He says it’s one of the best things he’s ever learned. (And it sure came in handy when our toddler locked herself in our bedroom.. three times before we wised up and bought a new door knob!)

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chris

I love that this box introduces hobbies I would have never heard of or thought to try before otherwise.

A noble attempt, Anna! Excited for next month. 🙂

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Anna

LOL thanks chris!

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...

This is the “Faux Ivory Oval Pendant Scrimshaw Kit” kit from scrimshawstudio dot com. It sells for $24.95 + $5 shipping.

Lockpicking is neat, but I’d bet anything they’ll send the same lockpicking set that’s on Amazon for $15–$25.

I love the idea of this sub, but I don’t see how it could be worth the money at all.

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samantha

I haven’t tried it yet because it’s supposed to be so hard, but it sure makes me appreciate the workmanship scrimshaw pendant I picked up in Hawaii a few years ago.

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Ragan

When I was in undergrad, there was a girl who would come to chemistry lectures and sit and do some sort of scrimshaw or wood-carving thing (it was a big lecture hall). Who knows if she was actually listening to the lectures or not? But I think that is the only time I have seen someone with that hobby.

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Anna

LOL! Having never spent months at sea before, I don’t know anyone with this hobby, either. 🙂

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