Adults & Crafts Box Review + Coupon – September 2017

Adults and Crafts is a monthly DIY subscription that helps subscribers "learn new crafting techniques to help you create useful, beautiful products you will be proud to have made."

This box was sent to us for review purposes. (Check out our review process post to learn more about how we review boxes.)

The Subscription Box: Adults & Crafts

The Cost: $33 (+ $6.95 shipping) per month, with discounts for 6 and 12-month prepaid subscriptions

The Products: A kit with printed instructions for an adult-level project to use or display in your home.

Ships to: US (for $6.95)

Check out all of our Adults and Crafts reviews and the DIY + Crafting Subscription Box Directory!

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

A letter was included that encourages subscribers to post their finished projects and to give feedback.

This month's project is wood-burning! The step-by-step instructions were very helpful and included good tips for beginners like me. I tried pyrography once as a child and was interested in trying it again as an adult.

I should mention that a different wood-burning project was done in their June 2016 kit, but since I wasn't a subscriber then, it was new to me. It's still worth noting that craft processes might eventually repeat.

The box included a couple of sheets printed with sample designs. The images seem like clip art that was found online. That's okay, but I wish the images had been cleaned up a little more, or that they might consider partnering with artists for more exclusive designs.

Walnut Hollow Creative Wood Burner Introduction Value Pen - Value $11.54

This wood burner comes with four tips and a stand. I wasn't able to figure out how to remove the first tip, so I wasn't able to try the other ones. That's OK though–since the tips need to be removed with pliers when the tool has cooled off, it's not convenient to switch tips midway through a project. (Apparently, serious wood-burning artists use multiple tools.) This tool gets very hot!

2 Bottles DecoArt Americana DuraClear Varnish, 2 fl each - Value $8.26 (Note that you can buy an 8 oz bottle for $5.70 on Amazon)

I'm glad they included two bottles of varnish because it soaked into the wood. When dry, it makes the burnt parts more shiny.

A sheet of carbon paper and a sponge brush were also included.

Darice Wood Recipe Box - Value $6.99

As you can see in the first photo, my recipe box didn't quite close correctly on one side. The wood was also a bit softer than the other pieces I received. The quality is okay for the price, but if I were buying a box that I intended to put a lot of time into decorating, I'd buy a nicer one in the future.

Walnut Hollow Basswood Country Round Coasters, Set of 3 - Value $11.88

These wooden coasters were perfect for wood burning. I like that three were included because it gave me extra chances to practice without feeling like I had to get it perfect on the first try. You could also flip them over and make designs on the back.

Walnut Hollow Carving Block - Value $8.32
5 Memo Pins - Value $0.85?

These two items go together to make a picture holder. The wood block is solid and was easy to work with. The memo pins can hold photos or other small paper items. (Note that I wasn't sure what the brand was for these pins, so I estimated their value based on similar items.)

A piece of practice wood was also included, but I forgot to photograph it before starting in. I made a grid and practiced different ways of making marks into the wood. I'm really glad this piece was included because it gave me more confidence when it came time to work on the real projects.

The first project I made was the photo holder. I decided to follow the directions closely and used the design they provided. The first step was to place the design over carbon paper in order to trace it onto the wooden block.

Here's what it looked like once the lines were traced. From here, it wasn't hard at all to trace the lines with the wood burner. Curves were a little tricky, but they were doable with some patience.

Here's the piece after I finished the design, used a coat of varnish, and stuck the memo pins in the top. They did a great job in choosing this project because it was easy, as a beginner, to achieve similar results as the sample shown in their instructions. The finished item is really nice in person.

After the photo holder, I moved onto the coasters. This time, I used my own designs to burn moth patterns into the wood. I enjoyed experimenting with different textures and lines. This was my favorite project of the three, and I'd like to get more of these coasters so that I can make more.

Finally, I burned a trilobite pattern into the top of the recipe box. I don't feel that it's done–I should add something to the sides–so I haven't sealed it yet. By this point, I was getting more into shading and detail work. Wood-burning is similar to drawing with a pen when it comes to the type of linework that you can do. I was surprised at the subtlety that's possible, and I could see myself really getting into this. This was an easy craft to pick up; I felt like my skills improved quickly as I progressed through each piece.

Verdict: This box costs $39.95 shipped, which works out to $13.33 per project. The cost of the supplies is around the price of the box, but the instructions and convenience of the kit are an added value. I've thought about trying pyrography before but didn't know where to start, so this was a perfect introduction. I like that multiple projects were included because it gave me a chance to really explore the technique. It was easy to achieve nice results for the finished projects as a beginner, and I imagine someone with previous experience would enjoy using most of these supplies as well.

What do you think of Adults & Crafts?