Haiti Design Collective is "a non-profit artisan production and training center based in Port au Prince, Haiti. They are dedicated to business development, skill training, and fostering a positive and uplifting work environment". About their Maker's Box:
THE MAKER’S BOX IS YOUR CHANCE TO CONNECT WITH A HAITI DESIGN CO ARTISAN, HEAR THEIR STORY, AND RECEIVE A THOUGHTFULLY MADE PRODUCT DIRECT FROM THEIR STUDIO. WE RELEASE A NEW MAKER’S BOX FOUR TIMES A YEAR—ONE FOR EACH SEASON. YOU CAN PURCHASE AN INDIVIDUAL MAKER’S BOX, OR YOU CAN ORDER AN ANNUAL SUBSCRIPTION TO GET THE LATEST BOX DELIVERED STRAIGHT TO YOUR DOOR!
This month's box is being reviewed thanks to an MSA reader request!
My Subscription Addiction paid for this box. (Check out the review process post to learn more about how we review boxes.)
About Haiti Design Co Makers Box
The Subscription Box: Haiti Design Co Maker's Box
The Cost: $59.00 per season + shipping. Save with longer commitments.
The Products: "You'll receive a 5-8 piece surprise, exclusive collection from our Makers".
Ships to: U.S. for $16.00
Haiti Design Co Makers Box May 2018 Review
First, you'll see a card with a Haitian Proverb on it.
The other side has a handwritten note from the HDC Team.
Then, another card that talks about what the Haiti Design Collective is and how your purchases support the Makers.
There's also a sticker.
Since this season's box focuses on woodwork and metalwork, they've included a small business card that talks about each. First, the woodwork.
You'll also receive a card to meet one of the makers of your items. This one features Zobolo, the leader of the woodworking team.
Hand-carved Wooden Tray
I am such a sucker for wooden catch-all trays like this one. I have them all over my house as a place to put change, lip balm, or jewelry. This one is a rounded rectangular tray that measures s3.5 x 7 inches and about an inch deep. It was hand-carved by someone on Zobolo's team and has "Haiti" etched into the bottom. Extremely lightweight and presumably stained to a rich dark red color, this tray is great for all of the things I mentioned and more. It can go in the bathroom to hold a candle or soaps, on your nightstand for jewelry, or near your front door to hold any small items that need a place to rest (like keys). I think this is just lovely and it will be put to good use in my home.
Hand-carved Wooden Pineapple Candle Holders
The other featured wooden item this season are these cute pineapple candle holders! I, unfortunately, didn't have the right size candles on-hand, but each one is over three inches tall, about an inch and half deep and has an opening about an inch wide. These would be perfect for an outdoor dinner in the summer to light the table after dark. They're hand carved and stained to give each pineapple its characteristic green leafy crown and dark outer dimples. Even though I don't see myself using these, pineapples have been on-trend for a while and these are just so cute!
The next card talks about the steelwork portion of the collective.
And this card allows you to meet Franklin Saint Jean who works with his team to create the metal items in this season's box.
Recycled Steel Oil Drum Cactus Art
Eeek- I love cacti and of course they've been really popular recently in all forms. As the literature states, Boss Renel's team uses old oil drums to create their art like this piece here. They've cut and stamped it by hand to make the cactus design on the "sign" that measures roughly 3.5 x 6 inches. This cactus comes in a pot and has a dotted border for more flair. Each corner has a hole punched in it so you can hang this with screws, nails, or even pushpins. This has a very raw feel to it so I think it'd be great to hang in a patio area or sunroom near a succulent garden!
Beaded Tassel Necklace
Wow- I love this! The cream and various blue-hued beads hold on to a large four-inch tassel made from what looks like maybe thin straw held together by a metal cone. This was no-doubt handmade and perhaps by more than one team since this has beading and metalwork. The necklace is quite long as you can see by the photo of me wearing it, but I kinda like it. It makes a great statement piece for an otherwise simple outfit and the colors are perfect.
Metal Tassel Earrings
Matching earrings too! These are slightly smaller versions of the necklace tassel at three inches high total (with earring hook), just without any beadwork. They are surprisingly lightweight even though they have the metal cone, but it's so thin and the tassel material is extremely light. I love that they've sent a set but I can't decide whether it's too much to wear them together. What do you think?
The Verdict: Although it's on the pricier side, my first Haiti Design Co Maker's Box was awesome! I really liked the two materials they focused on this season (metal and wood) and I was taken aback by receiving 5 items (2 of them being jewelry). Even though the pineapples and cactus art aren't totally my style they are both super cute and I love that they're handmade. The earrings and necklace are also slightly out of my usual style range but I was immediately drawn to them (probably because I love tassels for some reason) so I will be wearing both. Although the tray is probably the simplest design of the box, it's the one I'll get the most use out of. Even if some of these items aren't for me they make great gifts, plus knowing that I'm helping artisans in Haiti is a definite bonus to the handcrafted items.
To Wrap Up:
Can you still get this box if you sign up today? It looks like the window for this one is closed and if you sign up now, you'll get the Summer box as your first (ships June 20th). However, their Facebook page mentioned having some left, so you may want to reach out if you want to start your subscription with this one!
Value Breakdown: At $75.00 ($59.00 + $16.00 shipping) for this box, you're paying about $15.00 per item.
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What do you think of the Spring Haiti Design Co Makers Box?
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