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IT’S BY U Flower Arranging Kit Subscription Box Review – May 2018

Emily Cosnotti
ByEmily CosnottiMay 22, 2018 | 13 comments

IT'S BY U subscription shipping box

It's By U
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IT'S BY U is a DIY flower arranging kit subscription service. They send the vase style of your choice along with flower arranging tools in your first shipment followed by new flowers and custom instructions weekly, bi-monthly, or monthly.

Reviewed by popular demand!

IT'S BY U shipping box side view

IT'S BY U shipping box open

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

This review is of the French Country style subscription starter kit and monthly subscription.

IT'S BY U first box plant kit review

About IT'S BY U

The Subscription Box: IT'S BY U

The Cost: $59.00 a month (or $49.00 per week for weekly shipments, $55.00 every other week for bi-monthly shipments)

The Products: A one-time starter kit shipment with vase and flower arranging tools and fresh-cut flowers with arranging instructions delivered on the schedule of your choice.

Ships to: Continental U.S.

IT'S BY U Starter Kit and Flowers May 2018 Review

info booklet

inside of info booklet

back of info booklet

My first shipment from IT'S BY U came in two deliveries. The first box was delivered by USPS and included a ceramic vase, flower cutting scissors, and a wooden expandable ruler. The shipment also included an enthusiastic info booklet that let me know more about my starter kit and that my flower shipment would arrive soon. The starter kit has a listed value of $50.00.

it's by u subscription style choice

When you sign up for IT'S BY U, you start by selecting what style of vase and flowers you'd like to receive. I selected the French Country style.

IT'S BY U french country vase

French Country Ceramic Vase

My starter kit included the same glazed ceramic vase pictured in the French Country example. It has a raised column in the middle with shorter tubes around it.

top view of vase to show holes

Here's an overhead view of the vase. The vase is divided into tubes to help add structure to arrangements and lets you put flowers exactly where you want without worrying about them shifting too much in the vase.

IT'S BY U french country vase bottom

IT'S BY U french country ceramic glazed vase detail

The glazed finish on this vase is so pretty! It looks like a vintage or handmade piece and works so well with the other ceramics in my home.

flower cutting scissors

scissor packaging detail

Oasis Floral Scissors - Retail Value $6.60

The starter kit also included a pair of Oasis brand floral scissors for trimming flower stems. It's important to have sharp scissors when cutting stems so you don't crush the cut ends.

flower cutting scissors with yellow handles

scissor blades

The blades are serrated to get through steams easier. They did a great job on softer stems but I needed extra strength to cut through branches.

IT'S BY U wooden ruler

36" Expandable Wooden Ruler

The kit also included a wooden ruler for measuring stems so you can cut them to a specific length.

IT'S BY U wooden ruler expanded

The ruler expands to measure up to 36". It has also been branded with IT'S BY U's website along with the message "Make stuff. Save Money. Be epic." All good things!

IT'S BY U flower shipping box

Later in the day after my starter kit had arrived, my fresh flowers arrived via FedEx.

IT'S BY U flower shipping box

The positive and cheerful messaging on the box reflects my exact thoughts on receiving my first bunch of flowers!

IT'S BY U flower shipping box open

The stems arrived wrapped in paper and secured to the box with a zip tie.

flower stems delivered

Bouquet of Seeded Eucalyptus, Cremona Mums, Waxflower, PomPom Mums, and Larkspur

The stems were neatly bound together with the delicate Cremona mum buds wrapped in protective netting.

IT'S BY U French Country May Instructions

IT'S BY U sent May's arrangement instructions by email along with a link to a video. It includes care instructions for the flowers along with the names of each flower in the shipment and 3 different arrangement options with optional variations: "Spring Garden," "Pretty & Compact," and "Field Bouquet". These instructions were so helpful and something I've always thought was missing from other flower delivery services. I also really liked being able to choose from a list of options rather than feeling like I could only make one thing. Because of these options, I received way more flowers than I actually need to fill the small vase from my starter kit. Having extra flowers meant that I could make additional arrangements in other vases I own and/or give them away to friends! I love eucalyptus and more casual, flowy flower arrangments so I chose to make the "Field Bouquet" design.

The flowers arrive in a dormant state so IT'S BY U recommends trimming the ends getting them in water immediately to rest for about an hour before starting to build the arrangement.

detail of cremona mums

Here are the Cremona mums with the protective netting removed and allowed to rest with the stems in water for an hour. It's important to remove excess greenery from stems before arranging flowers as leaves decay quickly in water and will make your vase water unpleasant (for you and your flowers!) very quickly. The booklet provided the tip of running a towel along the stems to remove the leaves quickly and it worked really well.

trimming cremona mums for vase

After removing excess leaves, the instructions for the stated to start by trimming 8 of the mums to 6" and 2 mums to 7.5-8". The longer mums are for the middle spot and the shorter mums will go around the outside.

first cremona mum in place

placing cremona mums in vase

I placed a single mum in each of the outside tubes and started with just one in the center tube to see how it would look.

vase filled with cremona mums

Here are all the mums in place with a second tall mum added in the center tube. I then cut the waxflower in shorter lengths to be added to the vase.

adding waxflowers to vase

The instructions recommended adding waxflowers under and over the mums in every other tube around the outside.

preparing pom pom mums

Next, I cut and added some green pompom mums.

ready to add seeded eucalyptus

Then came my favorite part, adding the eucalyptus! The instructions say to add eucalyptus sparingly, only placing one or two small branches at the edge of the arrangement. An alternative use is to remove the leaves and just add the seeds, sprinkled in among the flowers.

finished arrangement

Here is my finished arrangement!

back of finished arrangement

top view of finished arrangement

The arrangement looks different from all sides but is overall pretty balanced. I like the simple color palette of white and green with a few pops of magenta from the waxflowers.

leftover flowers and finished arrangement

And here are all the extra stems! I could easily make a few more simple arrangements from this wealth of flowers and pass them around the office. I ended up giving the extra flowers to Marne for her to enjoy at home.

Verdict: I was so impressed by my first shipment from IT'S BY U. I loved being able to pick a style that suited me and was impressed by the starter kit that arrived before my first bouquet of flowers. Arranging your own flowers can be daunting, and it's so hard to figure out what to do with cut flowers all on their own. This service gives you a one-time starter kit shipment with a reusable vase, flower arranging tools flowers followed by a shipment of flowers and instructions tailored to the specific style you have chosen and the exact flowers you'll receive. For $59.00 I received way more flowers than I have with other bouquet services plus detailed instructions and choices on what to do with them. I'm looking forward to what flowers I'll get next month!

To Wrap Up:

Can you still get this box if you sign up today? You can sign up today and get the same French Country starter kit but will receive different flowers depending on the month.

Check out more DIY and decor subscription boxes for your home!

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

What do you think of my first IT'S BY U shipment and arrangement?

Starting at $61.95
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It’s By U is THE do-it-yourself flower kit company! We ship you a kit with everything you need to become your own florist – the farm-fresh flowers, tools, containers, and a streaming video lesson.
Emily Cosnotti
Emily Cosnotti
Emily is a design enthusiast who loves beautiful objects. She's really into vegan snacks, corgis, home goods, and minimalist makeup. She is currently fostering a healthy subscription addiction.

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13 comments

Caroline

You can use FRESH20 for 20% off of your first subscription delivery with It’s By U!

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Pearl

I’m sorry. Your first paragraph answered my question.

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Pearl

Emily, you did an awesome job with this review. If they ever have an introductory offer/coupon, I think I may try. Another comment mentioned that you get one vase and flowers every week/month/biweekly. Is this true or would I get a new vase every month?

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Caroline

You can use FRESH20 for 20% off of your first subscription delivery with It’s By U!

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allisen

I love this! It’s pricey, but after a few months of their flowers + tutorials, you’d have the skills to switch back to grocery store bunches. Now I just need an occasion worth treating myself for 🙂

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Lana

so they send you one vase and later you are paying $50+ a month just for flowers? too $$ imo

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Amy

This is such a great idea for a subscription box! I love that there are so many options involved, from the vase and bouquet style to all the possibilities for individualizing the bouquet itself. I’ll probably sign up for this one once I get back from traveling over the next couple of weeks.

Emily, can you give me a rough estimate of the dimensions of the vase and of your finished bouquet (maybe without the eucalyptus)? The last picture kind of threw me because the bouquet looked smaller than I was expecting next to the extra stems, so either the vase is smaller than I thought or those extra stems are ginormous. Thank you!

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Emily Cosnotti

The vase is 6″ tall at the highest point and with flowers it’s about 7 1/2″ tall. The diameter with flowers is about the same around 8″. It’s not centerpiece size but looks good on a nightstand or desk – hope that helps!

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Anne

I think This is one of the coolest subscription concepts yet! It looks so unique and not TOO challenging, but like a good project at the same time.

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MinnePuffin

This looks so cool. I love the industrial vases. I may have texted my BF the link already. I’d definitely rather get this than a vase of pre-arranged flowers for my anniversary!

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KristenKay

That is so cute but also out of my price range right now. I think it’s priced right but more than I can afford right now.

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Heather

This is such a cool idea! I loved reading this review. If I had a couple hundred dollars to burn every month, I’d definitely sign up!

Unfortunately, I think I’ll have to stick to the Trader Joe’s bargain bunches. 🙂

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Chris

My thought exactly.. great price and beautiful flowers. Could buy alot for this price.. but without the directions!! Fine by me.. looks fun but way too pricey

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