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Box of Happies Subscription Review – January 2019

Ragan Buckley
ByRagan BuckleyFeb 16, 2019 | 11 comments

Box Of Happies January 2019 - Box

Box of Happies
3.5 overall rating
16 Ratings | 4 Reviews

Box of Happies is a monthly subscription box for handmade goods. It’s a great way to discover new Etsy artisans.

Box Of Happies January 2019 - Envelope

The plastic boxes are always protected with lots of bubble wrap.

Box Of Happies January 2019 - Inside

This box was sent to us at no cost for review purposes. (Check out the review process post to learn more about how we review boxes.)

Box Of Happies January 2019 - Review

About Box of Happies

The Subscription Box: Box of Happies

The Cost: $29.99/month for a single upcoming month of your choice (when I played with the shopping cart I was also charged tax but I think that’s because they’re in the same state I am) or $29.49 for a random box from a past month; save with longer subscriptions.

ACTIVE DEAL: Get a bonus handmade necklace in your first box!
CODE: HAPPIES

The Products: 3-5 handmade items such as jewelry, stationery, bath/body items, accessories, and more.

Ships to: US for free

Box of Happies January 2019 Review

If you like jewelry that’s generally delicate and handmade items from Etsy and similar artisans, Box of Happies delivers those things every month. The items are also usually packaged nicely for gifting if something isn’t to your taste:

Box Of Happies January 2019 - Booklet Box Of Happies January 2019 - Insert 1 Box Of Happies January 2019 - Insert 2

You’ll usually get a little card with basic information about the items as well as a Box of Happies business card.

Box Of Happies January 2019 - Cards 1 Box Of Happies January 2019 - Cards 2

Thank You Notecard Set – Listed Value $5

There are four designs here and they are blank inside. This is just the kind of card I like to get because they are tasteful and are really suitable for giving to anyone (I am not fond of hokey pre-printed messages). I don’t usually host events where I am required to write multiple thank you cards at once, but I do like having a few for special occasions.

Box Of Happies January 2019 - Earrings

Box of Happies Earrings – Listed Value $12

These are simple, dangling, textured gold bars and I like them a lot. FYI, you will get a lot of earrings in this subscription. They will be various metal tones. They are usually packaged nicely for gifting if they are not to your taste. I do not have any idea what metal the hooks are made from but you can coat them with clear nail polish before wearing if you are metal sensitive (it works for me, anyway). These are quite lightweight, too, which is nice.

Box Of Happies January 2019 - Hair 1 Box Of Happies January 2019 - Hair 2

Bella Kate Designs Telephone Hair Ties – Retail Value $5.99

Something I did not know about this style of hair tie is that you can put it in hot water to make it go back to its original shape if it has stretched out. Seeing as distortion has always been my complaint about these in the past, that is good to learn (it’s mentioned on the Etsy page for these). Anyway, I love the colors. I somehow managed to actually break one of them, but the other three are still in decent shape. (Raise your hand if you have actually USED a phone with a cord like this, though…)

Box Of Happies January 2019 - Necklace 1 Box Of Happies January 2019 - Necklace 2

Box of Happies Necklace – Listed Value $15

I like this. I make jewelry but I rarely buy the “instant jewelry” settings and stones because I find them kind of pricey and if I had too many, it would be kind of repetitive. But since I don’t buy them – and I do like crystals like this – it is nice to receive one in a box. This has the color of a light yellow topaz and will go with several things in my wardrobe.

Box Of Happies January 2019 - Soap 1 Box Of Happies January 2019 - Soap 2 Box Of Happies January 2019 - Soap 3 Box Of Happies January 2019 - Soap 4

The Soap Shop Bar Soap (lavender) – Retail Value $2.99

The URL was wrong on the information card (eliminate the .com to find the site, which is actually a Google doc). But anyway, this seems to be very nice soap. It smells lovely and it is not drying out my hands. (I am using it on my hands because of the size, it’s a bit smaller than I’d like for a body soap. I am assuming this is the inexpensive sample size.)

The Soap Shop Whale Soap Dish – Listed Value $5

Well, first off, this is adorable, and it looks good next to my bathroom sink. It is a lightweight plastic with drainage slats, which I think are a nice touch and really do help to preserve soap by preventing water from collecting. I did find this for sale online, but not from The Soap Shop. I found it on a wholesale site for around a dollar each (if you buy 100 or more!) and a boutique site for $26.99 and honestly, the price from the information card is looking pretty good to me. (You can also buy these on AliExpress if you don’t mind waiting for weeks to receive them.)

Box Of Happies January 2019 - Vase 1 Box Of Happies January 2019 - Vase 2

Magnetic Bud Vase by ShopIntaglio – Retail Value $5

First off, this is not self-lighted in any way, that’s just the weird lighting in my kitchen shining on it. This looks like it is made from thin sheets of plywood that have been laser cut (just a guess). I think it’s cute and I like that they sent a little fake flower because I’m unlikely to find anything to put in there unless we get some violets growing in our yard this year (it could happen).

Verdict: I calculated a value of $50.98 for the January 2019 Box of Happies. That’s a fair amount above the subscription price. I think this is a really representative month for this box, with a few jewelry items and a few items from Etsy and other independent makers. One thing I like about Box of Happies is that it’s a good way to find out about Etsy shops you might never have otherwise stumbled across, and a good way to get a sense of what their wares are like without paying shipping costs from the individual stores. The jewelry totally suited me this month and actually, I was a fan of pretty much every item for one reason or another.

To Wrap Up:

Can you still get this box if you subscribe today? No, your first box would be February’s. Sometimes past boxes or past box items go on sale in their shop, though.

Value Breakdown: At $29.99 for this box, you are paying approximately the following per item:

  • Thank you cards $2.94
  • Earrings $7.06
  • Hair ties $3.52
  • Necklace $8.82
  • Soap $1.76
  • Soap dish $2.94
  • Bud vase $2.94

Check out our past Box of Happies reviews or find other artisan/handmade items in the artisan subscription box directory!

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

What did you think of the January Box of Happies? Do you get any artisan or handmade subscriptions?

Starting at $29.99
Active Deal
Get a bonus handmade necklace in your first box!
Use Coupon Code HAPPIES
Subscribe Now
"Box of Happies is a fun and unique subscription box of unique handmade products shipped to you each month in a reusable plastic craft box. Each month, you can expect to receive a box full of wonderful handmade surprises from talented artists and indie shops across the nation: jewelry, accessories, ... read more.
Ragan Buckley
Ragan Buckley
Ragan stumbled across My Subscription Addiction in late 2013 and immediately subscribed to way too many beauty boxes. She's now focused on boxes for her cats and dog, vegan/vegetarian food boxes, and craft subscriptions (and she didn't give up beauty boxes entirely).

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11 comments

Nancy

I have really thick hair, and I like these hair ties. I don’t get bumps in my hair when I pull it back.

I love the soap dish. It’s adorable. It will do great in my downstairs bathroom.

I may have to try to sub. There are so many interesting artists on Etsy and this would be a good way to find them.

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DG

I have really thin, fine hair and I think that’s the worst kind for these types of ponytail holders. They just don’t get snug enough and my hair looks sloppy. If I had better hair I would probably use them since they’re supposed to be better for your hair.

As for the cord, not only did my phone during childhood have a cord, early on it also had a rotary dial! It’s amazing how even though I’m not exactly old-old (43) there’s certainly a HUGE difference between my generation and the millennials when it comes to our childhoods because of all the advances in technology. I doubt many kids or even young adults would know what a rotary dial phone is! 😄

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Ragan

We had rotary dial phones when I was a kid but I am not much younger than you. (I was born in 1977.) My parents took an exceedingly long time to replace them.

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DG

Mine too. Plus we only had ONE phone in the whole house. It was in the kitchen where there was no privacy at all.

Kimberly F

We millennials are probably 25-35 now (I’m 30 and always thought I was around the middle of the age range). I definitely had a corded phone growing up! I remember constantly trying to fix the loops because it annoyed me when they get all our of whack! Though in my childhood rotary phones were a novelty, not commonly used.

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DG

Oh I guess I was thinking of millennials as somewhere between 15-30. What’s the name of the newest generation? I think folks around my age are considered “Generation X”.
Anyway, I was thinking more about the absence of cell phones, all but the most basic computers (that few of my peers owned) that did very little. And the absence of the internet of course! Just saying sometimes when I see how kids are growing up now and how young adults grew up, I feel like I should be a lot older than 43. It’s just amazing how so much changed in such a short period of time.

Jessi

The phone cord hair ties are kind of a BS item from an Etsy shop. You can order those on Ali Express or pick them up at Walmart. I don’t want cheap China crap people are distributing from Etsy. I miss when it was homemade things.

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Megan

Except that a very large portion of Etsy shops are re-sellers. I haven’t looked at Etsy in years, but I can only assume that it’s gotten worse. And Etsy would never get rid of those shops even if you complained, since they’re making money from it.

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Jane

Those phone cord looking hair ties don’t work for me. I really like that stationary set though.

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Ragan

They are not the best for me, but they are OK and I will use them. They don’t pull my hair out at least.

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Anna

You can use a hair dryer to shrink the hair ties too, I’ve never tried water but will next time I have a few stretched out.

We had the long cord for the handset on phones probably until I was in high school.

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