Doodle Crate, by KiwiCo, is a subscription box targeted to older children, aged 9-16 that delivers a monthly art project. They describe themselves as a “studio for hands-on creativity delivered every month" and they're one of our favorite art boxes for kids!
KiwiCo offers boxes for different age groups:
- Panda Crate for 0-24-month-olds,
- Koala Crate for 2-4-year-olds,
- Kiwi Crate for 5-8-year-olds,
- Atlas Crate for 6-11-year-olds,
- Doodle Crate and Tinker Crate for 9-16+-year-olds,
- Eureka Crate and Maker Crate for ages 14 and up.
There really is something for every age with this company!
This box was sent to us at no cost for review. (Check out our review process post to learn more about how we review boxes.)
About Doodle Crate
The Subscription Box: Doodle Crate
The Cost: $19.95 per month. Save with longer subscriptions.
The Products: Instructions and supplies for children aged 9-16 to create one new art project each month.
Ships to: The U.S. for free, Canada for $3.95 per month, worldwide from $4.95-$6.95.
Doodle Crate Woven Landscapes Review March 2021
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Our project this month is to make woven landscapes using a weaving technique. This booklet includes instructions for two different types of knots we can try, along with the directions for assembling the various pieces for our projects. The illustrations are large and detailed, which is so helpful with a project like this. I loved the idea of doing textile art. I have seen some gorgeous tapestries using a similar method, so I was eager to get started!
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They provided two wooden loom pieces and two frames for us.
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They also provided five different colors of yarn, three different colors of wool roving, and some white string.
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There was a plastic needle for the yarn, a wooden needle for the roving, some stickers, and a wooden comb to help keep our yarn rows together. There were also three different templates for us to use. You can see the third one which is on the back of one of these in my design.
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The first step was the weave. This was simply just wrapping the teeth of my loom with the white string making sure the string was somewhat tight.
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Next, I had to slip my template in behind the strings, which may have been the trickiest part of this whole process!
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Now it was time to weave the weft. I tied my yarn to the string at the end of my first shape and then threaded the other end through my orange needle. Then it was just in and out and back again all across the shape until it was filled in. I tied it off and cut the string when it was done before moving onto the next shape and completing the same process again.
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For my cactus, I chose to weave the roving. This process was essentially the same but just a bit different due to the fluffiness of the roving. I kind of kept it lumpy and uneven so that my cactus would have more of a textured look.
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With the weaving all done I placed the loom inside the frame and used the stickers to hold it in place.
Here is my finished landscape. While there is definitely room for improvement, I am so glad they included enough for two different pictures because I feel like I can do so much more next time now that I have the technique down.
Verdict: I love that we explored textile art through this month's Doodle Crate! I have always been so fascinated by the woven tapestries I have seen and now I feel inspired to try my hand at it (you know, if I ever get the time!). While my project wasn't perfect, it allowed me to see how the process worked and what could go wrong (my string was a bit too tight) so that on my next one, which they provided plenty of extra materials for, I can really go bold and try something different, and maybe even perfect the art! While I'm a grown adult doing this project, I think that the simplicity of these templates and the way they explained and illustrated the process will be suitable for the age group this is intended for. This was a really cool project that I found to be incredibly inspiring!
To Wrap Up:
Can you still get this box if you sign up today? It is possible you might get this crate, but it is not a guarantee. From KiwiCo:
Crates are assigned each month based on availability and your crate history – not all subscribers receive the same theme each month.
Check out all of our Doodle Crate reviews and the best subscription boxes for tweens and teens!
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