We Make Collective Subscription Box Review – December 2015

Subscription: We Make Collective

Cost Levels [currency converted from British Pounds to USD on 02/22/16]:

  • free: beginner content
  • $14.12/month: access to all online content, BYO supplies
  • $42.36 every other month: subscription
  • $49.32: one time kit purchase

What to Expect: “We Make Kits are not designed to make one, three or even ten different items. They’re made to encourage creative freedom and explore each of our individual ideas of design. The kits are packed full of the very latest in DIY and craft materials you might be struggling to get your hands on elsewhere. ”


 

Okay okay okay I’m SORRY I’ve been so late on posting stuff!! This one I was just lazy because I took a lot of pictures of stuff I made, and yet I never got around to doing part of the craftivity. So, enjoy, and my new box just arrived today so expect that review in the summer 😉

Haha, I hope it doesn’t take that long…

we make box

One of my favorite DIY bloggers is adorable and British. Her name is Fran, and she runs the site Fall for DIY. I still wanted to share this because there are several craft boxes that have gone out of business and thus many crafters in need of a fun box. This is a new one that is bimonthly and instead of giving you the materials for one craft, they want to teach you a new skill. It is spendy, but the pound is dropping so it’s actually decreased in cost for Americans!

 

“Creativity is something we practice and learn. Not something we are born with.” [Fran]

 

bella sneaking up on me

Bella was very excited about the mail on bed! She is spying on me to see if I ordered a kitty box for her yet!

We Make Collective contents

The package is so lovingly wrapped!

 

wemake tutorials
Tutorials | Get Inspiration | Share

The supplies come with a secret password that gives you access to the members only area with the content. 

sugru and inks

Sugru “Fix That Thing” Sample: 8 pack for $22, so $2.75 for this I believe.

This is really neat! I’d never heard of this stuff before, and didn’t know what to do with it but the Sugru site has lots of suggestions. I wasn’t sure what it was for, but We Make suggested making a bowl for the ink.

We Make Ink: Black and White.

I have no idea what ink would cost or how much these bottles hold, but it seems like a pretty good amount!

We Make Collective Contents

Artway Dip Pen Set with 5 Drawing & Calligraphy Nibs: $7.04 from pounds to dollars [only sold from UK sites].

Watercolor Palette: works on paper and fabric!

Water Brush Pen: $6+ on Amazon or from a craft store.

I had one of these already, but didn’t know how to use it so I was really glad to get some paint to go with it!

Disposable Pipettes: Comes in sets, so one example set of 10 is $4.99.

This was a mystery to me! I had no idea what it was until We Make posted an explainer!

Artway Softback Sketchbook: [pictured below] $6.57, but again not available in the US.

 

we make box contents

Above is my photo of all of the contents and below is a description of the contents from the website.

We Make Welcome Pic Explainer Dec15

I wish there was an explainer included in the box because I didn’t know what a couple of the items are for. I know that they want to have crafters keep an open mind and feel free to do whatever, but I also like to know what I’m working with =)

 

Now onto what I made!

practice calligraphy and brush lettering

I started out practicing letters, then moved into brush lettering by making some motivational signs and cards, and then I wrote a letter to my friends with the nibs and ink.

wemakebox8

My only issue with the box was the pen. Four out of five of the nibs were really difficult to put into base, and then I broke the one tip that fit in ='(

 

menu-napkins3

This is from the We Make tutorials page [I didn’t make it]. I was trying to find an example of using the watercolor palette on fabric, and now I’m semi inspired!

 


Verdict: Several of these items were purchased wholesale, are only available in the UK, or were made just for We Make, but even with my guesstimates and conversion pricing this box about equals what I paid. Which is awesome because holy cow it ships from the UK which can be pretty spendy!! Honestly, I think it’s totally worth the price I paid. I’ve had SO much fun making things, and the materials will last me quite a while.

My cons of this box: the website is still a bit frustrating–the instructions and tutorials aren’t arranged very intuitively, and while looking at instructions, there are more random ones that appear on the left side that aren’t in the main area so I don’t know how to get back to them. Also, the Instagram tag #wemakecollective is used by a lot of other people, so it’s really hard to find others who get this box. Sometimes people post on the Facebook group page, but not very often.

The next box came today, and it’s Natural Dyeing, Shibori, & Batik kit which I’ve been wanting to try for a while! I’m so excited to try this, and I’m eyeing the end of March over my Spring Break week! Don’t worry, I’ll also be going to Vegas because uh duhh Spring Break!

shiboriWhat did you think? Are there any calligraphy or watercolor fans out there?

Click to see past We Make Collective reviews here!

 

Disclosure: This box was paid for by me. There are affiliate links.

 

  9 comments for “We Make Collective Subscription Box Review – December 2015

  1. February 23, 2016 at 11:13 am

    loving you reviews of this sub. Does the next one launch in May? I love the idea of trying the batik box but I never know what to dye stuff in. Like do you need to purchase buckets? is it all by hand?

    • February 23, 2016 at 11:30 am

      Thanks! I think you might like it! The next box should be April. I’ll let you know when the theme is sent out, and I’m not sure if there are still dyeing boxes left.

      My problem is not knowing what to dye! For the process I think you can use different things–I’ve seen people using a deep pot on the stove because the water needed to be hot, but when my mom had us dye reeds for baskets we just used the large storage bins. You could also use a laundry/garage sink that you don’t care about! My sister accidentally dyed our brother’s newish laundry room sink brown. Oops. Did you get the sun dyeing kit from Darby Smart? I have one, but there’s so little sun here and the days we have some I don’t get home early enough to utilize it! I was just planning to use a storage bin from the garage.

      • February 23, 2016 at 9:42 pm

        No I didn’t get that Darby Smart kit. I have really only begun to delve into the world of craft boxes. What about placemats for the dyeing project? You could check target clearance section or goodwill for placemats that are any light shade (and no need to match) and then those. I was trying to think of something you might get use out of. Or maybe get crazy and do sheets?

        • February 23, 2016 at 10:38 pm

          Brilliant! My mother in law has a tablecloth like the very last one in this blog post https://flextiles.wordpress.com/2012/07/13/summer-school-report/, except hers is far more detailed and intricate. She’s had it for a very long time, but they just upgraded their 70s circle table to a long rectangle. I was just thinking about making her a shibori tablecloth but it won’t be anywhere near as fancy as what she had. I think it was sewn and then dyed. Even after all these years and washings, you can still see where it was folded and pressed! I will for sure check out the ole Value Village for some practice cloth and step it up to Target for final dyes, thanks!

          • February 24, 2016 at 11:48 am

            yay! can’t wait to see the final product

  2. February 23, 2016 at 2:48 pm

    I LOVE this and the happy little message pic in the right top corner!!! 😉 you did so awesome and that squirrel is on point!!!

    • February 23, 2016 at 10:39 pm

      Thanks! I drew a lot of fat cartoon animals when I was younger, and it was fun drawing some again =)

  3. February 23, 2016 at 7:55 pm

    Love this review and everything in the box! Are you a fan of calligraphy? I took some classes way back I am a bit rusty yours looks very nice! Love Bella she is soooo cute love her “stalking” pictures lol

    • February 23, 2016 at 10:41 pm

      I never learned! My mom gave me her pamphlet/textbook from when she was a teen and I think she gave me some ink pens but I was too lazy to put them together and learn how to use the pens! Mostly we just let the ink cartridges explode… I just write in cursive for everyday writing, so that sort of helps I guess.

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