Building & Gifting Craft Boxes

BY LINDSAY MORRIS

You can build a DIY craft box with supplies you have at home or buy at discount stores. It might be fun to build a theme box – like one that revolves around the seasons, or the child’s interests (think unicorns, sports, or superheroes). Search online for great ideas for all ages. Research the craft you want to create, making sure you have all the supplies. You may want to practice putting the craft together before showing your grandchildren how to make it. If you’re not the crafty type, you can still give your grandkids a craft box instead of planning an activity to do together. Consider a box of art supplies for them to enjoy while they’re at your house, or a box filled with coloring books and crayons to play with during their next road trip. A great craft box should include the basics: construction paper, a sketch pad, scissors, a glue stick, crayons, markers, colored pencils, a ruler, yarn, and strong and clear tape. Other items could include tissue paper, watercolors, a paintbrush and a plastic cup for water, pipe cleaners, felt, buttons, ribbon or lace, pom poms, googly eyes, glitter, etc.

You can get creative with the concept of boxes for kids and offer more than just craft activities in a box. For example, you could build a gift box that keeps giving year-round. A great example is found at totallythebomb. com/homemade-adventure-gift-box. One grandma gave her grandkids a box filled with one envelope for each month of the year. Each envelope was creatively decorated with stickers and drawings that gave them hints of what might be inside.

The envelopes contained things that the grandmother could do with her grandchildren throughout the year, like tickets to a baseball game, a trip to the bowling alley, horse stables, etc. She gave this to her grandchildren at Christmas, so it was a gift that lasted the whole year long!

Many websites offer themed subscription boxes that take the guesswork out of shopping for grandkids. Some, like KiWi Co., are designed to teach science, math, and other educational concepts. Kids can explore different cultures with boxes from Little Global Citizens, learn to cook with America’s Test Kitchen, and protect the environment with Green Kids Crafts. Many websites offer a discount for the first order and reduced rates for monthly subscribers

CrateJoy offers monthly subscription craft boxes for kids. The boxes are shipped to your home and offer all the supplies and step-by-step instructions on how to build the craft with your little one. One of the most popular offerings is the STEAM box, which features science experiments and educational materials.

Another box that teaches kids something handy is the Discover Art box, which provides an art kit with “strategically placed dots” and an online video instruction that guides the child in ageappropriate art projects. There are even

Preschool Boxes with simple crafts with hands-on experiences for ages 3-6.

Sensory Theraplay boxes were created by an occupational therapist who works with children who have developmental delays or neurological differences.

After receiving frequent questions from parents about toys and activities to help their children, the therapist decided to create a subscription box service with toys that are both fun and therapeutic for promoting developmental skills.

Though developed for children on the autism scale and those with sensory processing needs, the toys can benefit all children with anxiety, temper tantrums, and impulsivity, according to the developer.

Etsy offers several ready-made craft boxes.

You can select crafts, as well as seasonal projects (I found summer, Halloween, and

Thanksgiving craft boxes).

Making something by hand is a creative process that has benefits for the creator, as well as the community. Crafting brings “the personal” to a world where so many human interactions have gone online. Those who buy crafts often feel like they have more control over and information about their purchase. It allows them to support the maker, as well as express their own consumer values like sustainability and environmentalism, through their decisions.

Studies show that crafting, regardless of the medium, can bolster your mood, increase self-confidence, improve mental agility, and reduce stress. The relaxed, repetitive motions of many crafts, such as knitting and crocheting, help calm the body and the brain, helping to reduce depression and anxiety. The “flow” that can be achieved is akin to that of meditation. The cognitive engagement required is thought to help protect our brains from age-related decline, too.

Tulsan Terri Barber has experienced some of those benefits firsthand. Although Barber has painted for most of her life, her painting took on a new purpose after a cancer diagnosis in 2015.

“It became almost therapy in a way because it just was something I could focus on. I put on my headphones and just started painting,” she recalls. “I just threw myself into it,” she said.

A prolific painter, Barber’s subjects grew from pets to people and everything in between. While Barber has always painted for the love of it, like many artisans and crafters, she’s incidentally discovered a market for her creations.

TERRI BARBER Tulsa Artist

BY JULIE WENGER WATSON

Creating handmade arts and crafts provides enjoyment and relaxation to the maker. If you’re thinking of taking your hobby to the next level by selling items to the public, here are some ideas for getting started.

In a world inundated with mass-produced products, making your own art and crafts can seem like an act of rebellion. The deliberate, labor-intensive process of creating a unique work by hand is the antithesis of assembly line robotics. Though most of what we buy is the product of digitized, mechanized fabrication, the desire to craft – and the market for handcrafted objects – persists.

If you hope to create a regular income stream, rather than a casual sale here and there, you may want to consult a lawyer or the Small Business Administration (sba.gov) on the best way to set up your business. Different business entities may provide tax advantages or liability protection. It’s also important to be aware of potential tax obligations, from collecting and remitting sales tax to reporting this additional income. Consult with an accountant if you have questions. Consider how you will price your product, taking into account your material expenses and your time, as well as what a potential purchaser might pay. What about marketing? Whether you sell in person or online, you’ll likely need a social media presence and possibly a website. Instagram is popular because of its focus on images.

Decide if you want to sell online, in-person, or use a combination of both. Selling in-person might range from having your own storefront to selling through an existing brick-and-mortar merchant or consignment store. Many makers opt for renting tables at markets or festivals. In-person sales allow you to meet your customer base, which builds community and brand loyalty. Local, in-person sales mean there’s not likely to be a lot of competition from other makers for your unique product. On the flip side, your customer base is limited by geography. Many of Terri Barber’s sales result from word of mouth. She’s also a regular at the Meadow Gold Market Days held near Buck Atom’s Cosmic Curios on East 11th Street. You can find some of her work at Buck Atom’s as well.