ScrawlrBox art subscription box review
What is ScrawlrBox?
ScrawlrBox is a monthly art subscription box. Each box includes a card with a creative prompt, a mini magazine with tips and an interview with a featured artist, plus all the supplies you need to get started. The contents of the box can be anything from drawing materials to paints or inks. They post out all of the boxes at the same time, so you never know what you're going to get! There are usually some sweet treats included too.
ScrawlrBox typical art projects
Recent boxes include charcoal drawing materials, alcohol inks and acrylic paints – so they are very varied. Some recent prompts include "dramatic landscapes", "out of the lamp" (draw a genie!), "fractured figures" and "leading lines".
How much is ScrawlrBox?
A ScrawlrBox subscription is £16.95 per month. There's also the option to subscribe for three months, six months or a year, which works out slightly cheaper overall. You can subscribe here: scrawlrbox.uk/collections/subscription.
Is ScrawlrBox good value for money?
Yes, it's excellent value for money. ScrawlrBox could have scrimped on the art supplies to make more money, but they really haven't – the materials are all very good. The mini magazine inside looks really professional and includes lots of helpful tips and techniques so you get the most out of your box. It's well-packaged and the prompts are a lot of fun!
What are the subscription terms?
You can cancel at any time by logging into your account on the website, so it's very easy to manage your subscription. If you don't want to commit to a subscription, you can subscribe and then cancel it immediately so that you only receive one box. It's also possible to order boxes from previous months to try out.
You can choose a monthly subscription or choose three-month, six-month and yearly options. Please be aware that the subscriptions will renew automatically unless you cancel them.
Scrawlrbox: What's in the box?
This month, I'm testing out the charcoal drawing box. The box includes: a mini ScrawlrZine magazine, a prompt card (dramatic landscapes!), a set of six charcoal sticks, two black graphite pencils, a white graphite pencil, a A5 paper pad with denim-coloured paper, a paper blending stump, a sticker, an eraser and a piece of Art Graf tailor's chalk and a black jack sweet to eat while you draw.
The box doesn't come with detailed step-by-step instructions, which might present a challenge to absolute beginners. However, the ScrawlrZine is well-designed and has lots of useful information to help you get started. For example, this month's magazine includes a description of all of the supplies and how to use them, an interview with the artist Robert Dutton, some detailed tips and techniques, advice from the artist and a feature with advice about how to tackle the month's prompt.
It's like doing an art class in your own home, which you can pick up and start whenever you feel like in the mood!
Are the project's supplies good quality?
Yes! They really are good value for money. The box includes drawing materials from brands such as Derwent and Faber-Castell – they both have a brilliant reputation for producing excellent products for artists. This is the mark of a really good-quality craft subscription box!
On the back of the prompt card, it lists the supplies and their retail value. For example, the charcoal blocks alone would cost you £8.99 if you bought them in an art shop, so this box allows you to try new materials and saves you a bit of money in the process.
What are the delivery options?
UK delivery is free. If you're overseas, then there will be an extra charge. There's very little information about delivery on the ScrawlrBox website, but the boxes are quite small so they should fit through most letterboxes.
Are all of the boxes available nationwide in the UK?
Yes, they are. International delivery is also available for an extra charge, but can take longer depending on where you're based. Boxes take 2-3 days to reach UK addresses, 5-7 days for European addresses and 7-10 days to reach the US. Other international deliveries may take a little longer.
How much packaging is there?
The packaging is very minimal – it comes in a small cardboard box and there's very little plastic inside. The supplies are neatly wrapped up in tissue paper.
Is the packaging recyclable?
The cardboard box is recyclable. ScrawlrBox is also a 1% For The Planet member and works with Trees For The Future. They've committed to planting a tree for every ScrawlrBox sold.
How easy are the projects to make?
I would say that most of the projects are quite easy and suitable for beginners to try. There's enough information in the box to introduce you to the medium and to learn some basic techniques. This box would be great for beginner or intermediate artists.
Are the instructions clear?
The prompt that comes with the box is very open to interpretation, but this is deliberate. It's a starting point to inspire your creativity. Absolute beginners might find it more challenging without steps to follow, but should still be able to produce their own original art.
The magazine should give you enough information to master some basic techniques and pick up some tips from a professional artist. I hadn't tried using charcoal since I was at school – and even then the techniques we were taught were very basic.
I read the magazine cover to cover before I began and found the advice really helpful. There were lots of tips that I'd never heard before, such as dipping the chalk in water for a more intense colour or using graphite as a base for a layer of charcoal.
What are the finished projects like?
I was very pleased with my finished drawing! I found a photo to work from on my phone, which I felt suited the "dramatic landscapes" prompt that I'd been given. I followed some of the tips and advice from the magazine and was very pleased with the finished result:
I haven't tried any of the other boxes yet, but one of my friends tried the alcohol ink galaxy project and it looked fun!
What other craft stash did you need to make the project?
I didn't need anything else to produce the drawing as the box contained plenty of supplies. The only thing missing was fixative spray (to seal the drawing), but it probably wouldn't be safe to include in the box.
Who would these subs boxes be most useful for?
These boxes would be great for people who want to get into art or for anyone who wants some creative inspiration. The prompts are very good and it would be a lovely surprise to receive in the post each month, because you never know what you're going to get. You could also give a subscription to someone as a gift!
What's been your favourite thing about this ScrawlrBox?
The combination of high-quality art materials and an informative magazine makes this box great value for money. It's a brilliant way to rediscover your creativity, especially if you're feeling uninspired.
Find out more about ScrawlrBox at scrawlrbox.uk
