Adults and Crafts is a monthly DIY subscription that helps subscribers "learn new crafting techniques to help you create useful, beautiful products you will be proud to have made."
This box was sent to us for review purposes. (Check out our review process post to learn more about how we review boxes.)
About Adults & Crafts
The Subscription Box: Adults & Crafts
The Cost: $33 + $6.95 shipping per month, with discounts for 6 and 12-month prepaid subscriptions
The Products: A kit with printed instructions for an adult-level project to use or display in your home.
Ships to: US
Adults & Crafts Clockmaking Kit January 2018 Review
The project for January was a clockmaking kit! The instructions include two options: fluid paint and geometric paint. The fluid paint technique takes less time and is a more organic process, whereas the geometric version is a bit more involved. I liked having options!
Darice DIY Clock Face – Retail Value $5.59
Darice DIY Clocks Modern Numerals – Retail Value $2.99
Here are the clock face and numbers. The clock is fairly heavy and has wood veneer on the face. The numbers are wooden and laser cut. Both items are very nice quality and would be suitable for many clock styles.
Darice Clock Maker Kit – Retail Value $10.24
Of course, it wouldn't be a clock without clock parts. I'll admit that this part felt a bit cheap. The metal pieces are extremely thin, however, they look okay at the distance from which you'd normally view a clock.
Deco Art Crafter's Acrylic Paint, 5 bottles – Total Retail Value $4.45 ($0.89 each)
DecoArt is my go-to brand for craft paint. The colors are vivid, they blend easily and the items I've made in the past have lasted for years without fading. This was far more paint than the project required, so there's plenty left for future crafting.
Darice Craft Brush – Buy a pack of 6 for $17.60
I'm glad that this brush was included, but it shed and I had to pick bristles out of the paint.
Tape It Masking Tape – Retail Value $0.77
Elmer's Glue, 1.25 fl oz – Retail Value $2.82
I can always use glue and tape, and there was a lot left over.
Dixie Cups and a Battery
This is why I love Adults & Crafts – they think of everything! The cups are for mixing paint.
This is the template for the geometric clock pattern, along with some carbon paper.
The first step was to cut the pattern and carbon paper to size and then trace the lines.
Once the lines were added, I put tape where I didn't want the paint to go.
It took quite a while to place all the tape, but it was fun even though I didn't do a perfect job.
The next step was to paint in between the masked areas and then peel the tape off once the paint had dried. It was satisfying to see the pattern revealed!
The sample showed a more colorful clock, but I decided to keep mine simple. I used only white for the geometric design on the front and painted the sides and numbers in a vivid aqua. Painting the sides took a very long time because the wood drank up paint.
I painted the numbers and laid them out on the clock. I thought it looked too busy, so I only glued on four of them.
Here's the finished clock! I was pleased with the way it turned out and have it hanging on the wall.
Verdict: This is one of my favorite kits from Adults and Crafts. It took time to meticulously cut out the tape, but the results were worth it. (I'm sure the marbled version would also have looked nice!) I really like the contrast of the painted surface with the wood. I completed the project in a day, however it took a while because the paint needed to dry between stages. I'd recommend this project for more intermediate crafters or very patient beginners – if you're short on time, the marbled clock is a better option.
To Wrap Up:
Can you still get this box if you sign up today? You won't receive this box, however, you can order the Clockmaking Craft Kit in their shop for $34. It has everything included here.
Coupon - Use code CRAFTADDICTION to get free shipping on your first box!
Value Breakdown: I estimate a retail value of $26.86, not including the paintbrush, cups, battery or carbon paper. However, the shops with the lowest prices did not have free shipping on small orders. I think the cost of the box is fair for the curation, project instructions and the convenience of receiving everything you need in one box.
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