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 Wine and Cheese Chalkboard Kit February 2018 Review
February's project was a wine & cheese chalkboard kit! The instruction sheet includes pictures and a clear explanation of each step.
I believe the wooden board was cut and drilled especially for this box.
Tape It Masking Tape – Retail Value $0.77
Sheet of sandpaper
This is the same tape that was included in last month's clock-making kit. I like that Adults & Crafts doesn't assume you have even basic supplies like this – they really include everything you need.
As always, supplies were sent in a ziplock bag, which is really convenient for keeping everything together.
DecoArt Chalkboard Paint – Retail Value $2.14
Two sticks of chalk
Chalkboard paint is common in a lot of craft projects, but this was my first time using it. It worked well and had good coverage.
Americana Gel Stain – Retail Value $1.99
Foam brush
This stain worked really well. I don't use stains often, so it was satisfying to see the wood change tone with such little effort.
Microfiber Cloth – Buy a 6-pack of a similar item for $7.59
At first, I wasn't sure why this was included – it's meant to be used as an eraser for the chalkboard. Like I said, they include everything!
Hardware & mini screwdriver
These are the handles for tray which came with a mini screwdriver. The quality of the screws was poor; the metal was soft and they started to become stripped even with little use. However, they work fine for this project since it's unlikely I'll ever take it apart again. The decorative handles are really pretty!
Darice Foam Roller with Plastic Tray – Retail Value $1.67
The foam roller gives a cleaner paint surface than a brush. The foam sucked up a lot of paint, but that wasn't a problem since a full bottle of paint was included.
The first step was to stain the wood. I brushed the stain on with the foam brush and then wiped it off.
After staining, the board had a beautiful even tone. It looked so nice that I almost wanted to leave it plain and not paint it at all! With help from my assistant, I loosely put on the handles so I could see where to paint.
The instructions model a rectangular chalkboard area, but I decided to do something different. One of the great things about these kits is that you can experiment and try out your own ideas.
I masked off the corners. It took a couple of tries to figure it out – I got better results when applying the masking tape directly to the wood, rather than trying to use a paper stencil.
Next, I painted the top and sides of the board with chalkboard paint. It took two coats.
Here's the finished result!
A note for anyone making this project: When you attach the handles, tighten the screws loosely and do both ends of the handle at one time. If you fully screw in one end of the handle, the other side will seem like it doesn't fit. At first, I thought perhaps the board was drilled incorrectly, but I just had to put the screws in with equal pressure on both ends.
I like the way the painted sides look, though I doubt I'll write anything on the edges.
My chalk writing skills could use some work, but there's the final product! The final piece is quite substantial and sturdy. The instructions note that the tray isn't food-safe, but I think it's more decorative anyway.
Verdict: This Adults and Crafts project is pretty much foolproof and it would be great for crafters of all skill levels. It didn't take long to make, however, the paint and stain take time to dry, so it can't be completed in one day. This project is easy to customize – you could even use paint from past kits to embellish it further.
To Wrap Up:
Can you still get this box if you sign up today? If you order now, you won't receive this box, however, you can order the Wine and Cheese Chalkboard Board Kit from their shop for $34. It has everything included here.
Coupon - Use code CRAFTADDICTION to get free shipping on your first box!
Value Breakdown: It's hard to do a value breakdown since this is a kit with custom-sourced supplies. There's entertainment value in the creative process, and then there's the value of the final item you make. The quality of the finished tray is really nice, so I think it's worth the price of the box.
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