Box of Happies is a monthly subscription box for handmade goods. It’s a great way to discover new Etsy artisans. There are three subscription options: Box of Happies Mini for $17.99 a month, Box of Happies Full for $29.99 a month, and a new monthly Grab Bag for $10.00 a month.
This box was sent to us at no cost for review purposes. (Check out the review process post to learn more about how we review boxes.)
About Box of Happies
The Subscription Box: Box of Happies
The Cost: $29.99/month for a single upcoming month of your choice (when I played with the shopping cart I was also charged tax but I think that’s because they’re in the same state I am) or $29.49 for a random box from a past month; save with longer subscriptions
ACTIVE DEAL: Get a bonus handmade necklace in your first box!
CODE: HAPPIES
The Products: 3-5 handmade items such as jewelry, stationery, bath/body items, accessories, and more.
Ships to: U.S.
Box of Happies November 2018 Review
If you like jewelry that’s generally delicate and handmade items from Etsy and similar artisans, Box of Happies delivers those things every month. The items are also usually packaged nicely for gifting if something isn’t to your taste.
You’ll usually get a little card with basic information about the items as well as a Box of Happies business card.
Box of Happies Necklace – Listed Value $15
As someone who makes jewelry, I can buy the value for this necklace listed on the information card. Yes, the cost of materials is less than $15, but knotting between beads takes work and you have to allow artisans to pay themselves for their time. I have a couple of sweaters that would look good with this and the style does work for me (I’ve made similar items myself).
Box of Happies Earrings – Listed Value $12
I like these, but I have a thing for patina on metal lately (like, I can’t wait until I have a dedicated craft space with a chemical-resistant table so I can start putting corrosive chemicals on metals and making neat colors). Anyway, they’re pretty lightweight even though they’re rather large.
Upcycled CD Ornament – Listed Value $5
This is not an item that is actually sold on the website listed on the information card, but it did get me to go to the website, where I found out that this is from a local artist (local for me anyway, and Box of Happies is also based out of the Atlanta metro area which is probably how they found her), which is kind of cool for me. Anyway, I do tend to prefer generic winter décor as opposed to anything overtly religious. I don’t have a Christmas tree because CATS but I can find a nice little hanging space on the wall somewhere. (This is a real recycled CD, too, I peeled the artwork back just a bit and it was some software manual before.)
Dream Bracelet – Listed Value $10
This is listed as a bonus item. It is really delicate (fine by me, I have small wrists and delicate jewelry works well for me). This would look good in a stack with some other seed bead bracelets (I don’t have any others, but I do have literally millions of seed beads, so it wouldn’t be hard to make some matching ones).
Lip Balm from Biologicbeauty – Listed Value $0.99
There’s no “Snickerdoodle” lip balm in this Etsy shop, so I just used the price from the information card (the lip balms in the shop had somewhat different prices from one to the next). This smells wonderful, exactly like the name, and it’s pretty moisturizing. Also, it pairs well with one of the items you’ll see below.
Buffalo Plaid Insulated Beverage Can Cooler – Retail Value $6.99
FYI, this fits the cans super tightly, so don’t open the can before putting this on or you may well spill as you tug at it. (It DOES fit, it’s just snug.) This is festive and reminds me of winter. I don’t use items like this very often but I may take it into work where sodas are provided free to brighten up my desk a bit.
Red Plaid Lip Balm Holder Keychain – Retail Value $4.99
This is something I definitely need. I have a hard time keeping track of lip balm in my purse but this would help me locate it more easily for sure. And a standard-sized lip balm fits easily into the holder, as you can see.
Verdict:I calculated a value of about $54.97 for the November 2018 Box of Happies. That’s a good value for this subscription. The “Box of Happies” jewelry values are about the same as always and most of the Etsy prices were in line with what was on the information card. Even if you consider one or two values to be inflated, I think you’re still getting well more than $29.99 worth of value. And if something doesn’t work for you, most of the items are pre-packaged for gifting. This month, Box of Happies taught me about a local artist, too, and the keychain and lip balm are especially useful to me. The jewelry definitely fits my taste, as well.
To Wrap Up:
Can you still get this box if you subscribe today? No, your first box would be December’s. Sometimes past boxes or past box items go on sale in their shop, though.
ACTIVE DEAL: Get a bonus handmade necklace in your first box!
CODE: HAPPIES
Value Breakdown: At $29.99 for this box, you are paying approximately $5 per item (if you count the cupholder and decal as a set, which you probably should since you can’t separate them from one another). Alternatively, you are paying about the following per item:
- Necklace $8.18
- Earrings $6.55
- CD ornament $2.73
- Bracelet $5.46
- Lip balm $0.54
- Can cooler $3.81
- Keychain $2.72
Check out our past Box of Happies reviews or find other artisan/handmade items in the artisan subscription box directory!
What did you think of the November Box of Happies? Do you get any artisan or handmade subscriptions?
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