Box of Happies is a monthly subscription box for handmade goods. It’s a great way to discover new Etsy artisans.
The plastic boxes are always protected with lots of bubble wrap.
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: US for free
Box of Happies January 2019 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.
Thank You Notecard Set – Listed Value $5
There are four designs here and they are blank inside. This is just the kind of card I like to get because they are tasteful and are really suitable for giving to anyone (I am not fond of hokey pre-printed messages). I don’t usually host events where I am required to write multiple thank you cards at once, but I do like having a few for special occasions.
Box of Happies Earrings – Listed Value $12
These are simple, dangling, textured gold bars and I like them a lot. FYI, you will get a lot of earrings in this subscription. They will be various metal tones. They are usually packaged nicely for gifting if they are not to your taste. I do not have any idea what metal the hooks are made from but you can coat them with clear nail polish before wearing if you are metal sensitive (it works for me, anyway). These are quite lightweight, too, which is nice.
Bella Kate Designs Telephone Hair Ties – Retail Value $5.99
Something I did not know about this style of hair tie is that you can put it in hot water to make it go back to its original shape if it has stretched out. Seeing as distortion has always been my complaint about these in the past, that is good to learn (it’s mentioned on the Etsy page for these). Anyway, I love the colors. I somehow managed to actually break one of them, but the other three are still in decent shape. (Raise your hand if you have actually USED a phone with a cord like this, though…)
Box of Happies Necklace – Listed Value $15
I like this. I make jewelry but I rarely buy the “instant jewelry” settings and stones because I find them kind of pricey and if I had too many, it would be kind of repetitive. But since I don’t buy them – and I do like crystals like this – it is nice to receive one in a box. This has the color of a light yellow topaz and will go with several things in my wardrobe.
The Soap Shop Bar Soap (lavender) – Retail Value $2.99
The URL was wrong on the information card (eliminate the .com to find the site, which is actually a Google doc). But anyway, this seems to be very nice soap. It smells lovely and it is not drying out my hands. (I am using it on my hands because of the size, it’s a bit smaller than I’d like for a body soap. I am assuming this is the inexpensive sample size.)
The Soap Shop Whale Soap Dish – Listed Value $5
Well, first off, this is adorable, and it looks good next to my bathroom sink. It is a lightweight plastic with drainage slats, which I think are a nice touch and really do help to preserve soap by preventing water from collecting. I did find this for sale online, but not from The Soap Shop. I found it on a wholesale site for around a dollar each (if you buy 100 or more!) and a boutique site for $26.99 and honestly, the price from the information card is looking pretty good to me. (You can also buy these on AliExpress if you don’t mind waiting for weeks to receive them.)
Magnetic Bud Vase by ShopIntaglio – Retail Value $5
First off, this is not self-lighted in any way, that’s just the weird lighting in my kitchen shining on it. This looks like it is made from thin sheets of plywood that have been laser cut (just a guess). I think it’s cute and I like that they sent a little fake flower because I’m unlikely to find anything to put in there unless we get some violets growing in our yard this year (it could happen).
Verdict: I calculated a value of $50.98 for the January 2019 Box of Happies. That’s a fair amount above the subscription price. I think this is a really representative month for this box, with a few jewelry items and a few items from Etsy and other independent makers. One thing I like about Box of Happies is that it’s a good way to find out about Etsy shops you might never have otherwise stumbled across, and a good way to get a sense of what their wares are like without paying shipping costs from the individual stores. The jewelry totally suited me this month and actually, I was a fan of pretty much every item for one reason or another.
To Wrap Up:
Can you still get this box if you subscribe today? No, your first box would be February’s. Sometimes past boxes or past box items go on sale in their shop, though.
Value Breakdown: At $29.99 for this box, you are paying approximately the following per item:
- Thank you cards $2.94
- Earrings $7.06
- Hair ties $3.52
- Necklace $8.82
- Soap $1.76
- Soap dish $2.94
- Bud vase $2.94
Check out our past Box of Happies reviews or find other artisan/handmade items in the artisan subscription box directory!
Keep Track of Your Subscriptions: Add this box to your subscription list or wishlist!
What did you think of the January Box of Happies? Do you get any artisan or handmade subscriptions?
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