Fair Trade Friday is an organization that helps to empower women and battle poverty through dignified, sustainable industry (craftsmanship). They have three subscriptions to choose from that send fairly-traded items from around the world: The Original Box, Bracelet of the Month, and Earring of the Month. I have subscribed to the Earring of the Month box for years now, and I am really excited to be reviewing the Original Box now!
My Subscription Addiction paid for this box. (Check out the review process post to learn more about how we review boxes.)
About Fair Trade Friday
The Subscription: Fair Trade Friday Original Box
The Cost: $32.99 per month. Save with longer subscriptions.
The Products: 2-4 fairly-traded global handicrafts
Ships to: US for free, Canada for $15, Worldwide for $25
Fair Trade Friday Original Box May 2019 Review
This booklet is included every month, and it has nice details about the items and the artisans who created them. This month's theme is "Create."
Color of Hope Greeting Card Sampler (4) by Rehema House, Kenya - Retail Value $10 for a pack of 10
I was pretty shocked to see these cute greeting cards sell for a dollar each! You pretty much can't get *any* greeting card for $1 anymore, much less handmade ones from Kenya. I love getting greeting cards in subscription boxes because they help remind me to send them. It makes people feel great when someone takes the time to send a card. These are really lovely cards, too. As mentioned, they were handmade in Kenya by Rehema House, an organization that helps young teen mothers in Kenya by providing education and employment, not only to them, but to their communities.
Color of Hope Garland by Hands Producing Hope, Costa Rica - Listed Retail Value $20
This little garland is really colorful and cheerful! Boy, it is a beast to untangle though, haha! It comes with three miniature clothespins, and the little pom poms are made of felt. They were strung together by women from Hands Producing Hope , which is an organization (based in Costa Rica) that provides skills training and employment for refugees from Iraq, Syria, and the Democratic Republic of Congo who have been resettled in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. That help is so important as a stop-gap measure while they acclimate to their new home!
Colored Pencil Set by Batik Boutique, Malaysia - Listed Retail Value $15
As opposed to the greeting cards, $15 for twelve colored pencils seems kind of steep. However, we can always use more colored pencils around here, and these are really nice! I also really like the container they came in, which was made from recycled materials. The booklet states "Fair Trade Friday's colored pencil order provided several months of work for 10 artisans living below the national poverty level in Malaysia." I love when they include statistics like that; it makes me so happy to hear! Batik Boutique employs over 150 artisans in the poorest parts of Malaysia, providing them with a fair wage and many other forms of support.
Hope Paint Kit by Batik Boutique, Malaysia - Listed Retail Value $22
Oh, fun! This Batik painting kit was also made by Batik Boutique. It's a cute design, and it comes with pre-printed fabric, three paints, a brush, and a dish to mix the paints. The back of the package also has instructions. I can't wait to try it out!
The Verdict: Of all the Fair Trade Friday boxes I subscribe to, I think the Original is my favorite. Every month is definitely a surprise, but this month's "Create" box was very different from what they usually send. I like it! It's nice to get something different once in a while, and I haven't subscribed to crafts boxes in a while, so I am looking forward to having the time to do the Batik painting. I also love the greeting cards and colored pencils this month. Really, everything is great! What a fun box!
To Wrap Up:
If I subscribe today, can I still receive this box? No. In order to receive the box of the month, you must subscribe before the 24th of the previous month. At the time of publication, there's still a few days left to get the July box!
Value Breakdown: This box cost $32.99 with free shipping. It included four items (not counting the bonus gift), so the average cost per item is $8.25. The total suggested retail for all items is $61, which means the savings on this box is 46%!
Check out all of our Fair Trade Friday reviews and more fair trade boxes in the Artisan Subscription Box Directory! Also sure to check out the best jewelry subscription boxes of 2019, as voted by our readers!
Keep Track of Your Subscriptions: Add this box to your subscription list or wishlist!
What do you think of Fair Trade Friday?
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