Doodle Crate, by KiwiCo, is a subscription box targeted to older children, aged 9-16 that delivers a monthly art project. They describe themselves as a “studio for hands-on creativity delivered every month" and they're one of our favorite art boxes for kids!
KiwiCo offers boxes for different age groups:
- Panda Crate for 0-24-month-olds,
- Koala Crate for 2-4-year-olds,
- Kiwi Crate for 5-8-year-olds,
- Atlas Crate for 6-11-year-olds,
- Doodle Crate and Tinker Crate for 9-16+-year-olds,
- Eureka Crate and Maker Crate for ages 14 and up.
There really is something for every age with this company!
This box was sent to us at no cost for review. (Check out our review process post to learn more about how we review boxes.)
About Doodle Crate
The Subscription Box: Doodle Crate
The Cost: $19.95 per month. Save with longer subscriptions.
ACTIVE DEAL: Save 50% off your first box. No coupon needed - just use this link.
The Products: Instructions and supplies for children aged 9-16 to create one new art project each month.
Ships to: The U.S. for free, Canada for $3.95 per month, worldwide from $4.95-$6.95.
Doodle Crate Shibori Messenger Bag Review September 2020
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Our project this month is a DIY shibori messenger bag. This is actually very similar to a project reviewed in 2015, but it seems they have updated it a bit. That's one thing I love about KiwiCo, they are always working to improve and update their boxes, even though they are already well-organized and well-thought-out! The directions for this project are clear and easy to follow with the steps broken down into sections.
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This is the base of our messenger bag. It features three buttons which allow the panels we will be designing to attach to it.
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They provided two different panels so that we can try out two different dyeing techniques.
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Our dye came in powder form inside a squeeze bottle. They also provided a pair of gloves and a plastic bag to help protect our hands and work surface.
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Our dyeing techniques required rubber bands and some wooden squares. Let's get started!
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First, I saturated both of the panels with water. Then my daughter began the ne-maki shibori design by pinching pieces of the fabric up and then securing a rubber band tightly around them.
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The second method was itajime shibori where we folded the second panel accordion-style using one of the wooden squares to get the size right. Then we folded it up accordion-style the other way, too.
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Then, my daughter sandwiched that folded square of fabric between the two wooden squares and wrapped three rubber bands vertically and three horizontally to hold them in place. Now we were ready to dye!
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We prepared our box by placing the plastic bag inside of it, then my daughter put on her gloves while I added some water to the dye bottle. We shook it up and then cut off the tip to open it.
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My daughter got to work adding the dye to the edges of the wooden square. Then she saturated the other piece of fabric. It got a little messy and her shirt got stained, but she says this will just become her art shirt now! Whoops! I wiped out the excess dye from the bottom of the bag with a paper towel and then dumped the rest of the bottle down the sink to dispose of it. Then, we set the whole box aside for 24 hours.
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The next day we rinsed out the fabrics and set them on an old towel to dry.
I buttoned on one of the panels and the bag was ready.
Here is a look at how it looks from the inside.
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The two designs turned out nicely! I think the tye-dye look is very on-trend right now, too.
My daughter prefers the circle side and is excited to have a new bag for her toys!
Verdict: This month's Doodle Crate project was a cool one! It's always fun when we create something artistic that is also functional. I love that we got to explore two different techniques, too. They also suggested sewing the two panels together, which would be really cool and make it even easier to switch between the two designs anytime. This project was slightly messy (my daughter is only six), but they made it so simple and we enjoyed the finished product!
To Wrap Up:
Can you still get this box if you sign up today? It is possible you might get this crate, but it is not a guarantee. From KiwiCo:
Crates are assigned each month based on availability and your crate history – not all subscribers receive the same theme each month.
ACTIVE DEAL: Save 50% off your first box. No coupon needed - just use this link.
Check out all of our Doodle Crate reviews and the best subscription boxes for tweens and teens!
Keep Track of Your Subscriptions: Add this box to your subscription list or wishlist!
What do you think of the Doodle Crate shibori project?
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