Subscription Boxes - Mary Maxime (Arts and Crafts) Part 1

This month we are going to look at Subscription Boxes. And on Tuesdays were are going to look at boxes that are more Arts and Crafts related, and on Thursdays were are going to look at subscription boxes that are more gift suggestions or options. So we are going to talk a little more about the pros and cons of boxes like this.

So for the arts and craft ones MOST of the time is a better value than buying things individually. And that's what makes them great buys. However, it does get expensive having to buy them every month (or second month). It also can be a lot of money to pay all at once and you may not want to invest that much into it at first. These are all things to consider especially when buying a subscription box as a gift.

So if you have a crafty person in your life, I think these are great options. Mary Maxime is a great company, and one I trust myself, I have ordered there a few times and they are very accommodating and it's an all-around good site. They are a Canadian Company (though they do have an American Website also), that ships from Canada (you can find their rates here). And they have a number of "Craft kits" as well as subscription boxes. So we are going to take a look at both.

Every year I add these subscriptions boxes to my Christmas list. While they all sound amazing, I guess I just wouldn't personally buy them for myself even though I would love to receive one. I think that's really what a Christmas gift is about sometimes, getting something someone will enjoy but that they probably would have never bought themselves. So I had all their "Of the Month" clubs on my list. At the time of making my list, they had a Jewellery Kit of the Month, unfortunately, that is no longer available (as of 2021), but you never know what they may come out with especially around the holidays.

The ones they do still have that we can talk about are the Ornament of the Month Club, three different Puzzles of the Month Club, Crochet Club of the Month and Plastic Canvas Club of the Month. First, the Ornament of the Month Club. This one comes with one project every month and they are all Christmas Ornaments. You can see some examples that they have on their website (we will look into those more next week when we talk about the kits). It is $16.99 Canadian and that doesn't include tax, their handling charges ($2.95) and shipping. The next one we will talk about is the Puzzles of the Month Club. They have three different ones, first the 300 piece club, the 500 piece club and finally the 1000 piece club. They also have puzzles available on their website if you are interested in picking the ones you get. I think this would be fun for anyone who enjoys puzzles because you get two new ones every month. These kits all cost $24.99 Canadian (plus shipping and handling). They also sometimes have a promotion where you can get the first month for only $19.99 (Canadian). Next is the Crochet Club of the Month box. each box includes a pattern and the yarn that you need to make the project. It doesn't really say if you need to have other supplies or not (like a hook or a needle). However, the kit is $19.99 a month (plus shipping and handling) so you really can't go wrong with that even if you have to pay a few dollars for a hook and some sewing needles. And finally, the Plastic Canvas Club of the Month. This one is very interesting it says again that it includes all the yarn you need and the pattern to make a different project each month. It does not say though if you need a needle or anything else for the kit so keep that in mind. This one is only $14.99 (plus shipping and handling) and you can sometimes get the first box for $12.99.