We've covered kawaii, beauty, accessories, and fitness subscription boxes, and now it's time to delve into DIY. We know there's an inner craft hound in you. Do you love embellishing your clothing, decorating everything with washi tape, and creating things in your kitchen to give away to friends? Well, lucky lucky, because we have an array of selections for you.
While most subscription boxes are fun simply for the surprise element of what's inside, DIY boxes are fun for an additional reason: you actually get to do something with those fun ingredients inside. Perfect for a rainy day or inviting a couple of friends over, these kits allow you to get your hands a little dirty but come out on the other end with some pro-looking items. If you're the kind of person who already decorates their journal, or makes the occasional scented body oil or chapstick for friends, we have got the boxes for you.
Below, check out the best of the best, from companies that allow you to make everything from your own beauty products to home decor to even home remedies. There's something for everyone. Read on.
Our Favorite: MakersKit
Website: MakerSkit.com
Cost: Sign up for a quarterly DIY kit at $25 a month, or purchase an individual DIY kit (prices vary).
The dirt: We were in LOVE with the selection of DIY kits that could be purchased on the fly, or in a quarterly installment (quarterly seems like a good frequency for getting a crafty kit at home). Since MakersKit launched in 2014 , they've partnered with brands like TOMS and National Geographic and their kits can be found everywhere from Urban Outfitters to West Elm. Their popularity is no wonder, though, when you peruse through the selection. Our personal faves included a crystal necklace kit, where you grow colored alum crystals on an included metal pendant, and a gemstone soap kit for making gorgeous rainbow-colored bars. We tried out their bath bomb kit, which came with a couple decorative air plants (why not) and packaging in case you want to gift your creations to others. We didn't, and enjoyed several, mint and rose-scented fizzy baths as a treat for working so hard to create the bath bombs (just kidding, it was super easy and fun, we're just trying to justify things).
Code: Enter "NYLON" at checkout to get 15 percent off all purchases.
Handmade Beauty Box
Website: HandmadeBeautyBox.com
Cost: $32 for month-to-month with discounts for longer subscriptions or purchase a previous kit for $35.
The dirt: Sign up for the subscription or order a one-off kit from boxes they've offered in the past. Past projects include cocoa butter bath bombs, mermaid ombre soap, DIY bronzer, flavored lip balms, nail polish, you get the idea. Bonus, every kit is phthalate-free, paraben-free, and cruelty-free. If it's in your beauty routine already, chances are Homemade Beauty Box has a kit to make it yourself. Not only do they send you the ingredients to make everything, you get packaging and labels too, which wound up being needed for our lipstick kit as we wound up with dozens of tubes and gave them away like mad to friends. With four different colors of mica, we created six different colors of lipstick, and were most impressed with ourselves when we stumbled upon a deep brown with a red undertone we called "Vampires Are Real."
Code: Enter "NYLON10" at checkout for 10 percent off any subscription.
Homegrown Collective
Website: HomegrownCollective.com
Cost: $39 for a single box plus $9 shipping, discounts for subscriptions.
The dirt: Each curated box contains ingredients to create multiple projects that are designed to replace your bath, beauty, and home items with all-natural and organic alternatives. First thoughts upon opening the box: we adored the packaging and modern apothecary feel of all the items inside. As for what we were able to make? Eucalyptus shower vapor discs perfect for a steam shower to wake up the senses and clear out sinuses, echinacea, elderberry, and St. John's wort for creating our own home remedies, wild honey to infuse with sage for sore throats, and more. The bounty of items inside was as much of a delightful surprise as everything else and not only did we have fun creating everything, it felt good knowing we were going to use all-natural ingredients to heal ourselves the next time we were a bit under the weather.
Code: Enter "NYLON15" at checkout for 15 percent off any subscription.
SketchBox
Website: GetSketchBox.com
Cost: $25 a month for hand-picked art supplies, or $35 a month for premium hand-picked art supplies.
The dirt: Every month SketchBox delivers art supplies to your door along with a card featuring a unique piece of art on one side and the artist's bio on the back. Expect to get Copic Markers, Koi Watercolors, Montana Acrylic Paint Markers, Alphacolor Pastels, Caran d'Ache Luminance Colored Pencils, Charcoals, Graphite Sticks, Gum Erasers, and other materials and mediums for you to explore. What did we get? A full set of Ironlak fineliners along with a technical drawing pen, a Copic wide marker, and a Daler Rowney mini sketchbook. We loved this box not only for the high-end products it delivered but for being a source of inspiration. Receiving raw art supplies in the mail just made us want to create, and we broke open our journal immediately to test out the fineliners and start sketching away.
Code: Enter "NYLON2016" at checkout to get 10 percent off a subscription for up to six months.
The Planner Addict
Website: ThePlannerAddictBox.com
Cost: $15 per month plus $3.75 shipping.
The dirt: The Planner Addict is perfect for anyone who is a little OCD, is neat, but also loves keeping it cute while leaving Post-its everywhere and filing papers away. For those who can't get enough washi tape, adorable paper clips, stickers and more, dive in. In fact, if you are a sticker addict, in particular, they even have a separate Sticker Box. For the rest of the planner nerds out there, expect to receive goodies not just from well-known brands like American Crafts, but also designers like Amy Tangerine and Heidi Swapp. Even if you don't get obsessive over planning, the contents are a must-have for journal enthusiasts as well.
