The Craft Box Club Story
On a mission to spread eco crafts!
7th May 2021
“On a mission to show that crafting doesn’t have to cost the Earth”
I was always a creative kid. I wish I’d known! My childhood was filled with lego creations. The kits never lasted long before they were altered, embellished or transformed into something completely new. Bath time was for mixing potions, carefully left to brew overnight with the expectation of something magical, one day…surely! I used to obsessively make little flip books or adventure stories where you could choose your ending. I discovered a passion for music, teaching myself bass and crashing as many after school bands as I could. Whilst travelling, I taught myself some Green Day songs on a borrowed guitar. At uni I formed an indie rock band writing songs and playing loads of gigs.
“People would say, “you’re quite creative aren’t you!”. I used to laugh “are you kidding! Have you seen my awful handwriting!”.”
People would say, “you’re quite creative aren’t you!”. I used to laugh “are you kidding! Have you seen my awful handwriting!”. I’m dyslexic. Handwriting lessons were the absolute pinnacle of oppression. Creative, to me meant, you can draw, you can paint, basically, you can see something in real life and make it appear in front of you as a neat and finished work of art!
I’ve learned that creativity is both, much more and much less than that. Creativity can be about music and design and programming and philosophy and changing the world. It can also be as simple, silly and fun as putting some lab coats on and throwing paint at each other. At it’s simplest, it’s just making a thing. And that’s what I love. So I get it now, I am creative!
“We all have a desire, to make, it’s within each one of us and it’s deeply human.”
We all have a desire, to make, it’s within each one of us and it’s deeply human. We wouldn’t have got to where we are as a species without making. We all have a need to take what’s inside our heads and make it tangible. Creativity gives us purpose and grounds us in the world. Like many of us, I struggled for years to try to find creativity in my corporate job. Working as an analyst I’d design more and more outlandish graphics and learned to code to build the best interactive apps and dashboards. But it wasn’t enough.
I was hungry to make something more tangible, and to learn real life craft skills. First, I tried craft workshops, but it was really tough to fit in workshops around work and time with my daughter in the evenings. Then I turned to craft kits, but they just didn’t work for me! The instructions were hard to follow, the designs were never really anything I wanted to keep and, worst of all, these kits were full of more plastic than crafts! I wasn’t alone, I knew loads of people who’d get painting kits as a gift but never got round to using them. They’d inevitably end up in the bin and add to the ever-growing landfill.
“Craft Box Club is my reaction to this problem. I want to empower people to feel their own creativity. To have a safe space to learn real life craft skills and give them the “I made that” moment.”
Craft Box Club is my reaction to this problem. I want to empower people to feel their own creativity. To have a safe space to learn real life craft skills and give them the “I made that” moment. I want them to actually want to make the design in the kits. It should be really easy for people to understand what to do, a fiddle free, enjoyable process. I want people to be able to make without the need for any plastic packing and kit that breaks after a single use. I want creativity that doesn’t cost the Earth.
So…all the craft projects are designed to be something that you want to show off. I spend loads of time sourcing the best natural materials available. I go to great lengths to find the most sustainable packaging whether it’s traditional material like wood wool or innovative biodegradable “plastics” made from cellulose. All the kits come with really easy to follow video and step by step guides as well as optional one to one sessions with me to sort out any niggles.
I have absolutely loved connecting with people over craft. I’ve had wonderful reviews and have been told touching stories of families and friends sharing crafts over lockdown. I’m most moved by the part that crafting can play in completely changing people’s lives. Giving a relative something to keep loneliness at bay, an excuse to reach out to a support group after a loss, reigniting a long forgotten passion for creativity. I love how crafts can improve lives and, when you craft with nature, connect you with life, your environment and our precious planet.
Go Get creative
Have I inspired you to get creative yet? YES!? Amazing! Good choice! Just click below to explore beautiful eco friendly crafting. Start your creative journey here!