String Art Adventure

Art alchemy!

When I first decided that Craft Box Club would go fully plastic free I freaked out a little bit. I was already plastic free on the packaging side, that’s never been a huge problem really. But the kit! Would going plastic free really limit the range of crafts that I was able to offer? Would I be able to keep the ideas coming? Well the answer was a big fat NO! I sat down and wrote a list of plastic free crafts that I really wanted to try, and I got to 15 in just a couple of minutes and this craft, string art, wasn’t even on there!

String art

I’ve got to thanks London studio Make Your Own for the inspiration. I saw this craft demonstrated on an Instagram live and I fell in love. The idea is super simple, all you need is nails, string and wood and you can make an epic piece of art! Real art alchemy! I’ve had quite a few experiments with this now, and it’s been great fun. The image above is my latest creation. Not all there yet but I’ve got the design down now. The next go will the the final design that will go into the kit.

If you’re thinking of having a go at string art here are my top tips. All of these will make it into the final string art video guide, coming soon.

String art top tips

• Plan it out - You might notice that my creation is a bit wonky. For the final kit I’m going to make a template so all the lines are straight and it’ll really tighten up the final look!

• Keep it simple - The simplest designs are definitely the best. Let the texture and the colour do the talking

• Get that string tight - The whole design relies on nice straight lines. Don’t let those strings go floppy!

• Hammer the nails in firm - I’ve had some disasters where I tried to pull the string tight and pulled out a nail! Really annoying!

• Get the right kit - You need to make sure that the nails you’re using are the right length, about 2cm is good, and the wood is not too hard. You need a good solid hammer too. If you’d like us to do the hard work and send the kit right to your door, then join the club and ask for this kit when you get your welcome email.

What now?

I can’t wait to get going on making the video for this craft. I’m having to wait a bit longer for deliveries than usual at the moment but I’m still aiming to have this ready for next month!

Looking forward to sharing the kit with you all. In the spirit of Craft Box Club, I’ll be using recycled wooden pallets so I need to get sawing!

Happy crafting everyone!

Inspired?

It feels awesome getting creative, using your hands and getting off your phone. All our kits are simple and beginner friendly! Ready for your mini art adventure. Join Craft Box Club below…

Introducing the Washi tape coaster kit

Hot off the press, I’m pleased to be introducing the new Washi tape coasters craft kit! Coming soon to subscribers across the UK.

I just love how this kit looks. The mix of natural colours and textures with the bright white tiles and the flash of the tin looks great against the colour pops from the Washi tape.

Errr what is Washi tape, I hear you scream! It is a decorative tape made out of rice paper. Originally from Japan and now every scrapbookers best friend, Washi tape is my new favourite thing. It comes in all the colours of the rainbow, and some awesome patterns too. It is commonly used in art and craft projects, particularly paper crafts.

With this kit, you can play with designs until you’re happy with them. Then, just brush on the sealer and you’ve just created your own unique set of coasters.

Washi Tape, or Japanese masking tape, first originated in Japan by the business Kamoi Kakoshi Co., Ltd. under the name MT masking tape. It all started in 2006 when puzzled Kamoi received an email from a little group of women who developed a book making use of their industrial masking tape. The email stated that they would like to tour their facility before working on a second book utilizing their masking tapes. Confused Kamoi didn’t initially respond to this curious email, and later received a package from the ladies; It contained colourful, beautifully designed pages all carried out in masking tape! Kamoi ultimately agreed to let the ladies tour their facility, and their marvel and fascination at the tape creating process filled Kamoi with fantastic pride. Later, they received a second book filled with a lot more stunning pages from 17 different artists, all employing their masking tape to develop a thing of beauty! The women requested that Kamoi produce much more masking tape colours. Kamoi didn’t hesitate after a big art exhibition in Tokyo and plenty of media coverage; they took the plunge and began to work on producing the excellent rolls to use for crafts and design! They not only created numerous far more colours, but also designs that were cute and functional.

These are my very own set of coasters, the first couple I made. They’re now a permanent feature in the studio! Might have to make more for around the house too!

Is it just me of does one of the designs remind you of sprinkles on a doughnut? Mmmm, doughnut anyone?

Fancy having a go at using the kit. Sign up to Craft Box Club and receive simple, plastic free craft kits in the post every month.

My story

My name is Adam and I started Craft Box Club to help you

craft with nature

Well that’s half the story.

I am not an artist

For the last decade I’ve been a catastrophe modeller for an insurance company in the city. It was actually pretty cool. Since I was 8 years old I’ve been kind of obsessed with the weather. So getting to learn about, study and analyse natural disasters was kind of a dream come true. It had been good, but I felt more and more that I needed to create and express myself.

I’ve always been a bit creative. I’ve dabbled with bands and the theatre. I play a few different instruments which I fiddle with in the evening whenever I get a chance. I was, and kind of still am, passionate about bringing data to life using colourful, engaging and err… pretty visuals. But I wanted more and was drawn to visual art and crafting as it’s so tangible. Once you’ve made something, it’s there for everyone to see, forever!

I tried

Youtube art tutorials. Most of them were garbage or aimed at people who were already experts. When I found ones that made sense to me then it was hard to get my hands on the kit and by the time I’d found what I needed, I ran out of time to make. I tried arts and craft classes, but most of them were so expensive I could only really afford to go a few times a year or they were during work hours or weekends when I was looking after my little one. I had a go at muddling through on my own but found a strange, but common, fear of being presented with a blank page. Where should I start? Should I draw or paint or…? What if it looks rubbish? Maybe I’m just not a creative person?!

I’m just not creative

Is something I have heard loads since starting Craft Box Club. In my heart I just don’t believe it. Humans are born and driven to create. It’s part of us! But more on that later.

I want to give people the awesome feeling of making, that is affordable enough to do regularly and where anyone could get a good result. So…

Craft Box Club

was born. Each month I go through the process of researching and learning the first thing about a new craft. Let’s be honest, learning the first thing about anything is the most fun right? I make a super clear and quick how to video to teach you everything you need to know. I source or make the right materials to get you crafting. All of this gets lovingly packaged, plastic free, into a craft box which gets delivered straight to your door.

On top of that I’ll be sharing some hints and tips for how to squeeze more creativity into your life. Sign up to the mailing list to hear all about it!

So now you know the whole story, Craft Box Club is for you, but it’s my journey too. I hope you can join me!

HAVE YOU BEEN CREATIVE TODAY?