Scrawlr Box Unboxing: January, February, March, and April 2022

Massive Four-Month Art Supply Subscription Box Unboxing!

My year-long Scrawlr Box subscription has come to an end.  I saved the last four boxes, unboxed them all at once, and had an art supply party!  You can learn about all the supplies -- and which ones I liked and didn't -- in this massive Four-Month Art Supply Subscription Box Unboxing Video:

As promised, here's a list of all of the supplies in the boxes:

• Derwent Chromaflow Pencils: http://shrsl.com/3io06
• Uni PIN Extra Fine Brush Pen (Black): https://amzn.to/39dPGBO
• Staedtler Metal Double Sharpener: https://amzn.to/39iwsLd
• Factis P36 Eraser: https://amzn.to/3wp3CAP
• Marabu Markers Alpha Robot Set: http://shrsl.com/3io0m
• Copic Multiliner, Black, 0.3: http://shrsl.com/3io0p
• Koh I Noor 1900 Pencil, 3B: https://amzn.to/37IgF8i
• Lyra Polycolor Pencil, Dark Violet: http://shrsl.com/3io0w
• Derwent Pastel Shades Paint Pan Set: http://shrsl.com/3io0x
• Sakura White Gelly Roll Pen: http://shrsl.com/3io12
• Karin Pigment DecoBrush Markers: http://shrsl.com/3io15
• Sakura Pigma Micron, 12, Black: http://shrsl.com/3io1b
• Faber-Castell, Castell 9000 Graphite Pencil, H: http://shrsl.com/3io1e
• PaintOn Lisse Pad: http://shrsl.com/3io1i

As I mentioned in the video, the white pencil, sharpener, and Micron pen were my faves.  Here's a closer look at the test-out samples I made:

As I mentioned at the end of the video, after a year of getting boxes, here are my thoughts on picking a box that's right for you:

• Getting Your Money's Worth. Will it matter to you if it's worth the money? And what does that mean to you? Are you going to be looking through the box and trying to figure out the dollar amount of the supplies?  Or is finding new-to-you supplies worth your money, regardless of the price of the product?  What if you're not going to use the supply?  Will it drive you crazy that you paid for it -- even at a discounted price?
• What's Your Brand Loyalty? How open are you to different brands than you may be used to?  Do you have to have a certain black pen or will any pigment pen do?  Similarly, I've noticed that Scrawlr Box always had a ton of Derwent products.  If you like and trust Derwent, then you'll probably be happy every month.  Lots of other subscription boxes have relationships with other companies.  Be sure you like the companies that they do business with, or don't get that box.
• Are You Focusing?  I looked through a bunch of past boxes from a bunch of different subscription places and I thought that Scrawlr Box was going to be perfect for me because of that. But I was wrong. Looking back, I can see that I really zeroed in on the two or three things I really liked from a bunch of previous boxes instead of realizing that I needed to like 90% of the previous boxes. It's not just two or three cherry-picked items.

I loved getting an art supply surprise in the mail every month, but I couldn't justify the cost based on how often I used the things in the box.  Including shipping, a year of boxes was £279 or $340. 

Totally fair for art supplies you use, but kind of a waste for things you try once and put away in a drawer -- or even give away.  I thought about trying a different subscription box.  I looked into a few that were recommended to me, but nothing seemed like a good fit.  So, I decided that for the next 12 months, I'll try making my own delightful surprise box. 

Four times a year, I'll spend $85, including shipping ($85 x 4 = $340 or 1 year of Scrawlr Box), and get myself some new-to-me art supplies.  Then, I'll have a little unboxing party and make a video all about what I got.  I've put four dates in my calendar to order supplies, spread out across the next year.  Yay!

I'm looking forward to it!