Subscription boxes have become hugely popular over the last couple of years, seemingly thanks to a desire to return to the simple joys of receiving lovely things in the post. I’m a great advocate of this myself, and lament the loss of childish excitement over present-receiving events in adult life. In my mid-thirties I still get a thrill from receiving gifts, my favourite type being those you find in your Christmas stocking, and it is from this that the idea of Stocking Box was born!
In early 2015, whilst expecting my first child, I lost my job in work-based education and realised that this was an opportunity to take my career in another direction. The automatic response was to look at ways I could use my creative background and love of arts and crafts to do something exciting from home.
We are fortunate to foster a thriving craft community in the UK, with a wealth of talented designer-makers working from their front rooms, bedrooms and sheds, producing high quality, innovative work that deserves to be seen. My goal in setting up Stocking Box is to promote these small-scale producers and I look forward to discovering more and more of them as the scheme progresses. I also plan to include pieces from ‘community producers’ such as colleges, youth groups and charities in the boxes in an effort to spread awareness of UK-wide local causes.
The initial funding goal will allow me to cover the set up costs of the business – design work and website, hosting, printing costs and so forth – and to get the items for the first box paid for and sent out. After this, the scheme will operate on a monthly basis, as detailed below.
People will be able to subscribe on a pre-paid or month-by-month basis to guarantee a box (numbers will be limited) or order a one-off box during the first week of each month. Each box will cost £20 (which includes p&p), with discounts for subscriptions paid in advance, and EVERY BOX WILL CONTAIN ITEMS WITH A COMBINED RETAIL VALUE OF OVER £35 (the first box has a retail value of £44 excluding rewards). The box can be sent to the buyer, or to another recipient as a gift.
The boxes will be sent out in the last few days of each month via Royal Mail. Each box will contain a broad selection of at least 7 different handmade items, including custom products in limited runs for Stocking Box, and items will never be repeated. The boxes are not aimed at a specific age or gender and will include home wares, jewellery, stationery and more – the idea being that you have a regular supply of gifts for both yourself and others!
The designer-makers contributing each month will be revealed in advance, but not the items themselves (to keep the element of surprise), and each box will include a mini booklet detailing which items were made by whom plus more information about the creators.
I appreciate you taking the time to look at my project and hope it has inspired you to make a pledge. You can find out about the designer-makers who will be creating items for the first box and take a look at their work by visiting the website at www.stockingbox.co.uk (although the items themselves will always be a surprise). There are some fantastic designers lined up to contribute and I’m very excited about sharing their work with you all!