Doodle Crate Subscription Box Review & Coupon – Stained Glass!

Of the several boxes within the KiwiCo family, Doodle Crate is the most likely to leave you with a keepable and displayable piece of art.  Doodle Crate is a member of the KiwiCo family geared toward kids 9+.  It inspires young makers to learn new skills and gain creative confidence through craft and art projects by teaching them basic and intermediate techniques of a new artistic medium each month.

Though geared toward kids, Doodle Crate is gender neutral and also excellent for anyone (even adults) wanting a craft subscription.  In our experience, this is the best “arts and crafts” box for older kids, tweens, teens, and adults.

Every crate comes with everything you need to complete the project (except for a few basic items from your home), as well as a booklet.

All the supplies for the project – this month we made stained glass suncatcher!  Doodle Crate tends to focus on a single craft and contains only what you’ll need for the project. 

The booklet has excellent, textbook quality background on the subject matter of the project.  The booklet is loaded with high-quality pictures and illustrations to both give you ideas and help you along.  Doodle Crate is great at giving some perspective and inspiration for their projects.

The inspiration for this craft was stained glass like that seen in Tiffany lamps.  

The booklet walks through the project step-by-step in great detail.  Like may Doodle Crate projects, this one has some templates and project suggestions, but it also leaves room for a lot of creativity.

Studying up before we get started.

We created our own pattern for the largest disc on the blank template sheet.

Some of the patterns provided were so cute that we had to use them.  After selecting or making a pattern, we next traced it onto the glass using a paint pen.  This simulates the lead framing you see in stained glass arrangements.

We then started filling in the panel with scoops of translucent paint.  No brush was needed (or provided) — the paint was very thick and could be scooped and spread with the back of the scoop.

There are lots of pointers and helpful tips located throughout the booklet, and the designers are good at anticipating areas of potential confusion or difficulty, providing suggestions and work-arounds.

One of the great things about this subscription is the adjustable difficulty.  You can almost always simplify or complicate the project to your liking by adjusting the intricacy of your artwork to suit your mood and ability.

The kit contained a set of chains and jump rings with which to assemble the suncatcher, as well as a suction cup hanger.

The discs were very translucent when backlit, even on an overcast day.  This shot is taken from below — the pictures look best against the bright sky, and a tall window is best.

This was another fun Doodle Crate project.  We were able to do this one as a team project because there were distinct sections that could be designed and decorated separately.  The only issue with this project was the little scoop used to spread the paint.  It worked fine, but it held onto the thick paint very well and was a pain to clean the tiny scoop between colors.  I probably would have preferred using a small stencil brush instead.   That small frustration aside, this was a simple and enjoyable craft to complete, and we ended up with a fun decoration to hang around the house!

Visit Doodle Crate to subscribe or find out more!  Use this link to save 30% on your first month of Doodle Crate!  (or Kiwi Crate and the KiwiCo family subscriptions Tinker Crate and Koala Crate).