Favourite Art Supply Boxes?

October 28, 2021 9:59 AM

I would like to get my 9 year old niece, who is quite talented and also quite into fairly grown-up art supplies, an art supply subscription box. I am considering Sketchbox, Artsnacks or Paletteful Packs -- do you know much about these boxes and whether any one is better than the others?

Because it's shipping to Canada, Artsnacks is a little cheaper (their smaller box includes shipping) but Paletteful Packs offers a Young Artists version that might be more on point for her, while Sketchbox is the one I had heard of before I started looking for a subscription box, so maybe it's the best or at least the best advertised.

posted by jacquilynne to Sports, Hobbies, & Recreation (4 answers total)

I haven't tried the other two, but I subscribed to Artsnacks for awhile and I really liked it. Each of their boxes has a little theme and they do tie-in videos on YouTube demonstrating how to use the materials in a sample project. I was really impressed with the quality of the items in the box for the price. It was also nice getting a little piece of candy and a cool new sticker every month!
posted by helloimjennsco at 10:20 AM on October 28, 2021

I've been an Artsnacks subscriber for years and really like it. I haven't tried the other boxes. Artsnacks is just supplies, no tutorials, so if you're looking for a box with a tutorial package that's probably not the one you want. If you just want to try out some different supplies, it's a fun time.
posted by bile and syntax at 10:23 AM on October 28, 2021

Here to say Artsnacks, too - each box has a bookmark with printed details on it about each thing they include in the box (what is it, how to use it, etc)
posted by ersatzkat at 10:39 AM on October 28, 2021

My 7yo gets the paletteful packs young artists box and it’s great! the supplies are often similar to what the regular box contains. she’s gotten oil pastels, all kinds of varieties of cool watercolors, inks, various tombow brush pens. i love it and am often a little jealous 😆
posted by missjenny at 9:34 PM on October 28, 2021