Frequently Asked Questions

Outside the Box Creation is different than other art kit boxes in a couple of ways:

• The most common feedback we get on all of our products is how thoughtfully the boxes are put together! We try to include everything you need except water!
• Each Kids’ Box contains a picture book to read that ties in some way with the lesson/project.
• We use quality art supplies. Each box contains enough to serve 2 children, and often your kids will have supplies left over that they can continue to have fun with.
• We also try to give enough structure for everyone to feel successful, but we don’t tell you or your child exactly how to do your artwork because you are the artist and we want you to have permission to be creative!

Nope, you do not need to have prior art experience or artistic talent. We believe it can be awesome to discover the project along with your children – that way, they won’t feel like they have to make their art look just like yours.

Unfortunately no, all subscriptions get the box of the month. (Although we do reserve the right to send a different box your first month if we run out of the current month’s box.) However, if an upcoming box is something you do not want your child to have, for any reason, just email us, and we will gladly substitute one of our stocked boxes for you!

We plan the boxes to cover many different elements/principles of art and different mediums so that over the course of your subscription, your child will experience several different art elements & mediums! If you want to know what the next few months’ boxes will be, feel free to email us! If you are already a subscriber, we have a private Facebook Group where we share upcoming boxes and additional tips & techniques. If you purchase one of our individual stock boxes; Try It Texture, Museum Trip, or Try It Positive & Negative Space, then you will receive the boxes you ordered.

No! We pride ourselves on including everything you need for the project except water! If you subscribe to the Kids’ Boxes, you will receive a Basics Pack in your first box with a few supplies to hold on to for the duration of your subscription.

We ship on the monthly kids subscription boxes on 7th of every month (or very near – depending on weekends & holidays). You must subscribe by the 4th of the month to be included in the monthly shipment! Subscriptions placed after that will be in the following month’s shipment. If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to email us.

In December, when we keep shipping as subscriptions come in, through December 15th!

Delivery times vary. Right now (during the COVID 19 pandemic, we are unfortunately experiencing longer shipping times than normal .

One time purchases & pre-paid subscriptions are billed at the time of sale. Month to month subscriptions re-bill once per month around the anniversary of your sign-up date. We say “around the date” because it can be tricky. Sometimes we have to move your re-bill date so that you are not billed for your next  box before you receive the first one or so that you haven’t received 2 and only been charged for 1. If you EVER have any concerns about this, please contact us at info@outsidetheboxcreation.com or 425-616-3750. We try our absolute best to do this right, but once in a while we may mess up!

Although we hope that you will love it and never want to cancel, month to month subscriptions can be canceled at any time. If you cancel after the 15th of the month, you will still have that last box coming.

We do our absolute best to make sure that all the products in our Kids’ Boxes are safe for children, however, Outside the Box Creation projects should always be done with adult supervision. Children should never be left unattended with art supplies.

The Art With Friends Adult Boxes often contain products that could be hazardous to children. These boxes are meant to be used by adults.

No, we stock 3 of our most popular boxes and occasionally will do specials if we have excess inventory of any other specific boxes. These individual boxes are a good way to try the product and decide if you would like to subscribe. You can also purchase prepaid 3, 6, and 12 month subscriptions that do not automatically renew when that term is up so that you don’t have to remember to cancel or suspend your subscription if you need to take a break.

All of our Kids’ Boxes come with enough supplies for up to 2 children. If you have a second child who is younger but wants to participate, we suggest you read the book together and let her/him work with the art medium without worrying too much about the actual project.

If you have more than 2 children or want to do the box as a family, we offer a family size option that accommodates up to 4 people. *This does assume a little bit of sharing of supplies. We think deeply about which supplies each child needs and which ones could be shared to balance the cost of the product to you and the ecological impacts.

The Kids’ Boxes are designed for age 5 – 11. However, we have several middle school age customers who love the boxes.

The younger the child is, the more an adult will need to be involved. If your child is a timid artist or if you have a second child who is younger but wants to participate, we suggest you read the book together and let her/him work with the art medium without worrying too much about the actual project.

If your child is 8th grade or above, we suggest an Art With Friends Box for a fun parent-child experience or for your teen to do with his/her friends!

We offer a flat $9 on all products. They ship USPS Priority or Fed Ex Smart Post depending on the destination. The actual cost to ship is usually greater than $9, but we pay the rest.

We are an approved vendor with quite a few virtual online schools. You can find the updated list on the homeschool page of this website. If we aren’t an approved vendor for your school, you can request us. There is a sample vendor request form for that on the homeschool page also.

Yes! Many of our homeschool subscribers get 3 or 4 weekly lessons out of one of our monthly boxes. You can read the book one week, do the main project the next week, do the “if you want more” project the third week, and possibly research the element of art or the featured artist (if there is one) the fourth week. Also, if you join our private Facebook Group for subscribers you’ll have access to some video tutorials and other suggestions for taking the lesson further.