I’ve been subscribing to the Tonic Studios Craft Kit since June 2020 (#33). It’s been nearly a year, and I’m still a subscriber! Since starting my subscription, I’ve only skipped one box and that’s next month’s kit (#43). That surprised even me! I fully expected to skip maybe 2-3 boxes a year, but there’s just so much to love in each box, it’s hard to skip any of them. Last year, I looked at several different craft kits and did my own pro/con analysis of the various kits on the market that I could find. I purchased several one-off kits from Spellbinders, Crafter’s Companion, Tonic, Scrapping for Less (no longer in business), Hedgehog Hollow, Altenew, Hero Arts and Pink & Main. However, I eventually settled on Tonic’s kit as my very first subscription.
What Comes in a Tonic Studios Craft Kit?
Every kit is different, but on the whole, you’ll get a mix of craft supplies and there may be some exceptions to my observations below, but here’s how I like to break it down:
Every kit includes:
- Cardstock – About 8 sheets. A mix of classic card, mirror, specialty and handcrafted paper
- Die set – A very expansive die set that can all roughly fit on an A5 sheet (half of a US letter size)
- Stamp set – Usually something that compliments the die set — sentiments, etc.
- Nuvo products – Variety of products in sample and/or full size. Usually, you get 1-2 drops (crystal, glitter, vintage, etc.), some sort of embellishment paste (mousse, expanding mousse, glacier paste, etc.) and sometimes ink cubes, markers and/or embossing powders.
- Embellishments – usually two pots of glitter and/or confetti/sequins
- Storage folder – two-pocket folder with holes punched to store your die & stamp sets
Occasionally you get:
- Storage binder – every 3rd box, you will get a binder, so in the course of a year, you will get 4. These hardcover binders are perfect for storing the storage folders you get each month.
- 6×6 paper pad – usually when a new color trend is introduced (which happens I think 3-4 times a year)
- Card blanks/Envelopes – Usually in a pack of 10
- Stencils – kind of rare, but I’ve gotten at least one in a kit
- Tools – both consumables like tape runners, adhesive, sponge daubers as well as proper tools like tweezers, pick-up tools, etc.
That’s quite a lot, isn’t it?
Why Did I Choose the Tonic?
The top 3 reasons I decided to subscribe to the Tonic Studios craft kit are:
- Phenomenal Quality. Everything Tonic Studio produces is top notch! From their dies & stamps to their various media to their tools. I can’t find fault in anything they make. That gives me huge confidence that I am getting products that are well-made. They are incredible value for money and will last and stand up to frequent use.
- Design & Aesthetic. On the whole, I really like the design / style of Tonic dies & stamps. This was really important to me because one of my fears in any subscription is that I may like the theme a couple months of the year, but the rest aren’t my cup of tea. However, with Tonic, more often than not, I love the designs. Clearly, I’ve only skipped once, so that’s proof right there. 🙂
- Amazing Stash Builder. Pretty much everything in the kit is a stash builder — meaning they are general purpose supplies that work equally well outside that particular kit on their own. The dies and stamps will last indefinitely and you can easily use them however you like. The cardstock, papers, Nuvo media items and embellishments are technically “consumables” (meaning you’ll use it all up eventually) but they last a good long while — even the sample size Nuvo products. I feel like everything that comes in the kit is usable. There isn’t a single thing that I feel I’d really have to work hard to incorporate into my projects.
I also feel like there are extra “perks” of getting the Tonic kit. I wouldn’t say they are the sole reason you should choose the kit, but they do tip the scale if all things are equal. What I consider the extra benefits of a Tonic kit are:
- Storage – you get the folder & binders to store the die & stamp sets
- Tools – it seems more and more now we’re getting tools, which is amazing because those last indefinitely as well
- Exclusives – of course, the die & stamp designs are exclusive to the kit, so you can’t get them outside the kit. But when they introduce new color trends, as a subscriber, you’re the first to preview the new colors.
- Variety – I don’t know any other kit that has as broad a range of products in one kit consistently. The fact that we get dies, stamps, paper, media, markers, tools, etc. It’s a wide range of crafty goodness.
Am I Still Subscribing?
Most definitely! I don’t know how long I will continue to subscribe, but I haven’t grown tired of these kits. If you want to check out what I make using these kits, you can see my showcase and tutorial videos on YouTube. Below is my “Tonic Studios” playlist. It includes unboxings, crafty hauls, card making, mini album making, etc.