Idea Chic Summer Box Review

It’s no secret that I like stationery (or as it is called by some people around the office, “grown-up school supplies”). After featuring Idea Chic’s subscription box in a roundup for like-minded stationery lovers, I reached out to see if Idea Chic might let me test out a box and see if it could live up to my expectations. They went for it and I got the chance to review the Summer Parcel Post.

Parcel Post is a seasonal stationery and gift subscription box from Idea Chic. For $30/quarter (or $26.51 if you commit to a recurring subscription), you’ll receive at least $35 worth of newly released stationery, unique gifts, and the occasional subscription box exclusive. For stationery-only purists, Idea Chic also offers a monthly Stationery box that sends sets of letterpress, sewn, or flat printed cards (and sometimes surprise stickers) for $19 per month (or $16.96 for subscriptions).

There are other places to buy stationery, and even other stationery subscription boxes, but with Idea Chic, you’re buying unique products designed, and often printed, by David and Julie Sandusky and their letterpress named Hazel for that special hand-made touch. Before we go any further, if you don’t know what letterpress is, or why it’s so cool, watch this video:

If you’re not impressed and a little mesmerized, this is not the article for you.

The Products

Parcel Post is a quarterly (aka seasonal) subscription box, so for summer, the theme was … Summer. I know that was obvious but I felt like stating it anyway. The theme wasn’t particularly strong in the item choices, in my opinion, aside from a few floral inclusions, but I’m not one to judge a box on its theme.

• Cue the Confetti Birthday Card: $5 value
• Set of Thank You Cards: $12 value (not available for individual sale, similar linked)
• New Home Card: $4 value (not available for individual sale, similar linked)
• Leaf Vine Coasters: $10 value
• Letterpress Flower Gift Tags: $4 value (not available for individual sale, similar linked)
• Hip Hip Hooray Gift Bag: $4 value (not available for individual sale, similar linked)

Despite the pictures of past boxes that I definitely looked at (twice), I didn’t really know what to expect from the Summer Parcel Post. I was pleasantly surprised by the mix of products included. Everything included was very high quality and original. Of the six items they sent, four were unique to Parcel Post and not available to purchase from their site (at least, not yet — maybe they will be added in the future!). My favorite product was the leaf vine coasters. The natural motif and the letterpress give it a sort of boho-Anthropologie feel that I’m very into.

One common feature of subscription boxes that was missing from Parcel Post was a note introducing the products in the box. I like these explainer notes for two reasons. One, it’s nice to know the thought process behind the curation of the box and get a little narrative to go with your purchase. Two, it guarantees you’ll know what each product is for. I had no idea what the cloth bag was for until I started researching comparable products for this article. Now that I know it’s for a bottle of wine, it’s a lot more useful than it was when I thought it was just an odd-sized, slightly sheer gift bag.

The Value: $39 Total

The Summer Parcel Post was worth even more than Idea Chic promises, which impresses me right off the bat. Sure, a 30% savings isn’t much compared to some of the subscription boxes we’ve reviewed in other markets, but for handmade, indie stationery? It’s a darn good deal.

The Verdict: Is Idea Chic Worth It?

I was really impressed with my first Idea Chic experience and I’ll definitely be purchasing from them again. If you’re a fellow paper lover, then you should definitely sign up for Idea Chic.

These handmade cards beat Hallmark cards by leaps and bounds and they’re not even more expensive. In fact, when you purchase a subscription, they’re even cheaper than everything you’ll find in the greeting card aisle (except the $0.99 cards no one talks about). The other bonus? A card subscription means you may never have to visit the greeting card aisle again. I hate the card aisle.

Follow Meleah on Twitter: @meleahbowles