Reviewed by
Inês
[tab title=”September 2015 Box Review”]
I’m a stationery fan. More specifically, I’m a fan of sending people a little love in the post – in my family if the post is late, I get phone calls from people on their birthdays asking where their card got to. But as the years go on and I’ve seen my younger cousins through more than 20 birthdays, my style has become a little predictable (if ever lovely, modesty aside).
Enter the HoneyTree Post box to save us all from the dreaded fate of a predictable post!
HoneyTree Publishing have made a name for themselves in the bespoke stationery world and are now creating a buzz in the world of subscription boxes with their brand new HoneyTree Post box. It’s filled with stationery goodies promising no less than £30 of value and carrying their signature illustrated style.
I tend to go for bright colours and bold patterns so when I looked at their website ahead of the launch of the box, I really wasn’t sure how I was going to feel about it. Their photos show a tendency towards very cute, detailed illustrations with lots of whitespace and often muted colours (naturally fitting with the wedding and announcement theme of a lot of the bespoke work they do). But then the box arrived, all bright eyed (on the outside) and bushy tailed (on the inside – have you seen the adorable illustrated hare sticker in the photos below?) and all I could do was smile.
It’s definitely worth mentioning that the box fit perfectly through my letter box and I expect it’s thin enough to do so through any letter box; a very important detail if you work away from home and would rather not have to wait until the weekend and then trek to the post office to get your goodies.
Everything was nicely packaged and the first thing laying on top of the box were two gift tags: one with toadstools and another with a floral heart. I was very surprised at how thick these tags were, a lot thicker than traditional gift tags (to the extent of being a little odd even) with pretty satin ribbons. These were definitely a departure from my usual style, but the designs were very cute and they quickly found their way to my Christmas stash where they will be jollying up a kraft paper wrapped present in no time.
Then the real fun began. Out of the box came an absolutely stunning set of notecards with matching envelopes. The bright colours and the modern but pretty design captivated me completely and I can say without a doubt that these were my favourite product in the whole box. Maybe it’s because we’re getting to the beginning of Autumn, that warm fuzzy season or maybe it’s because the card stock was deliciously thick and there were four of them, but either way, I was all heart-eyed over them.
Next came two post cards which I will definitely be using. The sausage dog with ‘the long and the short of it is…’ written underneath is perfect for a friend of mine, but the post card with the different suits of playing cards was a surprise. I would never have bought it myself but now that I have it, it’s a wonderful reminder that sending mail just because something reminds you of a person is pretty brilliant and it makes everyone feel cherished.
I was surprised that there were also three greeting cards in the box – this style of cards are always quite expensive to buy in the shops and certainly enhance the value of the box. One card showed an objectively very pretty illustration, also reminiscent of Autumn and although it wasn’t to my taste, I know there are some older members of my family who will absolutely love it. There was a little bit of a Halloween theme going on with two of the cards – one was adorable and I may just display it in the house towards the end of October as part of the decoration (it shows a cat on a bike with some pumpkins) but the other was a little too abstract for me to enjoy.
All of the cards were of excellent quality, with thick art quality card stock and professional prints. I would argue that the card HoneyTree Publishing has chosen to use for their cards is much more beautiful than that of traditional greeting cards you can buy in the shops!
Every month’s box also includes a print and this month’s one was of a hand drawn satchel with the words ‘All work and no play…’ underneath. I thought the satchel was gorgeous but the words don’t mean much to me personally.
Lastly, there was a printed little note to say thank you and explain that a portion of the proceeds also go to Post Pals, HoneyTree’s chosen charity.
Stationery is not always cheap and I can definitely say that this box is good value: two gift tags, a set of 4 notecards with matching envelopes, 2 post cards, 3 greeting cards and a print. And the wonderful thing about finding a subscription box that is decent value is that if there’s an item or two you don’t like as much, you either turn them into something you do like (for example adding a quote that is more meaningful to the satchel print) or you find it easy to let go because you’re still getting good value for the rest of it.
HoneyTree Post does provide a very good mix of things, stepping out of the traditions of ‘illustrated design’ with sausage dogs and occasional bright colours and products that are undoubtedly of a high quality. If you like this style of card then the box is certainly one I would recommend you try out!
The Stationery Lovers Club
If you’re a fan of beautiful stationery, unique design and the idea of a monthly treat through the letterbox, then HoneyTreePost.com is right up your street.
Beautifully designed exclusive items from the UK’s leading illustrated bespoke stationers. You will receive at least 7 stationery items with a retail value of no less than £30. As an example, items might include greeting cards, postcards, notecards, gift tags and hand drawn prints ready to frame. Seasonal cards such as Valentine’s Day, Mother’s Day, Father’s Day and holiday may also be included during appropriate months.
Exclusive designs
HoneyTree loves to follow the seasons and trends, so whether you’re enjoying mulled wine at Christmas or garden parties in the summer, your stationery will be sorted. With gorgeous cards and charming notelets, special edition prints, labels and more, you’ll wonder how you ever did without them!
Their boxes often contain limited edition items only available to HoneyTreePost subscribers, alongside a note from their creative team about ‘what’s buzzing’ that month.
They also know that subscriptions make excellent gifts. Their stationery boxes are literally the gift that keeps on giving! Each month, your lucky recipient will receive a bundle of joy in the form of carefully curated stationery. It’s a delightful stationery surprise and the handiest of gifts.
Young HoneyTree
They haven’t forgotten the little ones either – there’s a Young HoneyTree package for the little stationery lovers among us.
Wouldn’t the world be a better place if kids had more Pen Pals and fewer Facebook ‘friends’?
How they give back
With every subscription they receive, they donate £1 to support the ‘Pals’ and their families. Post Pals is a charity focused on brightening the lives of sick children, through sending out cards, letters or gifts which can give a poorly child a lift. They’re passionate about the work that is done at Post Pals, and it’s a concept that fits in perfectly with HoneyTreePost.
Global HoneyTreePost
They’re thrilled to say with their International shipping subscription they ship almost everywhere, so even distant relatives, friends and family can enjoy the gift that just keeps giving.
£15 per month. Free UK shipping
UK Subscription:
Month to Month – £15 – cancel any time
3 Months – £13.50 pm (save 10%) Total £40.50
6 Months – £12 pm (save 20%) Total £72
12 Months – £10.50 pm (save 30%) Total £126
International Subscription:
Month to Month – £17.50 – cancel any time
3 Months – £15.75 pm (save 10%) Total £47.25
6 Months – £14.00 pm (save 20%) Total £84
12 Months – £12.25 pm (save 30%) Total £147
By Mary 
By Evelyn 
