I’ve been getting Darby Smart’s “To DIY For” box for a couple months now and am finally getting around to reviewing one. — October’s project was just way too cool not to share here. Plus, I’m kinda impressed by how well I did with it. (Hey, it’s a big deal for someone as craft-challenged as I am!)
Darby Smart is a DIY/craft box that has project kits for everyone — from simple beaded bracelets and candle kits, to mosaic coasters and personalized totes. The kits contain everything you need to complete your project and prices start at just $6! You can subscribe to their monthly “To DIY For” box, or purchase a one-time kit from their shop. Lots of neat projects are always available. (They’ve been slowly releasing holiday-themed projects, which I’m super excited about. I love anything relating to the holidays.)
October’s “To DIY For” box was perfect for this time of year — a spooky gingerbread house!
Inside October’s “To DIY For” Box
First look. Darby Smart doesn’t send info cards or instruction sheets. Instead, they give you a card stamped with a unique code that you enter to access the project’s instructions on their site. I sort of wish they were printed out for us instead, but what can ya do.
The House – The kit included pre-cut walls and roof pieces. There were no ingredients listed, so I don’t think I’ll be eating my completed house. My husband has gladly volunteered to devour it — likely with some help from our girls.
Frosting – Three packets of frosting were included: Black, green, and orange. Very Halloween-y.
Decorations – Candy decorations included orange & black bats, candy corn, and orange & purple balls. There were also two pastry bags and a set of plastic tips, which I didn’t use.
I had never made a gingerbread house before — not even a traditional Christmas one — so I was really nervous how this would turn out. I’ve used pastry bags once before and it was a disaster. When I Googled how to use them, the articles always mentioned using the tips with a “coupler”, which wasn’t included in the box. Eventually I found a YouTube video that showed someone using a bag without a tip at all (just cutting a hole in the corner of it) and I decided to do that. I just left the frosting in the bags that they came in and kinda winged it.
Oh, I should probably mention that the instructions for the kit on the Darby Smart site were actually for a different version of the one I received. That one had frosting bags with precut spots to stick the tips right into. It also had a totally different shaped house. Kinda weird. But anywhooo… onto my finished house!
There she is! It certainly wouldn’t win any contests, but hey, the fact that it’s actually standing is enough for me!
The doors and windows were the most difficult, since I couldn’t get the icing to stick using the bag. I ended up using a plastic knife to paint the black on the door and windows, which is why they look so… not good. I definitely had fun playing with the decorations though. I love my little candy path and border around the door. I may have gone a little overboard with the bats, but whatever. It’s festive.
The green frosting seemed thicker than the others and was a pain to get out of the bag. My solution? Grass. Lots and lots of grass.
The more I look at it, the more I love my spooky little house! I don’t think I would have bought this on my own, so I’m glad I subscribed to Darby Smart. Sometimes it’s nice to be pushed out of your comfort zone and challenged — even if it’s just to build a silly gingerbread house.
If you’d like to sign up for a Darby Smart monthly box OR just buy one of their kits, you can save $10 on either one when you use the promo code “HOWDYDARBY” at checkout! Kits start at just $6 and subscriptions at $19/month or 3 months for $38 (only $28 for 3 months with the coupon code!).
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Disclosure: I purchased this box on my own. I was not compensated in any way. All opinions are my own. Post may contain affiliate/referral links.
I got this months box as well…. after seeing your box and others, my box was short! I didn’t get any icing or bags or tips, my gingerbread house was half the size of yours and they were broken, and all the candy was loose in the box. I normally love Darby Smart every month but was disappointed this month.
Really? Aww. That’s not cool. You should definitely let them know. About a week ago they sent me a package that was marked delivered, but was never received. I contacted them and they sent a replacement box right out. Their customer service is awesome!