Once Upon A Time "Dream Loot Crate" - Gift Subscription Boxes We'd Like To Send to Our Fairy Tale Friends

Apparently we've been outed as Fairy Tale Geeks, and we couldn't be more proud.

Of the many breeds of geeks and gamers around (eg. Doctor Who, Harry Potter, Mario, Star Wars etc) there's one thing we all have in common: we delight to receive gifts reflecting our fandom and obsession, and Loot Crate is making geeks happy everywhere, as their 'crates' hit their doormats every month or two.

What is a Loot Crate? Loot Crate is a fairly new monthly box subscription and gift service, in which the recipients receive a magical box full of surprise 'loot' on the chosen theme.

Unlike other pop culture geeks, who often have a large array of merchandise and collectibles to choose from, fairy tale geeks don't usually have quite that option... Or at least  we didn't until ABC spawned Once Upon A Time and the passionate fandom associated with it, which in turn created a demand for all things 'Once', both in mainstream marketing and via private enthusiastic artisans and crafters.

When Loot Crate asked Once Upon A Blog to create a "Dream Loot Crate" on a theme that fit with our blog, it wasn't long before we realized this would be a good time to showcase some of the Once Upon A Time variety that most fairy tale folk would be happy to receive, whether they were "Oncers" or not. Not only that, if Loot Crate likes our Dream Crate suggestions, they might even make that theme one of the available choices for the subscriptions!

Can you imagine getting a box full of fairy tale bits and pieces every couple of months or so?

We had to give it a go*.

We opted for eight unusual-but-awesome things a friend of a fairy tale fan might put together for a special gift box, so, if you feel inspired to shop for the Holiday Season from our selection, this is a totally collectible combo. (Only eight? We totally could have made a twenty item box - there are so many treasures to choose from! - but, again, opted to limit it to a package-combo that might fit in a regular mail box... hint, hint Loot Crate!)

We also read somewhere that Loot Crate likes to encourage smaller business as well as niche gamer/geek merchandise, like those little stalls you see at ComiCon, so we decided we'd put together two Once Upon A Time "Dream Crates", one using available merchandise from retailers, and the second being an Etsy version, with custom and handmade items.

Here are the details of our picks:

OUAT DREAM CRATE #1

Once Upon A Time Dream Crate (Popular Merchandise)
1. OUAT Pillow Case no filling (for sweet dreams)
2. Official OUAT Classic Fairy Tales volume Illustrated by Kevin Tong (because every fairy tale crate should include a tale or two!)
3. Alice & the White Rabbit Working Pocket Watch Necklace (for good times)
4. Funko Pop Snow White Forest Outlaw (to challenge your princess stereotypes)
5. Magic Beans OUAT Glowing Glass Replica Pair (to take you to castles in the clouds - budget-friendly version HERE)
6. Belle's Chipped Teacup (because "sometimes the best teacup is chipped")
7. Tin 'Welcome to Storybrooke' Sign 8.5 x 11" (your new home - for ever after)
8. Rumpelstiltskin 'Dark One' Dagger Letter Opener (for challenging mail)

OUAT DREAM CRATE #2 (ETSY)

Once Upon A Time Dream Crate (Etsy)
1. Handmade OUAT Red Riding Hood Funko Pop (not available in the official Funko Pop line)
2. OUAT Drawstring/Dice Bag (hand-made, embroidered!)
3. OUAT Official Red's Untold Tale (OK, not Etsy but many available via Ebay.. gotta include a tale)
4. Mr. Gold/Rumpelstiltskin's "Every Magic Comes With a Price Dearie" 3 Engraved Pencils Set
5. Fan designed "ONCE - Believe In More Than Can Be Seen" custom printed t-shirt (black or white)
6. Toll/Troll Bridge Sign (Digital Print Download)
7. Birch Tree Background (Regina's Wallpaper) Blanket/Throw with 'Magic Is Coming' or 'I Will Always Find You' or "Magic Always Comes With A Price'
8. Faux Leather OUAT Henry's Book phone cover/flip-case

Putting together a imaginary gift box for fairy tale friends was wonderfully therapeutic after such tense US election. Thinking of what people might like to make them smile, instead of focusing on the division that clearly exists in the country, was a good thing to do, and a good transition to start considering gift season.

Should we create a general fairy tale box of gifts for your gift giving consideration? Perhaps we shall. In the meantime, for all the geeks and gamers in your life, Loot Crate may have just made life a little easier for you with their selection. (And we hear there will be a Fantastic Beasts crate coming very soon!)

A monthly mystery crate for pop culture fans filled with incredible and exclusive items and apparel from your favorite tv shows, movies, games, and more! Over $45 value in every crate!

* What's usually in a Loot Crate? About 6 to 8 cool surprises. Typical items include:
- a t-shirt (or any piece of art you'd want on the shirt)
- a small toy-like item
- another wearable item like a beanie, scarf or jewelry piece
- a smattering of little objects like stickers, pins, office supplies etc
The value tends to range from about $20 total up to $100 total, depending on the type of loot box and subscription you choose. 

Eternity...

I didn't know this existed until recently but it was most definitely inspired by Hans Christian Andersen's The Snow Queen. It even comes with the quote attached. (Looks really closely at the teeny letters below the shapes in the tray. I've kept the image as big as possible so it will spill over into the sidebar, but you can read it...)

It would make for an interesting gift for a friend, don't you think? I mean, would you be saying "I'll love you for Eternity" or "you're a puzzle I will never put together"? ;)

The creator is Artemy Lebedev and should still be available for purchase.

He arranged his pieces to spell out many words; but he could never find
the way to make the one word he was so eager to form.
The word was “Eternity.”
The Snow Queen had said to him,
“If you can puzzle that out you shall be your own master,
and I’ll give you the whole world and a new pair of skates.”

Spineless Classics

Spineless Classics have one of those unique products and services that, once you've seen, you have to wonder: why hasn't anyone done that before? I'd seen a few of these posters but didn't realize they also made puzzles and postcards.

Created by Carl Pappenheim, the aptly named Spineless Classics take the full texts of classic novels and arranges them into "single paper designs". Beautiful at a distance, the designs are also legible close up. 

Here is the postcard set, which I would happily receive as a gift... ;)

The brainchild of Carl Pappenheim, the idea came to him by accident one year when he was too broke to splash out on expensive Christmas gifts. Despite his financial constraints, he wanted to give his mother a present with meaning.  

Detail from Peter Pan poster

Having watched "architectural drawings roll off the presses at a friend's printing company", he figured that he could fit 100,000 words (and his mother's favorite novel) on each poster-size sheet. The reaction to the resultant poster led to the creation of the company, and posters are now available as far a field as New Zealand.  

 He explains some of the process in an interview with ejunkie HERE. Here's an excerpt: 

Would you like to describe the creative work process involved in creating these posters?
I mostly have a large team of magic elves working around the clock with very tiny movable type. However, when they're on holiday I use computer software. Often the worst part is first, cleaning and preparing digital versions of books, before importing them onto a blank page to see roughly how much space we have to play with. Then I'll try a few rough ideas, maybe do some Internet searches to get the creative juices flowing before sketching in detail. I've only recently started hiring people to do the illustrations; in the past it's all been my work. Finally comes the hardest part, making sure that I don't have hyphenated words split across white spaces, and trying to positing chapter headings in places that make sense. The power of the designs, I think, is in the fact that they stand up to close scrutiny. I don't just bang them out after hours with no regard for the details. 

(Sources HERE & HERE)

These posters aren't cheap (they run about $80 to over $300 and I'm not sure about commissions) but you must admit they are beautiful! I love the postcard tales set, though they would be doubly perfect if they came with a special magnifying glass. What book would you have made into wall art?

Ribbonesia's Animal Ribbon Art

Is it fairy tale related - yes!

OK, not directly but it feels very fairy tale-y so I had to share. :) I can see these being used in fairy tale productions, in photo shoots and to give fairy tale gifts.

Here's a little info, courtesy of Anthology Magazine:

In 2008, after working for a long time as a painter and illustrator, artist Baku Maeda decided to experiment with ribbon and other soft materials to try to capture the expression and character of various types of animals. Baku continues to create new animals and design variations, and the Ribbonesia creative team now includes six individuals, including the artist. 

No two pieces are exactly alike, and they are all stunning—certainly an reminder of how any material can be made into something remarkable, in the hands of an artist. To see more pieces and learn more about the studio, visit the Ribbonesia blog.

These lovely bows by Japanese company Ribbonesia are so beautifully crafted.. you don't need a gift inside the box!

Here's a closer look at a few. They look really classy here:

It appears they can tackle any form, no matter how complicated. Check out their 2012 Dragon ribbon sculpture:

They have quite a large variety (which isn't immediately obvious when you see the website). Have a look at the displays below:

Apparently sample boxes are available (for stores?) but they would make lovely little treasures on their own.

They're also advertised as being accessories: from unusual hat adornments to lapel pins.

They look lovely as wall art too:

I only wish I could read Japanese to let you know about the originators and artists involved but rather than copy a bad Babelfish translation I'll let you go to the website and have a look for yourself. I can, however, show you a couple of pictures of the talented team:

I also recommend hunting around the various sections of the website to see tons more pictures of ribbon animals, events and the artists at work. I believe they are all handmade (!) and that Ribbonesia is currently looking for interested people to take on the craft and expand the business.

It certainly seems like the business is quickly becoming successful! Check out the fronts and window display of this department (I think) store.

They even have workshops for people to go and learn how to craft various ribbon animals, especially birds (look at the variety below). From what I can gather, it's not an easy task for the average person to reproduce most of the designs.

They're available for purchase HERE.

You can get company and product updates via Twitter for updates too.

My wish list just keeps getting longer and longer...

Originally found via SuperPunch.