Ornament Review: Big Box of 64! - 2013 Hallmark Ornament

Stars: 5 out of 5

Pros: Colorful representation of a childhood favorite art supply

Cons: Few minor ones but none worth dwelling on

The Bottom Line:

Relive coloring

With fresh new box of crayons

Nostalgic on tree

Relive the Joys of a Colorful Childhood

One of the simple joys of childhood is coloring.  I can remember many happy hours of coloring in my coloring books or even making picture on my own.  (Trust me, I was much better coloring in books.)  That joy is recalled in Big Box of 64!, a delightful and popular 2013 Hallmark ornament.

When the lid on this ornament is closed, it honestly don’t look like much.  It’s a plastic box.  But it is painted to look like the outside of a box of Crayola Crayons.  The painting looks right to me – just like the boxes I had as a kid or at least how I remember them.  There’s even a hole in the back to represent the crayon sharpener they used to have in some of the boxes.  I remember it being on the side and this one doesn’t have anything to actually sharpen with, but I’m nitpicking.  It’s a nice detail that I love.

The lid of the ornament is hinged, and when you open it, you can see a full box of new crayons waiting to be used.  And as the title of the ornament suggests, there are 64 different colored crayons represented there.  If you look very closely at the crayons, you’ll see that they are only half of a cylinder, but most of the time you’re eye sees it as fully round.  I know once I discovered that fact, I didn’t truly see that again unless I was looking for it.

Obviously, you’ll want to keep the lid open so you can see the crayons.  With the lid closed, this ornament is just okay, but when you are looking at the crayons themselves, it becomes quite fun.

And that’s why the brass ring for hanging the ornament is actually located on the front of the lid.  You have to have the lid open to hang it on your tree.  The ornament actually tips forward quite noticeably, but with the branches on my tree, I didn't notice at all last year. Those branches made up the different and it look straight to me.

Since the base of the ornament is the base of a box of crayons, it should not be a surprise that you can display it on any flat surface as well.  It's a little back heavy, but as long as you leave it alone, it will stand.  It would certainly work as a year round decoration reliving memories of childhood.

I couldn’t help but smile as I looked at it.  The hours of coloring came back quickly, and I loved the nostalgia this ornament brought.  Today’s kids would enjoy it, too, because they are enjoying coloring right now.  As a result, this is definitely an ornament all ages could love.

And all ages must have loved it because Big Box of 64! was a big seller last year with many Hallmark stores selling out early.  If you are interested, track it down quickly before it gets rarer.

Original Price: $17.95