In this day and age, buying gifts can be more of a hassle than a pleasant and enjoyable experience. Rushed for time, unsure of what to buy, how much to spend, what that certain someone will like – gift buying result in the usual fall back options- flowers, possibly a gift voucher or a belated apology when all ideas failed or life simply got in the way. With social media and text messaging, even the beloved greeting card has subsequently vanished, as birthday wishes and the like are exchanged for a few typed words and emoji images.
Luckily, there are some people out in the world that simply refuse for this to make do, who still believe in the beauty of hand packaged gifts and the joy of coloured ribbons and patterned wrapping paper. Karla is one of the those people, and her small local business, The Happybox, is exactly that – a box of joy ordered with care, packaged with intuition and delivered perfectly on time, bows and all.
Creator and owner Karla Johnson built The Happybox to inspire and celebrate the art of gift giving. Each gift hamper is unique, a kaleidoscope of color and beauty, designed to elicit everyday moments of surprise and delight. Focusing on vibrant pastels and reliable ethical companies, Karla draws together nourishing delights, beautiful artwork, practical goodies and indulgent delights, all wrapped up in recycled giftbox- the perfect collision of eco and style.
You can allow Karla to use her unique talent to hand craft a box for you, or you can custom-make your own creation from the array of beautiful products on her website. Either way you are guaranteed to draw smiles and elated gasps from those who deserve a little extra sparkle in their world.
Inspired already?! Ready to jump online and remedy years worth of imperfect and impractical gifts?! Before you do, meet Karla and dive a little deeper into her heart-felt journey and the inspiration behind The Happybox here…
What inspired you to create your business The Happybox?
My dream was to create a gift experience that really connected with people – to delight and inspire the recipient. My inspiration came from a time when my Mum was spending a lot of time in hospital fighting cancer and we would put together packages of beautiful, colourful things to brighten her day. With The Happybox, I wanted to use colour and brands that were predominately organic and Australian with a feel-good story.  All these elements came together with our online store and Australia wide delivery to make it easier for people to be there for their loved ones when they couldn’t be there in person.
Have you always been creative and crafty in your spare time?
I realise now in my 30’s that I have always been creative – despite my favourite subject at school being accounting and studying business at uni.  My creativity comes from my love of colour. Now when I have spare time, I love to upcycle old furniture and paint in pretty shades and then use them around my home.
It must be so lovely knowing what you are doing is bringing joy to people – does this make all the hard work a little easier?!
Absolutely! I seriously get excited by each and every order that comes in. I feel so honoured by the trust my customers place in me to deliver gifts to the people they love.  There are so many abundantly generous souls in this world and it lights me up to see them reach out to their friends and family. Running a growing business solo is so much work, so it definitely helps lighten the load to have such inspiration come out the other end.
How did you source your products and brands to align with?
I handpick our brands for their quality, beauty & colour and focus on innovative & ethical companies. Our preference is for Australian companies however if we cannot source a local brand that fits with our colour selections & vibe I will look for an alternative. I choose products that are also practical and can be reused again and again as well. Two of my favourite products are our Knotty Turkish towels and reusable KeepCups. These put a really modern twist on traditional gift hampers – beautiful, colourful & functional.
What made you decide to theme the boxes by colour?
I just believe that the beauty & power of colour is the best way to deliver a genuine, emotional connection with a gift. Colour has been used for centuries to influence mood & wellbeing in a positive way. Understated elegance can be lovely, but to really light someone up when they open a gift, colour is so powerful.
Does any one special order stand out in your mind since you began the business?
Very recently, I put together a gift for a customer and she wanted a wine and candle combination for a friend.  This was a repeat customer and she let me choose the products. I chose a beautiful organic white wine from Spring Seed Wine Co called ‘Forget-me-not’. After I sent her a photo, she told me the gift was because her friend had just lost her beloved Nan and it was perfect. It was just amazing that I had felt compelled to choose that wine and I felt privileged to be part of sharing this sentiment between friends.
Did you envision The Happybox becoming a full time job for you when you began?
Well, I really hoped it would be. I have two small children and it is important to me to build a sustainable business so I can have the flexibility to all the things that come with being a mother.
What is in store for The Happybox in the future?
Plans for the future include a warehouse space away from the home, staff to help with marketing and promotions, expand our brands – there are some amazing Australian brands we have our eye on – plus just keep improving our service and The Happybox experience.
M: 0418 879 954