Why am I waiting so long for my adult coloring book delivery? At first I thought I was being too impatient. Asking, why are deliveries taking so long?? But it turns out I’m not impatient (OK, well, actually I am. But that’s a whole other matter…) According to suppliers and the Unites States Post Office, we all need to settle down and wait a bit longer for our deliveries for the rest of 2021.
Hold onto your colored pencils, this could hurt a little…
The Book Shortage
Even book publishers are warning people to expect delays. Books! That includes coloring books! If you’re inquisitive, you may ask “What’s causing the book scarcity?” The answer is us. Apparently we’re all placing a TON of book orders and supply chains are struggling to keep up. Since most books are printed in China, that’s a long journey just to get to the other side of the world. We’re talking port congestion, trucker shortages, warehouse storage issues – the list goes on! And when suppliers run out (hello, my beautiful neighborhood bookstore, I love you!) they will have trouble restocking shelves before Christmas. Which is a super important date for retailers and gift-givers.
Speaking of retailers, they’re urging us all to shop early for the holidays. But let’s be honest – we all procrastinate a little. This is a hectic time of year.
The Slow Mail
Then there’s the mail itself. The postal office’s standard three-day delivery for first-class mail — letters, bills, tax documents and the like — will drop within the U.S. to five days. In other words, Americans should expect their letters and other mail to take up to five days to reach their destinations, and vice versa.
And then there is the cost. The changes in the postal system include a temporary price increase on commercial and retail domestic packages, which will cost 6-9% more through Dec. 26.
Whew. Yeah. Those are a few serious bummers to my holiday coloring plans.
The Solution
OK, so what about all us coloring enthusiasts? What are we going to do. Well one super easy work-around is to go digital. YUP! Instead of expecting an entire book of paper to be printed, shipped, stocked and delivered – this year the solution is to pick and choose your favorite coloring images online. Buy them one at a time to curate a collection you love. No paper will be wasted printing any images you ultimately don’t want to color anyway.
Speaking of paper. You can print digital coloring pages as home. I wrote an entire post about my favorite papers for printing coloring images HERE. From inexpensive cardstock to lovely watercolor paper, there’s a great variety of options. And instead of waiting for a book to be printed, bound, packed, shipped, delivered – you can cut out a lot of that time by using your own resources.
OR if you don’t have a printer you can print at other locations. For example, most local libraries offer free printing services! I wrote about alternative printing options HERE.
Shameless Plug in 3, 2, 1 – Oh hey look! I have an online Coloring Shop full of hand-drawn coloring pages you can print and color today. OK, moving on…
Seriously though. Once you start selecting your own images to color it can become your preferred way to shop! Why waste time, money or paper on colorable art that doesn’t appeal to you? When you buy digital coloring pages you have CHOICES. You can be selective.
But What About Gifts?
So here’s the deal. Us colorists love to color. But we also enjoy sharing our passion with others by gifting coloring books. That is…the ones we haven’t colored in. And to do that we often rely on those book publishers, retailers and delivery people to be at the ready. But this year what if we did something a little different when gifting a coloring experience:
- Make your own coloring book: So remember a few lines up when I suggested you curate a collection of coloring pages you love. Now create a coloring page collection for someone else! Now go old-school creative and MAKE a book! Staples the papers together. Punch holes on one side and tie the papers together with string. Create a three-ring binder collection book for them. Not only will this be a collection of colorable art they’ll enjoy (because you chose it specifically to their taste), but it’s a gift they’ll cherish because you made it. If you want to up your crafting game, here’s a fantastic Book Binding Kit (just keep an eye on those delivery dates!)
- Have a coloring party: Physical gifts are cool and all, but what about the gift of time? Spend time with your loved ones by hosting a coloring party! You won’t have to make a book. Just gather coloring pages you and your friends will like and invite everyone over for coloring and hot cocoa. You’ll end the evening having made beautiful art and precious memories. Personally, I’m a huge fan of having this Land O’ Lakes Cocoa Classics Variety Pack at Christmas parties. Again, just keep a watch on the ETA.
- Email digital coloring pages to someone: What if your fellow colorists-comrade lives too far away to visit for a coloring party? Have no fear, the internet it here! Simply buy a digital coloring page and email it to them! If you are REALLY up on your high-tech game, you can schedule a digital coloring party! (Hint, look for coloring page PDF’s you can buy and email. They’re very email friendly.)
4. Recycle Used Coloring Pages: You know you have a pile (or two) of colored pages hanging around collecting dust. Re-use them by turning them into gifts! OK, this can be difficult for some people. I know we’re prone to hold onto our art. But maybe we can let go of a FEW pages and get in the holiday spirit. Turn some of your lovely art into bookmarks. Or frame them and gift them to someone who is suffering with bare walls. Have some plain kraft paper? Wrap presents in Kraft paper and use your colored pages as extra decals. Need more ideas? Here’s a List Of 10 Fun Things To Do With Colored Pages.
Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links and I may earn a commission if you click them and make a purchase (at no cost to you). This post is otherwise NOT sponsored or endorsed by any of the brands mentioned or reviewed.
About Artistry By Lisa Marie:
Artistry By Lisa Marie is a small art studio located in Rochester, NY. It currently consists of Lisa Marie, a hoard of colored pencils and her two small boys (her husband John is a computer geek with no artistic skill and has bowed out of the art business). Lisa Marie has been professionally creating art for over a decade and has created an extensive library of stunning hand-drawn coloring pages, all available for digital download. While she has a Master’s in Art History and can talk your ear off about the Old Masters, her background is custom pet portraits and beautiful coloring pages. Her main interests are encouraging creativity and helping colorists release their inner artist and relax.
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Want to start your collection of gorgeous printable coloring pages? Visit my hand-drawn grayscale coloring books and pages in my Coloring Shop! Instant download to enjoy today!
Not sure how to color in grayscale? Check out this fantastic Beginners Guide To Grayscale Coloring!
Wait, wait, wait! PRINTABLE coloring? What the heck is that? How do you even start? Relax! Leisurely click to my list of The 3 Things You Need to Start Your Printable Coloring Page Adventure!
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