Poetic Boxes

Gifts of poetry to celebrate community and creativity around Brandwood (and Kings Heath).

Launched on World Poetry Day on 21 March 2025, 'Poetic Boxes' are crafted boxes with the gift of poetry. They take the form of post box 'toppers' and handmade boxes using origami and decoupage.

Our first craft campaign of 2025 has involved The Good Yarners craft group and over 550 local school children, with 100s more writing poems to go inside the boxes. Dozens of businesses gave out the children’s gifts of poetry to their customers on World Poetry Day, and The Good Yarners boxes have been distributed to residents in local care homes.

Crafters used decoupage, tapestry stitch and origami to make the boxes. Two of our talented group wrote poems too.

Poetic boxes have been gifted to all residents of Tandy Court, Andrew Cohen House and Otterburn and Anita Stone care homes.

9 postboxes toppers have been crafted by members of The Good Yarners and you can follow the trail to find these. Check out the online gallery and the poems which inspired the makes.

This is what 550 origami boxes made by children and young people looks like! Thank you Allens Croft Primary School, Colmore Juniors, Woodthorpe Junior & Infants School and Wheelers Lane Technology College. Read a selection of their original poetry below.

Have fun finding the poetry-inspired post box toppers as you walk around the area - with poems attached! Or scroll down to view an online gallery.

Use the map to see the locations of 'Poetic Post boxes'

ONLINE ART GALLERY

Congratulations to all the crafters and artists and thank you for brightening up the neighbourhood to create ripples of positivity and smiles!

Yarn toppers for post boxes inspired by poems!

By Jean (and Dana)

'The Owl and the Pussycat' by Edward Lear

By Anne

'Smiling Is Infectious' by Spike Milligan

By SJ

'How Doth the Little Crocodile' by Lewis Carroll

By Betty

'The Race' by Tammy

By Martina

'I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud' By William Wordsworth

By Valerie

'On the Joys of Tea and Cake!' By Anne Brooke

By Vicky, Lesley and Jo

'Life Can Be Beautiful' by Catherine Pulsifer

By Betty

'My Elephant Poem' by Lori Binko

By Ingrid

'Butterfly Smiles' by Bruce Larkin

POETRY GALLERY

To read a selection of original poetry written for 600 Poetic Boxes, please click the link below.

TAKE ME TO 30 ORIGINAL POEMS WRITTEN TO SHARE FOR WORLD POETRY DAY 2025

Thank you to Selly Oak NNS for funding the Good Yarners elements of the project

The collaboration between schools and Our Scene CIC was funded with a microgrant through the Boosting Brandwood Cultural Action Area initiative to help promote the Brandwood Buzz.