How can a vehicle capture children’s hearts and nurture their creativity? It’s a question CRAFT’D understands well, having specialised in kid’s craft parties for many years. Armed with a passion for the arts and an ambitious plan, the company’s founder Natalie Poole asked us to build a craft bus that’s practical, spacious, and a vibrant advert for her brand.
See the video to learn more about this creative party bus for kids, or read on for more information about the project.
What is CRAFT’D?
Offering a unique children's party experience, CRAFT’D runs workshops for kids who love to get crafty. What started life in Shanghai, China is now a Kent-based venture that aims to provide a fun, artistic experience where every child can let their artistic streak run wild!
It all happens inside the custom-made craft bus, where lucky kids can look forward to making teddy bears, lip balms, memo boards and more. Slime making is another favourite!
Why did CRAFT’D need a vehicle conversion?
Being fully mobile is a huge part of what makes CRAFT’D successful, having hosted 800 parties and counting! With this in mind, their old craft bus was proving unreliable and expensive to repair, which made running the business quite stressful. It would also overheat in the summer!
Natalie’s original plan was to get a second-hand minibus, but this would prove too costly to buy and customise. The new vehicle had to be more cost-effective and weigh 3.5 tons max, so it could be driven by someone with a standard driving licence.
Given these requirements, the Luton low-loader would prove the ideal choice!
Why choose Raccoon for the craft bus?
After a bit of online research, Natalie felt Raccoon could be her perfect branding partner. And she was absolutely right! After the first exploration call, she was confident we could provide the high-quality customisations CRAFT’D needed, all to suit a limited budget.
We then held a second online call to get the project moving. Our team kept Natalie updated throughout the process, ensuring she was delighted every step of the way.
‘The team has been really responsive to all of my enquiries and many questions!’
What did the project involve?
Our in-house vehicle conversion team built the craft bus to fit small groups of children and installed durable floors and wall cladding specifically designed for easy cleaning. We also installed LED lights, a fully plumbed-in sink, and disability access.
Because the original kid’s party bus had been so hot, we also had to pay close attention to temperature; fitting an air-con unit, installing insulation, and ensuring the bus was ventilated to reduce condensation.
When viewed from the outside, the external vehicle wrap acts as a vibrant advert that demands attention, whether it’s parked up near a home or out on the road. As always, the decorative wrap comes with Raccoon’s full-year warranty.
What were the results?
Natalie, the kids and their parents all love the new craft bus. The wrap helps this new vehicle stand out, and children love to pose next to it for birthday pictures.
The internal customisation makes running CRAFT’D better than ever. Now, counters can be easily cleaned after every bash, and the storage fits perfectly – removing the need for boxes to be held down with chords while driving. This had plagued Natalie’s original bus, so we were happy to solve the issue for her.
Today, CRAFT’D gets more engagement, and the vehicle is often tagged on social media.
‘I love it! I often get tagged on social media, and inside it looks amazing.’
Bonus: Introducing the splatter bus!
CRAFT’D were such fans of the craft bus that they jumped at the chance to do it again! This next kid's party bus, aka the 'splatter bus', would be customised for messy splatter painting. The vehicle conversion process involved adding extra standing room and a place for canvases on each wall.
With this setup, kids could fling colourful paints to their heart’s content – coming up with unique art that’s fun to make and uniquely personal. These two vehicles have allowed CRAFT’D to expand their operations and offer more experiences than ever before!
Making your vehicle conversion project easy
If you have an ambitious project and need a vehicle converted, there’s no place better than Raccoon. Whether it’s a party bus for kids, a classic catering truck, or a fully electric showroom van, we have the skills and collaborate approach to make it a reality.
We’re honest about pricing and aim to find cost-effective solutions for every challenge.
Get in touch to see what we can do for you!
