Mailbox from a cardboard box tutorial

You can make a lot of cool things from trash. And who doesn't have a lot of junk sitting around?

My husband always gives me weird looks when I confiscate boxes and used babyfood jars, but I always see the potential for what they could be. I'm not a hoarder, I swear!

Well...not yet anyway.

Half the clothes I make for my daughter are made out of an old shirt that my husband grew out of or a hand-me-down from a friend or family member (see my Button Down Rehab series for proof). I get such a feeling of accomplishment from making something new out of something old (and it doesn't hurt that the projects are practically free either).

So when I saw this old garbage bag box, I didn't see trash. I saw a new toy for my daughter. 

Supplies to make a play mailbox and play mail:

• Box (preferably a large, sturdy one with flap in the front like the one above)
• Can of blue spray paint
• Contact paper or vinyl
• Assorted felt
• Fabric paint
• Sewing machine and thread
• Scissors
• Pinking shears
• Glue gun
• X-Acto knife and cutting mat (if you're cutting out the wording by hand)

To Make Your Mailbox

1. Find a box.

Preferably a larger one with thicker cardboard and a flap already cut in it, like the bulk-size trashbag box I used below (I got it from Sam's Club). Regular cereal boxes and the like won't work as well because they're too flimsy, that's why I like using the bulk cardboard boxes for projects like these.

I was also lucky that my box already had the front flap cut out of it. If your box doesn't have this flap, grap a box cutter or X-Acto knife and (carefully!) cut a flap in the front to look like a mailbox.

2. Coat your box with spray paint.

All I did was plop my box down outside on some cardboard and coat it generously with blue spray paint (the cheap-o kind) until the entire box was covered. Be careful you don't spray the box too close or the paint will drip.

3. Trace and cut out your letters.

I used the words "U.S. Mail" on the sides of my box and "Letters" on the front. If you have a craft cutter, you can always cut out your wording using adhesive vinyl or contact paper (which is what I used) and then stick on your box. If you don't, just type up your wording, print out, then trace your wording onto the back of your contact paper and cut out carefully with an X-Acto knife.

After your letters are cut out, peel off the backing and stick them to your box.

To Make the Play Mail

Step 1: Trace your mail shape.

Gather several assorted colors of felt for your mail. You'll need 2 pieces of felt in each color (one for the top and one for the bottom.)

You can either find an object to trace for your play mail or make a template yourself out of cardboard. Trace 1 shape each on 1 of each color of felt (you'll be placing one piece of felt on top of the other in a minute, so you only need your shape on one).

(Those are my daughter's little fingers helping me trace. It's nice when she can help with the projects that aren't dangerous :)

Step 2: Sew your 2 sides together and cut out.

 

Using a straight stitch and coordinating thread, place the one piece of felt you drew your mail shape on on top of the other piece of felt and pin if you want. Stitch around the perimeter of your shape, backstitching at the end.

Carefully cut out your mail about 1/4 inch outside of your stitched lines.

Step 3: Add address lines.

 

Using your fabric paint, squeeze several lines on your mail roughly where your name and address lines would be. Let dry according to the bottle's instructions.

Step 4: Make your stamps.

Using pinking shears, cut out 1-inch squares from white felt.

Use fabric paint to decorate your stamps to make them a little more fun :)

Using a glue gun, attach your stamps to your pieces of mail.

And you're done!

My daughter loves getting the mail with Daddy, so now she has her own little mailbox that's just her size.

Linking up!

Show and Tell Wednesday at Blue Cricket Design