I thought for the next five days, I would share small, DIY crafts with you. We all need a distraction, and crafting relaxes me. I hope sharing these projects does the same for you. I raided my thrift store stash (since no one is thrift shopping these days) and found a few items that I could upcycle. If you do not have the exact items, use it as inspiration to use something around your home to upcycle. Here is my first upcycle craft. This is how I created mini mailbox decor from a thrift store find.
The mailbox had a small dent in the side, but nothing major. The price was .99 cents so it came home with me. I decided to keep it as a mailbox but just update it a bit.
Painting the Mailbox
The first order of business was to wipe it down well. It wasn’t that dirty, but I always like to clean my thrift store items, even if they appear clean. I just wiped it down with a damp cloth.
Once it dried, it was time to paint. I had a jar of White Dixie Belle Cotton Paint leftover from a previous project (you can see HERE). The mailbox took two coats of paint. I allowed it to dry for about an hour and gave it a final coat. After about two hours of drying time, I sprayed it with one coat of Polycrylic spray.
The Wood
The wood pieces I found outside in my husband’s workshop. The bottom was a piece of a 4×4 that was leftover from an old table project. It was the perfect size for the base. The piece that I would use as the mailbox post was actually in his wood trash can, but I stole it (haha). It was a thin piece of 2×4 that was leftover from a project. I cut it down to the size I needed.
I dusted off the wood pieces with a small hand broom. Then, each wood piece was stained with one coat of Minwax Special Walnut.
I felt the mailbox was plain. Therefore, I asked the Hubs if he would create a vinyl decal using our Cricut machine for me. Since the plan was to use it for my entryway table, I decided I wanted the decal to read “The Woodcock’s, Established 2009”, the year we were married.
Once the vinyl was cut, the Hubs weeded it for me. He applied it to the side of mailbox. The tool that you see in the photo is actually a decoupage tool. However, it’s great for smoothing out any kinks or bubbles in your vinyl. Note: When applying vinyl to paint, make sure you have your topcoat applied and that it is thoroughly dry. This will keep the sticky vinyl was peeling up your paint!
Assembling the Mailbox
To assemble the mailbox, I used my Surebonder glue gun. First, I glued the middle portion which would serve as the mailbox post to the bottom base.
Lastly, the post was glued in the center of the mailbox.
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I loved the way it turned out! And for only 99 cents because I used scrap wood! If you do not have a vinyl cutter, then freehand it or even use a stencil, whatever you have on hand.
Isn’t the flag cute?
If this inspires you to create a DIY project, please share it with me! I would love to feature your craft on my Facebook page. It’s so budget-friendly to create decor from thrift store finds.
Save this project for later!
Happy Crafting! Look out tomorrow for the next DIY craft!
Christina
That is so STINKIN cute
Thank you! ❤️
I`m looking forward to your daily crafts projects! And yes, I have quite a few project “parts” in several places throughout my home. Time to get them together and finish them!
Hi Gracie! Thank you! Buts the perfect time to get them done! ❤️
This little mailbox is so cute! I love that you included the year y’all were married. How sweet!
Thank you Michelle!