Give kids their very own mailbox!

*forgive the so so pictures.. I have been waiting for a sunny day since there is not much light in the hall but we have been living in a rainforest this month and it’s just not going to happen!

This idea started out with me looking for baskets to put on the wall outside my kids doors. When we are cleaning up,  for some reason they refuse to put things away inside each others rooms. They leave the stuff on the floor outside their siblings room, making the hall a mess. Right now my kids are in the “little” phase. As in lots of “little” toys i.e. legos, polly pockets, American Girl clothes, hot wheels (lots of little things all over the place!) …One day I went looking for baskets to hang on the wall and came up empty.  Then I went to Lowes for something else and I walked down the mailbox aisle and had a light bulb moment! Why not a mailbox? They would hold all the little stuff, and be more unique than a basket! They come in all shapes and sizes, in the end,  I elected to go with the cheapest ones there. (wouldn’t it be cool to search out antique ones?) I did not want basic black, so I got the mail boxes and 3 cans of spray paint.

I was ready to spray paint the mail boxes and my husband INSISTED that he take over, I guess the last project I spray painted left some paint marks on the driveway. I did not see a problem with this but he did, and walked away frustrated murmuring something about resale value…

He painstakingly spray painted the mailboxes. He spray painted them lightly sanding between each coat. I think it took 3-4 coats total.

We hung them up and I put on some vinyl letters with the kids names that I had been saving for just such an occasion.

So far they work like a charm!  Plus a side benefit is that the kids have been sending each other “mail” constantly… They are writing letters and reading them.  It’s nice,  especially since my son has been struggling a bit with reading and writing in school this year.

I love the look it gives the hallway upstairs. (which as you can see still needs ALOT of help!)  Now wait until you see what I do to the doors!

Here’s a link on Amazon to the mailboxes that would work if you’d like to make your own.

——————————————————————–

   

Connect with me:

 

——————————————————————-