Metal mailboxes on a pole, generally set up by the road in rural areas, are virtual canvases – even for those who don’t consider themselves artists. Because of a craft product called magnetic sheeting you can now beautify your mailbox, in any number of themes, and change the mailbox decor in seconds.
Have you seen the look on your mail carrier’s face? That person is bored! Mile after mile of the same ol’ mailboxes, day after day. But with magnetic pictures and images he or she no longer sees the old humdrum boxes but beautiful scenes, holiday wishes and more.
You won’t be the only one in the neighborhood with a gorgeous mailbox after your neighbors see your new designs. They’ll want to copy the idea, and before you know it, the entire area will have the most fabulous mailboxes in town.
You can purchase fancified mailboxes – and by the way, they’re not cheap – but why bother? For a few dollars you can have dozens and dozens of different mailboxes. Okay, you’ll have the same mailbox but it can have a facelift any time you feel like it. It’s so easy to change the design, in fact, that you’ll want to make a new look for each and every day.
Magnetic sheeting is found on a roll at most any craft stores. Stores that don’t carry the rolls of sheeting still do carry the individual sheets of the magnet. The sheeting features a magnetic backing with a peel-away adhesive front. When used with craft foam you can create lettering, shapes or scenes that are waterproof and cling easily to the mailbox.
Cut letters to spell out family announcements or just to wish the neighborhood a beautiful day. Make the letters for holidays, birthdays, anniversaries and other special days. Spell out whatever you wish.
Craft foam comes in sheets of assorted sizes, colors and types. It’s thin and colorful making it easy for kids to craft with, or for adults to get creative. It doesn’t take the mind of a genius, though, to create basic shapes of pets, geometric shapes and similar images.
Cut out shapes of mountains, trees, children, swingsets, suns, moons, flowers, happy insects, houses or businesses, and any number of other shapes. Then arrange the shapes to create a fun picture.
You don’t necessarily have to use the craft foam to create the mailbox designs. Cut scenes from magazines, like mountains, flowers fields, or even pets. Laminate the paper pictures and trim. Stick them to the adhesive magnet sheet and trim. Now create luscious scenes of background mountains with a child walking a pet in the foreground. Or, make a beach scene in the background with chairs and cool drinks in the foreground. The designs are all your own.
Since there are two sides to the mailboxes you can create a duplicate picture on the other side, or you can continue the theme, using related pictures. A smaller design can also be made for the door of the mailbox.
Make the scenes over a period of time, cutting and magnetizing pictures you come across in magazines and such. File them, if you wish, under categories of “Holiday Themes”, “Words and Letters” or even “Sports”. There’s no limit to the possibilites.
It only takes a minute to change the scene on the mailbox. Choose today’s theme and remove yesterday’s. File yesterday’s theme for another time, and replace it with the new theme of the day. It’s fun, inexpensive and simple. Get the entire family in on the mailbox beautification project. They’ll have a blast and you’ll love the assortment of scenes you’ll have in the end. Kids will generally pick cartoon themes, where dads will usually like sports themes. When you’re done, there’s something for everyone, especially the mail carrier!
Reference:
- Purchase magnetic sheeting here: www.michaels.com
