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Make a mailbox out of plastic bottles. Do-it-yourself mailbox made of felt and a plastic bottle

Factory variations of boxes for collecting correspondence are often monotonous and do not differ in particular originality. Traditional metal or wooden boxes, which are decorated with an apartment number and a miniature padlock, will not appeal to many.

street mailbox

Consider a few step-by-step master classes on how to make a mailbox for a private house with your own hands.

Varieties and styles

The mailbox, which is located in the local area, often serves not only for its intended purpose. Such products also become a harmonious addition to the design of the facade of the building. Therefore, before making such a product, you should decide on the variations in performance. Experts distinguish three main types of mailboxes:

In classic style. This design is a vertical box equipped with a slot for letters and other correspondence. As a rule, they are installed by hanging on the fence or wall of the house. Despite its simplicity, even such a box can be decorated in an original way through painting, decoupage techniques and other techniques.
In the English style. This product is made in the form of a cabinet-table, which is mounted directly on the ground. As a rule, the mailbox is placed a few steps from the main entrance to the house. Outwardly, this design resembles a miniature model of a residential building and is made of durable steel or by means of brickwork.
American style. Such mailboxes are a metal box in the shape of a half-pipe. They are mounted on a separate support or a wooden rod and are equipped with a special flag that indicates the presence of correspondence inside. It simply rises if the box contains letters.

Options on the photo

Variations of mailboxes depend on the imagination of the owners

Street mailbox - addition to the ensemble of a country house

Outdoor mailbox should be in harmony with the design of the house

Undoubtedly, every homeowner wants his own construction to have not only an original appearance, but also be durable and strong. Therefore, before planning the manufacture of a mailbox, a number of basic recommendations should be considered:

To prevent correspondence from being adversely affected by atmospheric precipitation, it is necessary to provide a visor above the slot for lowering letters.
If you are planning to place a drawer door on the front panel, then it is important to accurately measure the dimensions of the opening. This will prevent the formation of gaps through which snow and moisture penetrate.
When planning to install a door at the bottom of the drawer, it is advisable to make the design hinged in order to take out correspondence without difficulty.
If you want to make a box out of wood, you need to protect the corners of the structure with special metal plates. This will increase the strength of the product and further facilitate the repair.
For security, it is worth considering the presence of a lock or alarm.

Just a few simple rules will extend the life of your product

from wood

Very popular designs in domestic open spaces are made of natural wood. This material allows you to experiment with the shape of the box, as well as the exterior design. In addition, it is easy to get it, and it does not require any professional skills to work.

So, to build a mailbox, you need to prepare the following materials:

wooden bars;
protective impregnation;
wood screws;
paint brush;
door hinges (small size);
dense moisture resistant plywood;
padlock for locking;
screwdriver;
hacksaw.

The construction process looks like this:

The first step is to cover the wood material with a protective compound that will prevent damage by moisture or insects. When the sheets dry, you can begin to assemble the structure.
The dimensions of the walls depend on the desired dimensions of the future structure. For work, you will need to cut the beam into several parts so that 4 slats come out corresponding to the length of the structure, 4 shortened parts - to fit the width and 4 pcs. according to the height of the side walls.
At the first stage, it is necessary to put together these fragments in the form of a rectangle, that is, to make a frame.
Then it is necessary to attach plywood sheets cut out in accordance with the dimensions - side fragments, back and bottom. The result is a box without a top cover and front panel.
In order not to cut a hole for correspondence from a single piece of wood, you can make a cover from 2 panels, leaving a 1 cm slot in the middle.
The front part of the box will look like a door with a small lock. This will allow you to easily take out the mail and at the same time protect the structures from intruders.
For its construction, it is necessary to install hinges on the side panel - 2 pcs. for the door itself and 2 pcs. for a locking structure.
We hang the front wall and check the performance.
This completes the mailbox.

Important! Since the letter drop slot is located at the top and is not protected from atmospheric precipitation, there is a risk of damage to correspondence. To do this, you can attach a metal sheet directly above the hole, which is fixed on small loops. This will make the second protective cover.

Wooden mailbox - easy to make and decorate

metal

This design is the most durable and durable, but it is more difficult to make it. This will require minimal skills in processing metal structures. So, for the construction of such a product, it is necessary to prepare the following tools:

a metal sheet;
Bulgarian;
jigsaw or saw;
welding machine;
anti-corrosion impregnation;
dye.

The workflow looks like this:

The American mailbox will require more effort to work, but it will be stronger and more durable.

From a plastic bottle

A practical and original mailbox can be made from improvised materials. The process is incredibly simple and fun, and the result is an attractive design that you can decorate to your liking. So, to create a box you will need:

plastic container with a capacity of 5 l;
stationery knife;
fragment of plywood 25x5 cm;
lightning;
quick dry fabric;
glue;
long needle;
synthetic strong thread.

The manufacturing process is carried out in the following sequence:

An empty container must be cut across at the bottom so that the bottom opens, but does not separate completely. We apply a sewing zipper to the cut to make sure that the length of the product is suitable.
Using a needle and thread, sew the zipper to the bottle. You can also glue it, but it is worth considering that the box will be located on the street, and under the influence of precipitation, the fixation strength will decrease every day.
We check the performance of the zipper - an impromptu folding bottom should open and close well.
We wrap the container in decorative material - fabric, burlap. Leave the lower part transparent to see the presence of correspondence. Cut off excess material.
Then we remove the cloth and coat the surface of the bottle with glue. Reapply the material and firmly fix it. We expect complete drying of the composition.
On the front wall of the container we cut a hole for the mail.
On the back, we fix the plywood panel with glue. It will be needed to mount the box on a fence or wall.
This product is ready. After complete drying, we install the box in the right place and enjoy the work done.

Important! For decoration, you can use not only fabric, but also any types of moisture-resistant coatings. You can paint the facade, make a painting and varnish or decorate with artificial flowers.

A plastic bottle mailbox is the easiest way to make

From cardboard

Such products are easy to manufacture, as well as cost-effective. For the construction of a mailbox, any unnecessary box is suitable. All you need is a minimum of effort and a bit of imagination. In this example, we will consider a step-by-step master class using the example of an empty tablet box for a washing machine.

So, before work, you need to prepare the following tools:

cardboard packaging;
stationery knife;
glue gun;
decorative paper;
wood varnish;
paint brush.

The construction process is carried out in the following sequence of actions:

As you can see, it is not difficult to make an original mailbox, it will take only a little effort and imagination. Various variations of designs allow you to make it from the simplest materials, using even recycled materials. However, before you make a box with your own hands, keep in mind that its appearance should be in harmony with the overall ensemble of your site.

Mailbox- this is an important part of the decor of both a private and an apartment building. An attractive and unusual box can improve the overall look of the yard, set the main important accents and ensure the safety of received letters and newspapers. It will be best and more pleasant to create a mailbox with your own hands.

Space to work

Anyone can create such a household item. To do this, you just need to clearly define the model and materials for construction, find the right tools and allocate a little time.

With your efforts, you can create both simpler designs and make whole works of art. In this case, the material and size of the structure can be absolutely any. The main thing is to foresee them in advance. The size of the box should allow you to store mail of different sizes. Boxes for private homes are best created from stronger and more secure materials.

The main types of structures

Boxes can vary in shape, model and size. American, English, as well as classic style are considered more common.:

The classic ones look like a small rectangular box with a special slot for newspapers and advertisements. Most often, these boxes are mounted on the walls of houses or fences. You can find them on the territory of the post-Soviet space; they are made of wood or metal.
English style - a small metal box that is attached to the wall or created as a separate block.
American. This type can be mounted on a separate support, it has a special flag that notifies the sending of mail.

Unusual boxes are allowed to be made from different materials: paper, bottles, cardboard or interior items.

Choosing the best option

All types of boxes are mass-produced, each can be bought ready-to-mount. Models do not differ in special structure or appearance. It is not worth talking about design features in this case. If you want to get some original box, then make it yourself.

The best option in this case would be a do-it-yourself wooden mailbox - thick cardboard or plywood.

Need to buy follow some advice:

Determine the maximum number of letters that come to you in a certain period of time. If a large number of newspapers, other correspondence and mailing lists often come to your postal address, then it is best to create standard models of boxes, American ones in this case will be small, and newspapers for them will have to be folded into a roll.
If you want to design an American box, you must definitely evaluate whether the postman can recognize the destination of the letter and get to it. In some situations, you should talk about this in advance with the local postman so that there are no difficulties.
Mail locations should be determined in advance. If you live in a private house that is fenced off, then you can use the classic version, which will be attached to the fence, or the English model, on which you need to make a postal designation in advance. American models are also used, pre-designating them for the postman with appropriate signatures.

In Russia, postmen rarely collect all the letters of the recipients on their own, so the items should still be taken to the assembly places - to central installations in public places or to special departments.

Metal box for mail

Do-it-yourself metal mailboxes are more difficult to create. In this case, in addition to the idea, you also need to have minimal skills in working with metal material.

For construction you will need:

tin sheets;
rivets;
drill;
special grinder.

The process of creating an American box is quite complicated:

Cut out two rectangular sheets of metal. One will be the bottom, the size of the sheet is determined by the desired size. The second - a semicircular roof, should completely coincide with the total width of the bottom, but be longer.
It is necessary to cut out two identical semicircular parts, which will serve as the side walls of the product. Their width must fully correspond to the width of the bottom side on which they will be installed, and the height of the circle must be equal to the semicircular roof.
Installation is carried out with a special welding tool. One of the semicircular sides must be installed on hinges, and also provided with a handle and a special lock.
The finished model can be primed with 2-3 layers of primer and beautifully decorated at your discretion.

Traditional wooden mailbox

To create such a box you will need:

a sheet of plywood with a total thickness of at least five millimeters;
wooden bars 15 * 15 mm;
hammer;
a small tin plate;
special fasteners (nails and screws);
jigsaw and hacksaw for wood;
furniture hinges.

When creating a mailbox, choose a size that can easily fit a standard A4 sheet of paper.

Start building the box

From plywood, you need to cut out two blanks with a general format of 150 * 250 mm and 350 * 870 mm. This will be the front, back wall, as well as the sides. For the lower part, you need to cut a workpiece with a total size of 250 * 70 mm. This is where you need to start designing the box. With your own hands to create such a product is within the power of any owner.

At the top of the box there should be a hole of about 20 millimeters for receiving mail. That is why such a blank is created with a size of 250 * 50 mm, in this case the gap will be located near the edge of the upper part of the mailbox. It will also be possible to cut out two parts with a size of 250 * 25 mm, in this case, a hole for receiving the newspaper must be made in the middle. The bottom bar should be 250 * 70 mm in size.

Four bars of 350 mm and 220 mm are cut off. They will be located in the corners of the box and provide the product with increased strength.

For longer operation, all parts should be treated with special solutions before assembly, which will repel pests and also prevent the process of decay.

Receiver design

Using sandpaper, remove excess burrs from all workpieces and smooth out small tubercles. From the bars make a rectangle. The front wall (350 * 250 mm) is placed on it. The sides of the bars should be aligned with the ends of the plywood blank, and then they are fastened with screws and nails. If glue is used along with nails, this will help to provide special strength to the connection and increase tightness. Glue must be applied to the side of the bar and to the edge of the plywood structure. Then they are combined and fastened with nails.

The back wall and bars are combined in the same way. At the same time, it is very important to remember about attaching the box to the fence or wall of the house. To do this, several lugs are screwed to the top of the back wall.

The rear and front walls are located on the end edges and are alternately combined with the side slats. The top of the box will consist of two slats. They are fastened with nails and glue, the gap between them should be up to 20 mm.

The bottom of the box must be made of a folding type so that the owner can easily get all the mail. To do this, several loops are screwed to the long edge of the plank, a small corner loop for a lock on the box is attached to the other side of the plank. After the furniture hinges are combined with the back wall, the bottom is closed, and at the level of the hinge for the lock, another eye is attached to the front wall.

To prevent rain and snow from entering the crevice of the box from above, a special plate for protection is cut out and attached from a metal sheet. It should have rounded edges, slightly smaller than the top of the box. The plate should be hinged, it is attached to the back wall on small furniture hinges.

There is also a mailbox model with an opening front wall. In this case, the assembly of the box is carried out in exactly the same way, only the front side is attached to special hinges.

At the end of the assembly, the box is carefully processed with special sandpaper, the box is painted and decorated.

Recently, decoupage finishes have become widely used. This is cutting out various beautiful images from magazines or paper. Cut out pictures need to be glued to the surface and covered with several layers of varnish at once. Pictures can be combined with the design of the house and the surrounding area. This is how you can get a beautiful and elegant mailbox.

Product with signal flag

Such a box will be behind the fence. Most often, it is American boxes that are supplied with a signal flag. Also, for such a design, you need to create a special stand with a slope. The box is created from a profile pipe 50 * 25 mm.

The main walls of the box must be cut out of special plywood with a thickness of at least 10 millimeters and a diameter of 400 * 400 mm, the surface is primed with high quality, and then painted.

When the paint is completely dry, the base is installed to the rack with self-tapping screws. Such a platform will be installed to the fence and well fixed.

creative details

From the outside of the fence, from the opposite platform, a special compartment is sawn out for receiving newspapers. Its size should correspond to 250 * 20 mm. On both sides of the gap, special linings must be made. From the outer side of the fence, on the upper part of the lining, a damper is attached with a bolted connection.

The screw with the nut should not be fully tightened, the damper should be allowed to move to the right and left. So that when using the box, such a connection does not begin to weaken, and the nut does not come off the screw, a special lock nut is tightened from above. Do-it-yourself mailboxes will not only please the eyes of others, but will also bring joy to the owners of the house.

The signal flagpole will consist of two plates located at an angle of ninety degrees relative to each other, and will also be fastened with a special steel rod. The signaling device should be placed so that the raised plate is opposite the gap in the fence and the other is on the platform. A newspaper or mailing list inserted into the slot will place the plate, while the signal plate will rise up. In the absence of correspondence, the device will be in the working position; for this, a special canopy in the form of a small load is attached to the upper edge of the signal plate.

A special rod with plates is attached to the platform using special carbon loops. In this case, the fasteners are screwed to the platform with special self-tapping screws, which are placed as close as possible to the plate. This will prevent the rod from falling out of the hinges.

You need to sheathe the box, depending on the style in which it will be performed. It can be a doll house, a village hut or a warehouse sheathed with iron sheets, a do-it-yourself plastic bottle mailbox.

To simulate a hut, it is best to use special trimmings of the lining board. A dollhouse can be created from fiberboard (fibreboard) with pasted napkins in the form of drawings and images. The storage room is trimmed with pieces of galvanized sheet. You can give the box a finished look with the help of a signal plate, which can be cut out in the form of some fairy-tale hero.

If you are looking for creative and original ways to make a mailbox with your own hands, then you are here! In this article you will find several workshops on creating creative crafts. Of course, it will be problematic to use them for their intended purpose, for example, in the country or near the house. But, as interesting crafts for a holiday, for creativity with a child, or just to decorate and complement the interior, they are perfect.

felt mail

A felt mailbox will serve as a wonderful toy or craft for a kindergarten for a child. Soft and pleasant to the touch, it can serve for a long time without losing its shape. Materials can be taken in absolutely any colors that you like.

For work you will need:

felt, several colors can be used to make the product more colorful;
pattern;
lining fabric;
threads;
interlining;
small Velcro;
glue;
cardboard;
needle;
sewing machine;
iron;
any decorative elements (buttons, small toys that could be sewn or glued to crafts, etc.).

Cut out pieces of pattern from cardboard. Cardboard is needed to give density to your craft.

In the same way, we cut out elements from the lining fabric and felt. Glue the interlining to the felt. We iron.

We sew the details for the bottom (from felt and lining fabric) on three sides, insert cardboard into the fourth. We sew decor elements on the felt part of the top of the craft. It can be stripes of fabric of a different color, or cut out letters for the word "mail", or any other decorations of your choice. You can make embroidery on the top of the craft.

Now you can sew up the cardboard pockets with a blind seam and also connect all the details. We get an original craft that will delight your child and will not leave indifferent even the most serious adult.

Universal plastic

Plastic is considered to be one of the most durable materials and hence products made from it can last a long time if handled properly. Anything can be made from a plastic bottle, the main thing is a little imagination and skillful hands. And making a mailbox is not difficult at all. In addition, in our master class, the box can be used not only as a craft, but also for its intended purpose.

To create such a product, you will need the following materials:

plastic five-liter bottle;
dense moisture resistant fabric;
scissors;
plywood or board 25 × 5 cm;
glue;
needle;
strong threads;
lightning.

We take a plastic bottle, cut it from the bottom around the perimeter, leaving the fourth side intact. This will be the back of the mailbox. We select the zipper of the desired length by applying it to the cut of the bottle.

From a dense material, cut out a part corresponding to the size of the bottle. You can use an unwanted bag or an old jacket. Spread the bottle with glue and wrap it with a cloth so that the top of the product is completely covered with cloth, and the bottom remains transparent. Then you will be able to see the presence or absence of mail in your mailbox.

After the craft dries, you need to make a slot in place of the zipper so that the bottom opens easily.

To decorate the top of the future mailbox, you can tie the fabric with colored wire or ribbon, attach a toy or any other decorative item there. Or you can just glue the fabric tightly to the top of the product.

To create a hole for letters and newspapers, you need to make a slot on the back wall of the container without removing the fabric. She needs to glue the edges of the opening, as shown in the photo.

The final step is to glue the plywood to the back wall of the product under the letter hole so that you can later attach the box to the fence.

To create a mailbox from a bottle, you can use almost any materials at hand, any plastic container, fabric and decorative elements. The fantasy shown in the process of work will help to make a unique and inimitable craft.

The easiest option

The simplest option, which even a preschooler can make, is a mailbox out of the box. In our article we will tell you how to make crafts from a shoe box, but you can use absolutely any cardboard container of the right size.

An ordinary rectangular shoe box with a lid is best suited for crafts. At the box itself, you need to cut the side corners on one side. At the lid of the box, cut off the sides and cut a hole for the letters. Using adhesive tape, connect the top and bottom of the box.

If you do not want to buy a mailbox or want to realize your original design ideas, then making such an accessory with your own hands is quite simple. To do this, you can use wood, metal, old things and even plastic bottles.

What are mailboxes

First you need to understand what types of mailboxes generally exist:

Classic - a regular rectangular box with a horizontal slot for letters and newspapers. Such a box can be attached to a fence, a wall of a building and is most often found in the countries of the post-Soviet space;
English - as a rule, this is a metal box that is built into a wall or door. Also, an English-style mailbox can be made as a separate post;

American - a square box on a separate support, which is installed in front of the house. A good option for a mailbox for a private house, but not suitable for a city apartment.

How to make a mailbox with your own hands

There are many options for handmade mailboxes, let's look at the most popular ones.

Mailbox from a plastic bottle

The neck of a plastic two-liter bottle is cut off, and the bottle itself is attached to the required surface in a horizontal position using nails or self-tapping screws. Please note that a large amount of correspondence will not fit in such a box, but it is quite suitable for a couple of newspapers, brochures or an envelope.

In order for the press in the mailbox from a plastic bottle not to get wet from the rain, it is recommended to build a visor over it.

Mailbox made of fabric and cardboard

You can get creative and make a mailbox for a private house from fabric and cardboard. A base is cut out of thick cardboard, which is sheathed or pasted over with a cloth on top. Here you need to understand that such a box, although it will look original, will be very poorly protected from rain or wind.

A box of various unnecessary items

Anything can be used here, from an old system unit to a broken wall clock. An unnecessary thing can be painted or draped with a cloth, make a slot for letters and a door for extracting correspondence, and then attach it to the chosen place.

Wooden box

From plywood sheets and wooden blocks, parts of the box are cut out, which are interconnected with nails, bolts or wood glue. In order for the wooden box to better resist rain and other negative influences, the tree should be treated with special compounds from moisture and insects. Drawings for parts of a wooden box can be made independently or taken on the Internet.

And if you decorate a do-it-yourself wooden mailbox with decoupage or paint it in an interesting way, then more than one dove with a joyful letter will definitely fly past it!

metal

The most difficult option to manufacture, which requires some metal handling skills. The bottom, cover and side walls are cut out of tin sheets, they are connected to each other by welding, and it is desirable to prime and enamel the finished structure, so it will resist corrosion longer.

It will be interesting to look at a mailbox made of tin in the form of an envelope, which can also be made by hand.

Whatever materials you make a mailbox from, it must be durable, moisture resistant and have a securely closing door for extracting letters.

Photos used in the material: LiveInternet, Sadovod, Marrietta, Fishki.net

felt mail

For work you will need:

felt, several colors can be used to make the product more colorful;
pattern;
lining fabric;
threads;
interlining;
small Velcro;
glue;
cardboard;
needle;
sewing machine;
iron;
any decorative elements (buttons, small toys that could be sewn or glued to crafts, etc.).

Cut out pieces of pattern from cardboard. Cardboard is needed to give density to your craft.

In the same way, we cut out elements from the lining fabric and felt. Glue the interlining to the felt. We iron.

Universal plastic

To create such a product, you will need the following materials:

plastic five-liter bottle;
dense moisture resistant fabric;
scissors;
plywood or board 25 × 5 cm;
glue;
needle;
strong threads;
lightning.

After the craft dries, you need to make a slot in place of the zipper so that the bottom opens easily.

To create a hole for letters and newspapers, you need to make a slot on the back wall of the container without removing the fabric. She needs to glue the edges of the opening, as shown in the photo.

The final step is to glue the plywood to the back wall of the product under the letter hole so that you can later attach the box to the fence.

To create a mailbox from a bottle, you can use almost any materials at hand, any plastic container, fabric and decorative elements. The fantasy shown in the process of work will help to make a unique and inimitable craft.

The easiest option

The next and final step is decorating. You can glue the box with colored paper or cloth. Treat the corners and edges of the slot with narrow strips of paper or tape. You can decorate such a mailbox with anything: paper and colored fabric decor, stick buttons or rhinestones, etc.