I am always on the look out for new craft ideas. This mailbox idea comes from a neighbor of mine up near my cabin in Minnesota. She loved my boat motor mailbox featured in a recent article here. After seeing the effort I made to make a unique mailbox, she decided to pretty her mailbox up a bit. It did not take her long at all to decide on making a mailbox/flower box combination.
I talked to Pam for some time about how unique and pretty her mailbox is. She gladly gave me instructions to share on how to make one. Here are the items needed and instructions for you to make a flower box mailbox of your own.
Items Needed To Make A Flower box Mailbox :
1. A 2x4x6ft piece of wood
2. Two 2x4x2ft or 2x4x3ft piece of wood
3. A 4×12 or 4×24 inch box with 2-3 inch depth
4. A hammer
5. Nails
6. A standard mailbox
7. Potting soil ( one small bag )
8. Flowers ( your choice )
9. Screws 20-30
10. A Power Drill With Screw Gun
11. A shovel
12. One small bag of cement mix
Setting Up The Flower Box Mailbox :
The first step in getting started on this craft project is to decide on the length of your flower box. This length will help you determine the length of your wood that it and the mailbox will sit on . Add the length of your mailbox and the length of your flower box to get the total length needed for the 2×4 piece of wood they will sit on. Cut your wood so that you have an extra inch on the rear end.
Next you will want to attach both the mailbox and the flower box to that piece of wood. The best way to do this is to use screws and a power drill. Start with the mailbox and line it up so that the front is perfectly aligned with the edge of your wood. Drill screws from the bottom of the wood into the bottom of the mailbox to attach it.
Now, line up your flower box and attach it in the same way. Be sure that it lines up perfectly and sits right behind the mailbox before you begin to use your power drill to attach it.
Adding Posts To Set Up The Flower-box Mailbox :
You will want to start by digging a three foot deep hole that is not much wider than your post. Add cement mix and water in to the hole and let it set a bit. As soon as the concrete begins to firm up you can add your main post. Be sure it is completely set and then you can begin to attach the flower-box mailbox.
Once your main post is firmly set, attach the flower-box mailbox by using your hammer and nails. You will want to hammer nails into the extra inch of wood at the back of your flower box and into the top of the post. This would hold to some degree but with weight it may give way. To firm up your mailbox and be sure it will last, add the third piece of wood on a slant from the bottom of the mailbox to the middle of the main post.
You will want to use your power drill to attach the last piece of wood to the other two. Be sure you get the screws into the center of the wood for a very stable mailbox.
Finishing Touches For Flower Box Mailbox :
The last thing you need to do now that your flower box mailbox is assembled is to add the dirt and flowers to the flower box. Be sure to space the flowers so that they have room to grow. Add plenty of dirt and a bit of water to keep them healthy and strong. The flower box mailboxes pictured for this article were both made by Pam. As you can see, she used flowers that would spill over and it is sure to get even prettier as Summer stretches on.
I hope you enjoyed this mailbox project. If you liked this idea, you might want to click here for more of my craft project ideas.
Source:
Pam Harding
