What To Do With An Old Mailbox? (Find Out Now!)
Upcycling is a creative way to find new uses for old items. A quick little project not only gives your home some new décor, but also reduces waste in landfills. Old mailboxes can be used for a lot of fun and crafty ideas.
Sell, donate, or recycle your old mailbox. Use it to hold recipes in your kitchen. Organize your office, or hang it in your children’s room for special notes and cards. Make a breadbox, garden planter, or birdhouse with your old mailbox. Store your garden tools, and keep your garage organized.
Here are some tips for dressing up an old mailbox, and some old mailbox ideas.
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How to Decorate an Old Mailbox
Your old mailbox has been out in the elements for years, so it needs some attention. Remove dirt and grime with grease-fighting dish soap and warm water. Once it’s clean, you can decorate the old mailbox to give it some new life.
How to Paint an Old Mailbox
Use a fine grit sandpaper to remove any loose paint and smooth the surface of the mailbox. Metal mailboxes need a coat of primer before the paint. After the primer dries, spray paint the entire mailbox. An outdoor paint protects the finish from rain and corrosion.
How to Decoupage an Old Mailbox
Decoupage is a technique that works well for old mailboxes. You glue decorative paper or fabric to the surface of the old mailbox. After you’re done decorating the mailbox, finish it with a sealer. Go to a local hobby shop and look for papers and fabrics that suit your personal style. You don’t want anything that is too thick.
The best types of paper to use for decoupaging an old mailbox is origami paper. You can also make your own design with cardstock. Cotton blend fabrics are best for decoupaging.
Cut the paper or fabric into a single piece that covers the entire mailbox, or you can cut out shapes. Use Mod Podge to glue the material to the clean mailbox. After you’re done decorating, cover the entire surface with the Mod Podge.
How to Distress an Old Mailbox
Patina solution gives your old mailbox an aged appearance by adding green, black, red, dark brown, or amber tones. This mimics what happens to metal when it spends years in the elements. You can find patina solution at a local hobby store.
The heavier you apply the patina solution, the more dramatic the result. You can use a light coating over the entire mailbox, and add more of the solution where you want a more obvious aged appearance.
Finish the distressed look by randomly sanding areas of the mailbox.
7 Creative Ways to Use an Old Mailbox
Now that your old mailbox has a new look, let’s look at how to repurpose it.
Decorate Your Kitchen
Hang your old mailbox in the kitchen, and use it for some of your favorite items. Hooks under a mailbox are good for rolling pins and hand towels. Store recipe cards, or show off your favorite recipe books.
Keep Bread Fresh
There’s nothing better than a fresh piece of bread for toast in the morning or a sandwich for lunch. Bread stays fresh when it is sealed and out of the light. Keeping your bread in the fridge might seem like a good option, but it actually dries out the bread faster. Bread that is left out on the counter tends to dry out and get moldy. What you need is a good old-fashioned breadbox.
Breadboxes made from old mailboxes can be used for bread, cookies, and any other type of baked goods. Semicircular and rectangle mailboxes are the perfect size and shape for storing bread. Decoupage the outside of the mailbox with letters or a tea towel that matches your kitchen décor.
Organize Your Office
Home offices always need organization. You’re working in a limited space, and you don’t want guests to see piles of papers and random office supplies. An old mailbox gives you a place for small items. Put it on your desk, or mount it on the wall.
Children’s Letter Box
Children love to get special deliveries. Put an old mailbox in your child’s room or play area. Use it for special notes, birthday cards, and sweet treats.
Store Garden Tools
An old mailbox is perfect for storage. Put it in your gardening work area, and store your garden tools inside. Old mailboxes are large enough to hold most hand tools, such as trowels, cultivators, weeders, and hand rakes. This keeps everything in one place.
Plant Some Flowers
Old decorated mailboxes are fun to have in the garden and on your patio. Sit the mailbox up on its end, and insert a pot to hold the soil and flowers. If you have an old wall-mounted mailbox, fill it with soil and flowers. Hang it near the back door or window.
Make a Birdhouse
If you have some basic power tools, you can turn your old mailbox into a birdhouse. Remove the door of the mailbox. Use a piece of cardboard to trace the outline of the opening to the mailbox. Cut the template down so it fits inside the box. Trace the template onto a piece of plywood, and cut it out with a jigsaw.
Next, make a circle on the wood. It needs to be 1” to 1 1/2” for wild birds. Here’s a list of hole sizes for specific birds that may be in your yard.
- Chickadee: 1 1/8” opening
- Nuthatch: 1 1/4” to 1 3/8” opening
- Woodpecker, wren, and titmouse: 1 1/4” opening
The hole needs to be large enough for the birds to enter, but small enough to protect against predators. Glue the wood to the mailbox, and seal it with caulk.
You can add some nesting materials to the birdhouse, but it may deter birds from using the space. Birds can be very picky about what is used for their nests. It’s best to leave the birdhouse empty.
Mount the birdhouse on a post or stable surface in your garden. Make sure that the birds can get to it easily, but it is safe from predators.
How to Use Old Cluster Mailboxes
Cluster mailboxes are used by the US Postal Service in apartment complexes, rural areas, and multi-family homes. If you come across an old cluster mailbox at a thrift store or antique shop, take it home! The individual cubbies give you plenty of space for storing small items. Use an old cluster mailbox as a nightstand. If you can find two cluster mailboxes that are the same height, add a piece of countertop for a new desk. Old cluster mailboxes also work well in entryways, bathrooms, mud rooms, and garages.
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Related Questions
How do I restore an old mailbox?
Remove the numbers from your old mailbox, and sand it to remove paint and rough edges. Use a fine grit sandpaper. Spray the box with an exterior paint.
Does the flag on a mailbox have to be red?
Mailbox flags don’t have to be red. The flags cannot be yellow, blue, green, or brown. The US Postal Service prefers bright orange for mailbox flags. Additionally, the flag needs to be easily distinguished from the color of the mailbox.
Can I lock my mailbox?
You can’t add a lock to an existing mailbox because the mail carrier needs to have access. Replace your mailbox with a model that has a slot and lock. Check with the US Postal Service to see if you can move the mailbox closer to an area of your home with lighting and security cameras.
Conclusion
Upcycling an old mailbox is a fun DIY project that gives you some new, functional décor. Old mailboxes can be used inside your home or out in the garden. Upcycled mailboxes also make great gifts! From breadboxes and birdhouses to desks, tables, and nightstands, the possibilities are almost endless. All you need is some basic items from the hobby store and a few hours of free time on the weekend.
Jennifer L. Eggerton loves being hands-on, whether it's with a home DIY project, making repairs, re-decorating a room, or keeping life organized. She enjoys helping people by sharing her knowledge, insights, and experiences, as well as her lessons learned. In addition to her work as a writer, Jennifer is a Jeep® overlander, self-published author, and nature photographer who loves being outdoors.
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