Make a mailbox craft out of card stock and colored paper with this easy step-by-step video tutorial, then write letters and put them in your mailbox for some make-believe adventures. This craft was made to go with the Dear Mr. Blueberry book but can be used at any time you’d like a place to receive or send mail.
You’ll need:
-
Card stock (we used white)
-
Red construction paper
-
Ruler
-
Paper
-
Scissors (and your adult)
-
Glue (and your adult)
-
Cutting tool (and your adult)
INSTRUCTIONS:
-
Cut a piece of card stock (some mailboxes will be smaller/larger than others so adjust your proportions appropriately); we went with approximately 11.5” x 8”.
-
On the smaller sheet of card stock (approx 8” x 5”), draw a vertical line on each edge about half an inch in; then fold the paper along each newly drawn line.
-
Next you’ll fold the larger card stock over the smaller one to form like a dome shape that will be the main cover of the mailbox. place glue on the outer portions of the folded paper and secure it to the inside of the dome shape.
-
Stand the dome on a piece of card stock and use a pencil to trace the outside curved shape. Make sure to leave at least an inch around the shape you draw to complete the next step.
-
Lift the dome shape and draw a shape about half an inch bigger around your newly drawn curved shape.
-
Now make another shape that measures the same size as the inside portion of your drawing on the small card stock.
-
Cut out the first shape you made along the external curved shape and cut out the second shape you drew (which will be smaller).
-
Fold the bottom edge of the first curved shape.
-
Do not cut the bottom edge that you just folded over but cut along the dome shape that goes with it; make slits that are separated by a half an inch.
-
Now glue the bottom edge from its bottom side and secure it to the inside of the mailbox.
-
Now glue the slits on the outside perimeter and slowly fold them into the mailbox to secure the outside of the slits carefully inside the dome shape. This will be the back end of your mailbox so that when you put mail in, it won’t fall out.
-
Next fold the bottom edge of the other dome shape and put some glue along the outside of the bottom edge; affix it to the inside of the mailbox. This will be the edge that once dried and set, you will open to insert and remove mail.
-
Use some left over card stock to cut a strip that’s about 6” long and 2.5” wide and fold it, accordion style, into three sections.
-
Next cut an L-shaped piece of card stock – approx 5” long and 2.5” wide.
-
Using red construction paper draw and cut out one large heart and one smaller heart and set aside. Save some red paper to cut out a large rectangle shape to cover (and extend slightly beyond) the thicker part of the L-shape and secure it with glue. This L will serve as your mail flag. In real life, when the flag is positioned up, a postal worker would know to stop at your mailbox and gather your mail to deliver it.
-
Now glue the big heart to the front of your mailbox.
-
Glue the accordion-style strip to the inside of your cover so that it sticks out toward the front to serve as a handle (see 5:30 video mark).
-
Glue the mail flag to its place along the side of the mailbox with the red flag facing up.
-
Now glue the small red heart on the bottom part of your flag as a heartfelt decoration!
