I recently shared a Valentine’s Day party over on Weelicious. The favors from that party were miniature paper mailboxes that I made from patterned card stock I had on hand. I found larger paper mailbox kits from a craft store, but I wanted smaller ones, and I thought it would be more fun to make my own. I drew up a pattern that would fit on a regular size 8.5×11 piece of paper to make it a more accessible craft (and then I turned to my more savvy friend, Elyse, to turn this into a PDF printable). You can print this out onto regular computer paper, design your own pattern with your computer and then print, or use colored/patterned card stock like I did. I like the idea of using solid colored paper and then setting out crayons and stickers for everyone to decorate their own mailbox!
To make the mailboxes
-Cut along the solid lines so that you end up with:
1 long and wide piece with a rounded shape attached to it (this will be the body and back door of your mailbox)
1 rounded shape
2 long strips
1 short strip
1 heart
-Fold along the dotted lines. Glue or tape the pieces together to make the mailbox. I have found that it is easier to glue the little tabs on the back door to the top/outside of the mailbox and then cover them with one of the long strips of paper.
-To close the mailbox, use a single hole punch to punch one hole in the top center of the front door, and one hole in the front center of the body of the mailbox. Then use yarn or string to make a closure.
-These mailboxes can be used for any occasion, not just Valentine’s Day. Simply cut out a small triangle instead of the heart, or any shape you like. Use other color schemes to match any holiday or party theme.
Click here, or on any of the photos in this post, to get the free paper mailbox printable!
