DIY Wednesday: Personalized Mailbox

Last year I personalized our slot of the community mailbox for pennies and received countless compliments from the new neighbors. My parents mailbox was looking a bit rough around the edges. For Christmas, I decided to buy them a new one and personalize it with our street number and name. I am fortunate enough to own a Cricut, making it quick and easy to design and cut my own vinyl decals, like my mailbox design below.

Similar items are available on Etsy for $8-$15 depending on the level of detail involved in the design. I knew that this was an opportunity to save some dough and flex my Cricut muscles. I spent a whopping $1 to make my own decals. This was even after I splurged on some new white vinyl (I opted for a single sheet over a roll). I loved being able to add this personal touch to an otherwise cold and industrial gift. Want to spruce up your mailbox? Follow my 4 easy steps to make your own or spruce up the plain box you've already got.

Materials:

• Mailbox
• Permanent Adhesive Vinyl
• Transfer Paper

Step 1:

Measure the open space on your mailbox. (Unless you have a 12" x 24" mat, remember that 12" is the largest you can go without breaking your design into smaller pieces.) Layout your text on the Cricut Design software. Use shapes to create a break between the number and your name. When finished, make sure to weld the design! Need some inspiration? Check out my mailbox template on Cricut here.

Step 1A:

Are you using my mailbox template? Edit the dummy text to read with your street number and name or street number and street, whatever your heart desires. Have custom fonts? Feel free to edit the font and sizing as necessary. Before cutting your vinyl, make sure to weld all elements together into 1 image.

Step 2:

Cut your image on your vinyl. Make sure the dial on your cricut is set to vinyl. Cut your design from the extra vinyl and weed out any small pieces. Remove vinyl from the edges.

Step 3:

Make sure your mailbox is clean and ready for the vinyl. Use rubbing alcohol or glass cleaner and a paper towel to remove excess lint or debris from mailbox. Nothing like cat fur to really ruin a good project! (Not working with new box? Consider a fresh coat of paint to complete the transformation.)

Step 4:

Apply transfer paper to vinyl and lift vinyl from backing. Apply vinyl to mailbox. Press firmly into place. Remove transfer paper. Repeat for opposite side of mailbox.