Personalized Mailbox
I love getting mail. And because I do, I thought my simple mailbox could use some lovely personalization to elevate the daily visit. I see so many sad mailboxes with peeling paint, or faded plastic, and while it may seem trivial, why not let this little extension of your home be a source of pride?
With a couple of hours, a printer, an X-Acto knife and gold spray paint, I created my own stencil and hand painted our monogram and address to make our mailbox our own. From any word processor, play around with fonts which are simple to read and will make a nice visual impact. I chose an Edwardian script for the ‘N’ and a sans serif font in all caps for our address. After testing out several sizes, I printed these out and got down to the careful task of cutting all the letters out on a cutting mat to make a stencil. It helps to use a thicker-bond paper and a very sharp knife to keep your edges crisp. Once complete, I spritzed the reverse of the paper with spray adhesive to temporarily apply the paper to the mailbox for stenciling. For any letters like ‘D’ or ‘A’, I saved their inner cutouts, sprayed them, and applied those within the stencil. I selected a gold spray paint and lightly misted over the stencil in several light coats to prevent dripping and runny letters. Once completely dry, I removed the tacky paper. A simple and inexpensive DIY!
Side view (house number blurred)
