Tooth Fairy Mailbox

My daughter is a little bit obsessed with the tooth fairy.

I have mentioned before how she leave notes,

draws pictures, and asks the tooth fairy a bunch of questions.

Well, the tooth fairy is having a really hard time finding those things under her pillow at night...in fact sometimes she cannot for fear of waking a sleeping child...

so I have come up with a solution...a 

TOOTH FAIRY MAILBOX!

And since tooth fairies are teeny tiny and the tooth fairy's secret hiding place is becoming very full, anything Jules leaves for the tooth fairy has to fit in the mailbox!

I used the Mailbox Die from Lifestyle Crafts as the base for this cute little mailbox.

image: Lifestyle Crafts

I used the mailbox die in my Epic 6 but their dies can be

used is a wide range of manual die cutters.

The sweet mailbox is part of the new Love Notes Collection

- get ready for Valentines day NOW!

image: Lifestyle Crafts

To make the tooth fairy mailbox, just use what you have on hand - you know each tooth fairy has their own style...ours likes glitters and flowers and ruffles. I did make one aother version using some artwork we had...I think it is pretty cute too!

 

I pulled out my arsenal of girly things and got to work creating this magical sparkly mailbox (under the supervision of Jules of course!).

I kind of want to make a boy mailbox now!

USE YOUR IMAGINATION AND HAVE FUN!

BASIC SUPPLIES:

• Lifestyle Crafts Mailbox die
• Manual Die Cutter (Epic 6)
• Chip board/cardboard/cereal box
• 1-2 sheets of (quality) decorative paper
• small decorative brads
• hole punch
• paint brush/foam brush

ADHESIVES
I used a variety of glues and adhesives for my project, you can get away with using less or other products. I just felt certain glues worked better for certain situations.

• Hot glue/hot glue gun
• E-6000
• Mod Podge, matte
• Spray Adhesive

THE BASE:

• Small glass jar
• 2 chip board circles (or thicker cardboard circle) - I used all three (see how to below)
• (E-6000 and Mod Podge for glue)

DECORATIVE EMBELLISHMENT:

• Glitter (specifically I used Martha Stewart Crafts Rich Essential Glitter)
• Crepe paper streamers
• Paper flowers (Recollection brand Floral Embellishments) 
• Ribbon
• Lace/trim
• hole punch
• Velcro circles

NOTES: Be sure to protect your surfaces when using glue and spray adhesive!
 
HOW TO MAKE THE BASE:

• Glitter the inside of your jar (see the floor polish/glitter method I learned from The Single Nester)
•  Cut circles out of chip board or cardboard. I cut 2 chip board circles but felt I needed more substance so I also added a cardboard backing for strength. Glue them together using Mod Podge.

• Once dry, apply Mod Podge to the top of the circle and then sprinkle all over with glitter - I left a blank space in the center because that is where the mailbox was going to go and no point in wasting glitter! (be sure to tap glitter off onto a clean piece of paper or paper towel so you can save the excess.)

 

• I used crepe paper streamers and ran a line of hot glue along the edge of the cardboard base. I did it a few inches at a time and simple ruffles the streamer as I went - not perfect but it worked and was easy! (see above photo)

• I applied some lace trim because I wanted to and because it covered the hot glue line.
• Apply E-6000 to the rim of the glass jar and center it on the back (un-glittered side) of the base. 
• Let dry.

HOW TO MAKE THE MAILBOX:
NOTE: THE INSIDE OF MY MAILBOX IS JUST WHITE, YOU CAN USE DOUBLE-SIDED PAPER IF YOU WANT A DESIGN INSIDE TOO.

• Cut the mailbox out using your die cutter. I cut one chipboard set and one set out of decorative paper. I wanted my mailbox to be durable.

• I also cut one mailbox door in a matching paper so that when the door was opened there was pretty paper.

•  I then used spray adhesive to apply the paper to the mailbox.

 

• Assemble the main portion of the mailbox - fold along perforated lines and around the top over - with the chipboard I went slowly to round it so that it did not crease but rounded more smoothly.

• Glue the lip to the bottom (using hot glue)
• Fold back along perforated line and using a combination of hot glue and Mod Podge, insert into the back of the mailbox and let dry.
• I then Mod Podged the entire outside of the mailbox and let it dry.

HOW TO EMBELLISH THE MAILBOX

• I felt like my mailbox was not sparkly enough ---I used a paintbrush, Mod Podge, and glitter and painted some areas of the printed paper and applied glitter to those areas.
• I still wanted more glitter so I sprayed the entire mailbox with spray adhesive and sprinkled white glitter all over...the print still shows through but now the entire mailbox sparkled. 

• I punched a hole in the front of the mailbox and ran a ribbon in through the front, tying a knot on the inside of the mailbox door to hold the ribbon in place. I ran the ribbon across the top of the mail box and on the back side applied a velcro circle (one side on the mailbox, one side on the ribbon) for easy opening and closing. I finished it off with the paper flower embellishments.

• For the flag, I wrapped a piece of ribbon over the top for a flag, added some of the Recollections flowers and fastened it to the mailbox, using the holes cut with the die, with a decorative brad.

FINISH IT UP!

• I used my hot glue (but you could use other glue) to glue the mailbox to the base - I centered the mailbox on the base.
• Then, using hot glue again (but you could use other glue) added a small piece of lace trim to the base of the mailbox.
• To finish it off, I glue a few of the paper flowers together and added some glitter in the center and placed them on the mailbox and base.

• Finally, I added some paper shreds (just because it looked cute) and my little girlie wrote the tooth fairy a note! 

Be sure to check out the Love Notes Release and

USE the code 504main to get 20% off your order at Lifestyle Crafts!

  

This post is written and created at 504 Main by Holly Lefevre

disclosure: I received product and am an affiliate of Lifestyle Crafts