Repurposed mailboxes to planters

Mailboxes are great for more than just receiving mail.(Some pictures were taken long before I even heard about blogging.)

We converted our wood fireplace to gas so we no longer needed the rack where we stored our firewood, so I turned it into my potting shed or "playhouse". Just in front of this and under the eave of our workshop, was a big black rainwater catchment tank (seen behind fence) and not a pretty view when sitting in my "playhouse". 

 I took this piece of picket fence that I had bought for no reason and built a landscaped area to hide the tank. Now I have a pretty view with my very own mailbox; a shelf for birds and birdhouse and a little pond for the frogs. The mailbox on top of the post has a cascading plant in the top and also one in the open door area.

The pond below is a re purposed cast iron kitchen sink and the fountain was made from an artists metal sculpture.

The second mailbox with a potted plant in the cut-out and a bird's nest in the open door sits on top an old rusty milk can in another landscaped area. My collection of spades lean against the post just waiting for someone to dig up the garden. The wind turbine in the background is an enjoyable whirly-gig when the wind is blowing.

This is how to make the mailbox planter. This one I am demonstrating is my favorite because it has the U.S. Mail flap on the little door. These are hard to find.

Cut the rim off a plastic plant pot ... lay it on top the mailbox, center it and mash it down to draw the circle for a cutting guide.


 I used my electric jigsaw with a fine-toothed blade for cutting metal. First drill a large enough hole inside the circle for the blade so you can set the saw guide down on the mailbox. Have two blades on hand, because they are easy to break. Go slow and don't pressure the blade as it might break. I know that ... but I broke my blade and did not have another one and had to finish cutting the last three inches with a hand saw. (Slow) ... Protect your eyes from bits of flying metal. Rough edges can be filed down.
Once cut, you are ready to paint and decorate your box.
Get a plastic pot that is flexible and push it down into the opening or use a plant already potted. Paint it the color of your mailbox and it will blend right in. This mailbox that I am showing will be painted and decorated with a number 5 ... just because I like that number.

 

 Thanks for visiting ... hope you enjoyed my mailboxes
and I will get a note from you.

Looking forward to a good year for green grass and pretty flowers.

Blessings.

Linking to:  Funky Junk Interiors SNS 
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ivyandelephants What's It Wednesday 

Re purposed mailboxes to planters.

Wax Paper Iron-on transfer Tutorial Garden Blessings Sign

Are you ready for Spring ... I am !!!

Taking this old painted board, I made something useful and attractive. 

This board was painted baby blue and aged to perfection with chippy,  missing paint. (this is the back)

I watered down some green paint and washed it over the

blue and it turned out a very nice green.

.

I used Microsoft Word to design the layout.

I reversed/flipped or made a mirror image.

Cut a piece of wax paper to fit a letter size card-stock weight paper, taped it to the sides and top. Leave a little free space at the top for the printer to grip it.

Using my LaserJet printer; printed it out on the waxed side of wax or freezer paper, can't remember which I used, but either one will work. It is hard to figure which is the waxed side, but you can scratch it with your fingernail to see. I think the wax side in on the inside of the roll. For this, I needed to print one word per page.

I placed the wax paper face down on my board and ironed it until I was satisfied with the transfer. You do not get all the ink or toner to transfer to the rough board, but that is the

look you want anyway. Actually, I think the LaserJet toner is not supposed to transfer by ironing, but I got away with it and I was happy enough with the results.

I dumped out my big box of hooks to try to find three matching ones.  I narrowed it down to two and ended up picking the sap tapping spile and hook ones.

The spiles have the drain spout and also a hook where the sap bucket was hung, so this offered two places to hang something on one hook.

(sorry for the blurred picture)

I drilled holes that were just a tad smaller than the spile so it

could be driven in and be tight.

The yellow faucet handle was to represent a flower.

The top piece is the finial off a metal garden gate.

Now all I had to do was hang it up and add something decorative. Great for garden tools and baskets for stuff.

A small sap bucket; a chicken wire basket and a string holder look great with it. Could use more baskets and use in the bathroom for needfuls.

Just a fun piece and almost cost free.

  

Your turn ... make something fun!

Blessings ... Audrey Z.

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Tin Buckets Home-Made Rain Chain Downspout

Do you think about conserving the precious water when it rains? 

Do you love the sound of trickling water like in a water fountain ??? then you will love a Rain Chain or Chain downspout. 

Some years ago when I went to the Doctors office where my daughter-in-law worked, there were chain down spouts on the gutters. They were heavy chains connected to the gutter opening and then mounted to the ground. The rain would trickle down the chain in and was very enjoyable to watch. I liked the idea and said “I can do that” … so I did this …

I had a tall, not-so-big-around can that would work perfectly. I guess I wanted it more for the beauty and enjoyment more that for actually collecting water but I saw an advantage to water the trees.


At the craft store, I found these cute little tin buckets with stars; 4” tall and 4” across the top. I drilled a 2” hole in the bottom of each one for a watercourse for the rain. The plan was for the bucket to slow the water flow down so it would trickle down the chain.

I disconnected one end of the wire handle on the bucket and laced it through the chain then connected it back. I placed the buckets about ten to twelve inches apart … . I chose a chain that was pretty lightweight, like maybe a dog chain and connected a weight to the bottom so the wind would not blow it around too much while inside the bucket.


We cut a 2” drain hole in the gutter and put a short piece of PVC pipe that had a nut type piece on one end to hold it in place. The chain was put up through this hole and secured with a nail through one loop and laid across the opening. (hope I am remembering that is what we did) … anyway, just attach the chain at the top of the hole.

This gusher came down when I cleared the drain hole ... still a pretty sight and sound.

Trickling down ...
Taken in summer two years earlier when everything was green.

When it rains you will enjoy the soothing sound of water gushing down or sometimes just trickling.


 This is a picture of our back porch taken about two years earlier in late summer or early fall when everything was green. The chain downspout is on the left. Plants are used to enhance that area.


We installed a hose bib connection to the bottom of the bucket and attached a 100’ garden hose to it and directed the water to different trees in the yard. 

With our drought this summer (2011), we did not have any days to enjoy trickling or gushing rain water and our trees were suffering and our grass was dead.  So ....

to be able to water some of our trees during our drought, I took this can in my laundry room; attached the drain on my washing machine to the bucket and hosed the gray water to some trees when I washed. You would be amazed at the gallons of water a washing machine will use, especially these water-saver models.  LOL

This was not a fun task to attach this chore to my wash day,
but it made our trees smile.

Conserve ...

We also have an 20,000 gallon underground cistern and a 300 gallon above-ground water catchment tank but no rain to re-fill those tanks so they were empty during our long summer drought.

Most of these pictures were taken long before I ever thought about blogging, but they were all that I had available right now.

Hope you enjoyed this tutorial.

Questions ... please feel free to ask.

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Old ShoeShine Box Tote for wooden spoon display

Nothing too special ... just a primitive hand made shoe shine box that has been well used.

I know your have seen many of these old ShoeShine boxes on internet sales; Thrift Stores and Flea Markets ... but did you know them make really neat display boxes/totes?

So I am making it into something special ...
I have taken this old, handmade box and made a tote/box to display some of my wooden spoons and other treen ware.



It is handmade and pretty primitive, but I loved it. First, I sanded it down as the paint was pretty chippy. I wanted to display wooden spoons, so I drilled five holes in the the foot rest and sanded down the holes to make them look used and worn. Notice they are zigzag so the spoon bowls do not touch each other. I left the inside pretty much as it was with shoe polish stains and chippy paint. The little shelf rack on the inside right side was for brushes for applying polish.

I added a few spoons, a wooden candlestick tied with a blue scrap and a cinnamon dipped candle. A pastry brush was added where a polish brush might have been. 


There is lots of room inside to display almost anything. Removed one spoon and I have room for this old white enamel pitcher to be displayed on the top.


It sits on a huge cutting board and another is displayed behind. The addition of a vintage rolling pin; wire whisks, vintage spice cans and pip berries complete a nice look.

Hope you find some neat stuff to repurpose and upcycle.
Thanks for visiting my little fun adventure.
Blessings.
Audrey Z. 

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