How to create your own Valentine’s Day mailbox

• Tissue box
• Toilet roll
• Resene testpots in your choice of paint colours, Fleur used Resene Chetwode Blue, Resene Salsa, Resene White and Resene Black
• Paintbrush
• White paper
• PVA glue
• Egg carton
• Black pipe cleaners (also called Chenille Sticks)
• Hot glue gun

Instructions

Step 1:  Start by disassembling an empty tissue box. Turn the box inside out and remove the plastic film that goes over the hole. (Photo 1).

Step 2:  Paint the entire box with your chosen Resene colour. Fleur used Resene Chetwode Blue. (Photo 2).

Step 3:  Take a toilet roll, flatten it, and then push one of the folded edges into the middle and form it into a heart shape. Dip this into a pot of Resene Salsa and use this as a stamp to make a random heart pattern over the box. (Photo 3).

Step 4:  Cut a zig-zag line through a piece of white paper and use PVA glue to glue this to the back of the box on either side of the tissue hole. (Photo 4).

Step 5:  Use an egg carton for the eyes. Cut out two eyes and paint these with Resene White. Once this is dry, use Resene Black for the pupils. (Photo 5).

Step 6:  Use black pipe cleaners (Chenille Sticks) to create the eyebrows and arms. Wrap two of the pipe cleaners around a pencil to form a spring shape and form two more into a simple, three-fingered hand. (Photo 6).

Step 7:  Reassemble the box, gluing it back together with either PVA glue or hot glue. Use hot glue to glue the eyes and eyebrows on to the top of the box, and the arms on to the sides. (Photo 7).

Top tip:  You can use this idea to create a mailbox for other occasions, such as a mailbox for letters to Santa at Christmas time. Adjust your Resene paint colours and the patterns to suit the celebration.

Project and images by Fleur Thorpe. December 2021.