Growingup whenever my mom asked me to get te mail I had visions of winning the Publisher Clearing House Sweepstakes. Every time the doorbell rang I dreamed of opening the front door to a giant cardboard check.
Sadly, we were the winner of coupon books and landscape discounts. So it is ironic that my favorite repurpose idea is related to that dream. I found a mailbox.
MAILBOX FIND
On a recent visit to this popular antique spot in Castle Rock (the Barn), I found an oil-rubbed bronze mailbox. It may have been a Home Depot purchase for the previous owner, but, for me, it unleashed an interest in these historically significant metal boxes of unknown origins.
It was also on my yard sale search list.
I became obsessed to find ways to repurpose mailboxes. I started my search after I found this vintage mailbox.
And, by all accounts, the mailbox was not haunted which I explained here.
But a few weeks ago I spent a much needed afternoon cleaning out the unfinished space in our basement.
It was my own personal Goodwill hunting search. And buried under tissue paper, serving trays, unfinished crafts and grapevine wreaths I found my vintage mailbox.
It was patiently waiting for me to find it. It was looking for a new purpose.
There are so many creative ways to repurpose just about anything. My Pinterest search for mailboxes found so many fun ideas. I had to share a few of my favorite repurposed mailboxes.
5 WAYS TO REPURPOSE MAILBOXES
I narrowed my Pins to a few repurposed mailboxes and found a life lesson in one of the mailboxes below.
Here are a few mailboxes, both new and repurposed. I would love to hear your favorite mailboxes from this list. Or, any other ways to repurpose mailboxes in the comments.
My favorite (the last one) came with a life lesson.
This first mailbox was repurposed for the birds! I love the single nail for a bird to perch and to take in the views. It’s like a deck with a bird’s eye view.
I would normally not pair yellow and red together, but I love this mustard-ketchup association nestled in the tree’s branches.
This repurposed mailbox is similar to my mailbox with the scroll work below. I love how she used it for her cookbooks and that dough roller fits perfectly.
I love this next mailbox. The weathered metal matches the door’s hardware. What a fun way to welcome guests.
The chippy paint is the secondary character on this front porch. I love it!
Look at this collection of mailboxes lined up along a patio wall. This idea is so cute and makes a great conversational piece when entertaining guests. How cute would a row of metal mailbox stockings at Christmas look?
Tip: Add mailboxes to your tag sale/garage sale wish list.
Do you say garage sale or tag sale?
THE LIFE LESSON IN A MAILBOX
I saved my favorite mailbox find for last. I took this photo outside the grounds of Christ’s Church Cathedral in Dublin. My husband could not pull me away from the solid iron fence and this mailbox. It was like some Daphne du Maurier moment from the movie classic Rebecca.
It had a magnetic pull; a life lesson.
This was my favorite mailbox because it was content to sit in the foreground of this historical landmark. This beautifully aged mailbox, welded to the century-old iron railing, sat along the perimeter of the Church’s grounds. I bet that mailbox holds a few secrets of its own.
Of all the photos I took in Dublin on our trip to Ireland, this rusty metal box is one of my favorite images. I fell in love with this mailbox on that day and I knew I would include it in a future post.
Maybe our mailboxes, no matter their purpose, are the true keepers of our memories and stories.
Finally, for you history enthusiasts, I found this article on the History of Mailboxes.
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I will not ever look at a mailbox the same way again! I’ve been helping my mother sort through papers and have been amazed at the letters she has kept all these years. There’s nothing like a handwritten letter. We’re loosing so much history with all of this e-mail. I still love to write notes to college friends, but those days are slowly fading away. I guess just like the mailbox. I love your pictures, and the mailbox from Dublin could tell some stories! Thanks for sharing!
Thanks for stopping by Barbara! I am a big believer in a handwritten note too! laura
What a great round-up of mailbox ideas. I especially love the three in a row. Your Christmas stocking idea sounds fabulous. Your Dublin photo is captivating. We honeymooned in Ireland and have always wanted to go back (20+ years later!). Thanks for sharing at Vintage Charm. xo Kathleen|Our Hopeful Home
HI Kathleen, We LOVED Dublin! Loved it! Thank you! laura
I’m a sucker for an old metal mailbox too! I love going out to get the mail too..we fight over who gets to get it. 😉
Okay that’s funny! Have you guys watched Travels with My Father on Netflix? It’s a docu-comedy about a British comic who takes a gap year from his tour and brings his 77-year-old dad.
Loved it!
I LOVE the Christmas stocking idea! You could put little gifts inside and hang the stockings from the box! What about storing all the Christmas cards and letters in one? They could also hold file folders if hung from an office wall.
Great ideas, Laura!
And I also believe that a hand-written thank you note never goes out of style!
Let’s add mailboxes to our next Goodwill trip in TN!