Quick DIY mailbox with chevron design

DIY chevron mailbox with DIY address sign

Another budget friendly, upcycled, repurposed material DIY project, my favorite! Once I finished my DIY chevron address sign, I knew my curb appeal needed another element. I picked up this brand new, never been used black, metal mailbox from the Habitat for Humanity ReStore for $8. As per the before photo, it did have a faux wood grain decal on the lid as a detail, so I figured why not make that detail out of real wood! I had created my chevron address sign prior to this mailbox makeover, so the inspiration did come from that DIY project.

Right away, I knew I could not utilize my free dumpster sticks for this project because they would be too thick, however, my material was still free as I had this much thinner strip of wood lying around which I got for free as a sample a while ago. It is actually a piece of wood lathe from Home Depot, in case you need similar material.

---

Some tools you should start with

• measuring tape

• speed square

• hammer

• level

• variety of clamps

• screwdriver set

• hand block for sandpaper

• jigsaw

• hand saw

Some tools you should invest in once possible

• power drill and driver set

• brad nailer

• miter saw

• palm sander

• circular saw

---

What is needed for this quick DIY mailbox with chevron design?

• Mailbox

• Wood lath, or very thin strips of wood(could rip down any wood you like)

• Painter tape

• Construction glue, or gorilla glue

• Wood stain of choice

• Polyurethane of choice to protect from the elements

• Measuring tape

• Straight edge

• Miter saw

• Sander or sandpaper

• Multiple clamps

• Utility knife and pencil

  
  

How to add a wood chevron pattern to a metal mailbox

Step 1: Create a template. The lid to my mailbox has an indented area where the previous stick on design was. I removed the faux wood sticker and laid a bunch of painters tape over it to get the dimensions of the area.

Step 2: Once covered in painters tape, take a sharp exacto knife and carefully cut along the indentation walls in order to get a template for the dimensions you will need for your chevron pattern. Carefully peel off the excess tape, and you will have your template.

Step 3: Prep your wood slats by cutting them to desired length, and on a 45 degree miter using a miter saw. Dimensions will vary project to project, so I will not include any dimensions. You can make the slat lengths a bit longer than your template so you can take the wood to final dimensions later.

Step 4: Align your slat pieces in a chevron pattern on your work table. Lay the template over it to insure you will have full coverage.

Step 5: Place the wood slats on top of the template, and glue together each slat in your chevron pattern while keeping the slats within the lines of your template. I clamped a long stick to the edge of mine to keep it in place while it dried overnight.

I am missing one little corner in this photo which I just glued to the box itself when I attached the pattern.

Step 6: The chevron pattern should come up as one piece, make sure to peel off the painters tape template from the back. Take the time now to sand down the face and edges of the chevron piece to insure it is flush and fits in the indentation of the mailbox.

Step 7: Scuff sand the area you will be attaching the wood to have better glue adhesion. I suded 80 grit sandpaper for mine. Clean up the dust, and begin to glue your chevron design to your mailbox lid. Clamp the wood down and let it dry overnight.

Your quick DIY mailbox with chevron design is done! Remove your clamps, check if any edges need to be sanded, and install!

-Ol' Bettie DIY

A perfect pair