My house was built in 1928, and along with tiny closets and plaster walls, that means charming details. One of my favorite of those details is our mailbox. It’s actually a little mail chute with a little mini-door next to the front door. See:
Here’s a closer view:
It’s super convenient to get the mail, seeing as I don’t even have to open my front door. And when our friends with kids come over, the little ones L-O-V-E that little door. My husband likes to tell them that tiny pirates live inside. Yeah, he’s that guy. And they love him.
But the other day, I got the mail and didn’t shut the mailbox. A little while later, I looked over from my perch on the couch and saw this:
I’ve lived here for a year and a half, and as many times as I’ve gotten the mail, the inside of the little door — with paint slapped on in what looks like an afterthought — never really bothered me. I guess it was mostly because the little door was always shut, hiding the slack paint job from my eyes. And who cares if the back of the mailbox door looks kind of crappy, right? But for some reason, that day, I cared. And not only did I care, but I actually did something about it. I grabbed my book of scrapbook paper and picked a patterned paper that is fun, but not too crazy. Who doesn’t love some stripes?
Then, I measured the back side of the mailbox door and cut the paper to size and put a hole where the “door knob” gets screwed in.
I used some paper glaze and a paintbrush to glue the patterned paper to the back of the door.
Once it dried, I painted another layer of glaze on top of the paper to seal it.
It looks really glossy in the next picture, but that’s just because the glaze is still wet.
I waited until it dried, then replaced the little mini door knob and stepped back to admire my mini makeover.
It’s just a small thing that took very little time and effort, and it’s hidden 99 percent of the time, but it makes me happy.
Have you tackled any “hidden” projects lately that make you happy? Let me see. Please.
Spicy Street Designs 