If you have an oatmeal canister, you can make a great Christmas or holiday mailbox. A grown up will need to remove the label and then cut one side off. That side will become the bottom. Glue it to a piece of heavy cardboard.
If you do not have an oatmeal canister, you can bend a piece of cardboard to the appropriate shape, but you will need something to hold it in place until the glue dries, when attaching the bottom.
Paint the canister or cover it will your choice of materials. You can decoupage with tissue paper or holiday print paper napkins, glue on felt or holiday themed fabric, or glue on some wrapping paper.
Help your child paint his or her name on the mailbox or use stencils or stickers. Decorate the mailbox by gluing on little holiday trinkets, holly, ribbons, or tiny ornaments. You can also decorate with covers from Christmas cards, with photos or images printed from your computer, or with pictures cut from the pages of magazines.
You can make a “door” with another piece of cardboard, cut to size, if desired. Punch some holes through the bottom edge of the mailbox and the bottom edge of the door and thread some string or ribbon through the holes so the door can be opened easily. Punch one hole at the top of each and add ribbon so the door can be tied closed.
Make a mailbox for every member of the family! The fun part is getting mail throughout the holiday season. Mail might include special notes, handmade cards, store bought cards or note cards, and maybe a few little gifts, candies, or other surprises to help count down the days.
*Check out some of the articles listed below for even more holiday fun and check back often for new ideas!
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