How to Decorate and Hang a Mailbox by the Front Door: YOUHANGIT + Screw Anchors
Make that wall-hung mailbox pop!
Not all of us live in areas where the old curbside mailbox is an option. Adding a wall-hung mailbox with your own personal touch, from interesting, unique shapes to having the kids paint their names on the letterbox, the possibilities are endless—and the YOUHANGIT system, including our handsfree level, makes getting this cute, utilitarian home front accessory up a cinch.
We’re not all the same, and most of us like to add a little personality to our homes. This can add curb appeal for those with curbside mailboxes, but for those of us who have a wall-hung mailbox by the front door, making it cute or stylish is something that shows that actual people live in your house or apartment. It’s always nice to see a street lined with mailboxes that all have a different touch of style: the mailbox shaped like the house itself, an old school or vintage mailbox, or a commonly shaped mailbox painted bright red.
The same sense of “family brand” can be added to your wall-mount mailbox. Now let’s lay some groundwork. First of all, don’t make the classic mistake of hanging a mailbox perfectly and then realizing, “Oh, hold the phone… we should have decorated that before we hung it, sheesh!” If you already have your wall-mount mailbox mounted on the home, or it was there when you moved in, remove it from the wall before you begin to decorate.
How to Decorate Your Wall-Mounted Mailbox:
If you have decided on paint, decals, or other “craftsy” business for your mailbox, make sure before you buy these items that they can withstand the outdoor elements, shifts in temperature, and for paint especially, ensure it’s outdoor paint.
Once you have that part down, get together as a family. You don’t want to exclude someone who might really want a say in what the mailbox looks like. Especially for the kids, a big part of decorating might have to do with color selection and designs—this is where it can get a little hilarious. Of course, while you may get a sideways glance from the mail carrier or visitors, there is absolutely nothing wrong with a My Little Pony or Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles inspired mailbox. With that said, it takes a pretty laid back mom or dad to just let this be one of the first things people notice when they come to your home. If your kiddos are hyper obsessive about a theme, try to talk them off the ledge by giving them options. For example, “Honey, we’re not going to paint Rainbow Dash on the mailbox, but how about a rainbow to represent her tail and some wings to represent her flying?” Or in the other scenario, “Sweetie, instead of adding Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle stickers all over our mailbox, how about we paint it green to represent them and add a red, blue, purple, and orange stripes to represent their face masks?”
How to Get Your Wall-Mounted Mailbox Up and Level on the Wall:
Regardless of what you all decide on (hopefully without adult or child temper tantrums) you’ll need quality hardware to make sure the wall-mount mailbox stays… wall-mounted. These types of mailboxes will already come with hardware, so use that for sure. Now you’ll need to make sure you hang the box straight, and given that these mailboxes are nearly always double-keyhole projects, getting them up on the wall unevenly can happen easily. Add your YOUNHANGITs to the top of each of the keyholes by peeling the strips off the sticky part of the YOUHANGIT—remove the little red safety plug from each, and place the YHI handsfree level on top of the box. Once you see the cute lil’ bubble right in the center of that level, squish the box into the wall. When you pull away, you’ll see you have two perfect, level marks where you’ll screw in hardware.
Why You Should Use Screw Anchors:
Screw anchors are not a must for every project, but when it comes to the kind of wall you have on the outside of your house, screw anchors are the way to go. The prefab hardware that came with your mailbox should work perfectly, and may even come with screw anchors. In this way you can ensure the box will be “well hung” and over time, it won’t begin to slip or loosen from the wall.
When you use the YOUHANGIT wall hanging system in conjunction with screw anchors, you’re only real worry will be attempting to get your husband to reconsider a camouflage mailbox—you can always buy the kids off with candy… or a new little pony (yes, sigh, another one.)