Mailbox Gnomes

 

I found this glass terrarium on clearance last year but didn't find the right inspiration for it. I'd picked up quite an assortment of odds and ends, including these gnomes, but nothing was coming together. Once a mail scene occurred to me, I knew that was the right theme. I was hoping to find a doll house mailbox, but the one at Hobby Lobby was too large, as the terrarium is only about 3.5" tall. I made the mail box out of cardboard. I was going to make tiny mail, but I found the mail in the doll house accessories while looking for a mail box.

Cross-Stitched Metal Discs

I found these 2" metal discs on clearance at Joann's three years ago, because I know at least two Christmas ornament making seasons have gone by without using them. The first year I didn't even really try. Last year I did settle on the mail box design, but then I just couldn't bring myself to get started or commit to colors or something. This year, I finally sucked it up and it really wasn't too bad! After that, I was motivated to pick out and execute the cactus design fairly quickly, though I decided not to bother with a background. I glued felt circles on the back to finish them off.

Air Mail Ornaments

While cleaning out my parent's basement last winter, we found some airmail envelopes which I happily claimed to repurpose. After cutting out the air mail logo, I mod podged one directly on to the one glass heart I had left (previously used for sprinkles and spools of ribbon). I mod podged another logo onto card stock and glued it on to a wooden spool.

Log Cabin Santa Ornament

I really wanted this air mail fabric, but it was expensive. Finally it went on steep enough clearance so I could justify buying a half yard to make something for Amanda. Then I needed an ornament that would show it off. Hence, this very large log cabin Santa. You make a log cabin block and cut it in half, which will yield two ornaments. My block was 8". It's one of the larger ornaments I've made, but it does flatten, despite being very long. My ornaments are usually much smaller, but it's cute and it does show off the fabric nicely!

3-D Printed Mailbox

It's the 10th anniversary of the ornament exchange so I 3-D printed a mailbox! I used a design I found on Thingiverse. It's not my first mailbox ornament, though it's a definite improvement, even though it's not technically an ornament since it doesn't hang. It was designed to be used as a bank, so it has a working flap so you can actually put things inside, which is awesome.

Door open

Mini Mailbox Ornament

This is the ornament I made for my pen pal. The mailbox is made out of two soda cans, and the flag actually moves! I wasn't sure how it was going to turn out, but it has miraculously stayed glued together. Originally it wasn't going to be sparkly, but I had to camouflage my super glue fingerprints in a few spots. I was thrilled with it until I decided to make mail for it, then I was even more pleased! I love the little postcard! I scanned a real postcard, re-sized it, printed it out on sticker paper, and attached it to some poster board. The stamp for the envelope is also printed out on sticker paper, so it is like a real stamp, not just printed directly on the envelope.