Bored kids? Put em to work in the mail room! Well, not really, but there is a mail project young kids can do which is fun, easy and will help you sort mail, bills, receipts or other documents. They can make the mail sorter from things you already have around the house so it wont cost you a dime to entertain them. When they get finished theyll be proud of the new decor project theyve made.
A simple piece of cardboard is all you need to get started. Alternatively, you could use a thin piece of wood if you have it. The length of the board or cardboard is up to you. The child will be attaching pockets to the board, to hold the mail, so make the board long enough to hold two, three or more pockets.
With cardboard as the backdrop you have a choice of decorating it with fabric, paper or even shelf liner. You can also use leftover wallpaper, paint or even a poster. The same can be done with the wood. It can be covered completely - with cloth or another choice - or it can be used as-is. The amount of time and effort you put in to the mail sorter is up to you. Pockets from old shirts make great mail holders. Remove the pockets from the clothing and give them to the children to glue to the wood. Pockets can be all the same or all different on the completed mail sorter. Although you can use most any pocket for this project the ones with the straight bottom will hold taller mail pieces easier than pointed pockets. Ordinary white glue works well to hold the pockets on the board. Position the pockets, one under the other, with some room in between each one. To decide how much room to allow between the pockets its helpful to glue the first pocket towards the bottom of the board, lay an envelope on top of it, then position the next pocket. Keep the finished pocket board lying flat until the glue dries completely. You dont necessarily have to glue one pocket above the next. There are many different designs kids can make for the mail sorter. Turn the board horizontally and glue the pockets on to create one design. Make a different design by using a large, wide piece of cardboard. Arrange pockets randomly or create any number of designs. You can place two small pockets down each side of the board, with a larger pocket in the center, or you can make a board that has two sets of two pockets in a block form. After the pockets are glued on there are hundreds of embellishment choices you can make. Glue on ribbons and bows, buttons, twisted wires, twine, flat wooden shapes, foam shapes or even fake jewels. The craft supplies that you can use for accents are countless. Use things you already have at home or purchase embellishments at a nearby craft supply store. Glue a picture-hanging hardware piece on the back of the board or cardboard to hang it. Kids can make a standing pocket mail holder by using a really long piece of cardboard. Fold the cardboard in half to make an upside-down "v" shape. Stand the cardboard on its two "legs" and glue the pockets to one side. If the stand will be placed somewhere that allows easy access to both sides of the board use pockets on each side to hold the mail. The stand can be small, and stand on a desk, or can be large and stand on the floor. If you dont have any pre-made pockets you can use for this craft just cut pieces of felt or fabric. Fold the fabric to a pocket shape, glue the folded edges to the backside of the fabric, then attach the makeshift pockets to the cardboard or board. Create a theme with the mail stand, like butterflies or ladybugs, or just add pretty accents with no specific theme in mind. Spend time and effort making extra nice pocket mail holders, to give as gifts, or just let the kids throw a couple together for use in your own home. Theyll definitely have a great time making the letter sorters and youll be proud to hang their final creations!
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