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November 15, 2012

Vintage-Inspired Mail Organizer Tutorial

Thanks For Sharing!

Alright folks, just one more tutorial from the Family Room Reveal for you! Remember that black Vintage-Inspired Mail Organizer off to the corner? Well, I have a Mail Organizer Tutorial for you in one little post so you can make one too! Pretty exciting huh?

I originally wanted a vintage card catalog for this space, but I couldn’t find one I liked and I wasn’t sure about building all of those drawers myself so I kept looking. Then I came across a desk organizer at World Market and thought it was beautiful. But since I wanted something a little larger and in black with gold accents I decided to just go ahead and build one myself. Why not, right?

DIY Mail Organizer Tutorial

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Supplies:

– 2 pieces of 4′ X 2′ X 1/2″ plywood

– 1 1/2″ X 1/2″ pieces of wood, need about 50″ worth to be safe

– Gorilla Glue

– Finishing Nails

– Black Spray Paint

Cut the base to 24″ X 18″ tall. Then cut the two outside pieces, these will measure 18″ tall by 7 1/2″ deep.

Apply a think layer of Gorilla Glue to hold the the pieces together.

Next, cut your three remaining inside panels, these will measure 18″ X 7″ deep (they are 1/2 less than the outside pieces because the outside ones are mounted on the edges of the base board so they need to be deeper to be the same measurements as the ones being mounted directly onto the base, make sense?)

Then, using your Gorilla Glue, secure them to the base board at 5 3/4″ a part.

Finish off this part of the box with the top and the bottom, these will measure 25″ long, 7 1/2″ deep.

Cut 4 pieces of plywood at 5 3/4″ wide by 7″ deep to create the shelves. Note: I would measure each cubby individually and then cut the wood accordingly. A few of my spaces were slightly off the projected 5 3/4″ so it was helpful to do these one at a time to make sure they were exact. They should be snug enough to stay in on their own, although we will secure them properly in a few steps. I had to use a hammer to get a few of them in.

Place a leveler on each shelf to make sure it is level. I had to adjust mine using the hammer because they were so snug. Now you are ready to secure these bad boys.

At this point, I put finishing nails in all the corners of the organizer to make sure was secure. I also nailed in all of the shelves from the back.

Give the organizer 2 coats of black spray paint. After the base is painted, cut your 1 1/2″ X 1/2″ thick boards to fit each cubby. Like the shelves, I would do each cubby individually to make sure each piece fits securely. I spray painted the back side of the label pieces first (not pictured) and then placed the painted side toward the back of the cubby. Even though no one will ever see it, it makes me feel better that they are painted and finished off nicely.

Once the glue is dry, give the remaining pieces two coats of black spray paint.

I was originally going to distress the black paint by gently sanding it or going over it with crackle paint, but I decided I liked the finished look as is and decided not to do anything else.

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I finished it off with Martha Stewart Metal Bookplates in gold. I had seriously searched everywhere online for metal labels but wasn’t finding what I wanted. And in the end, all it took was a trip to my local Staples. And Martha saves the day…. again.

While it serves as more of a decor piece than a true organizer in our home, you could easily use this for mail, kid’s shoes, craft supplies, etc.

About Taryn Whiteaker

Hi! I’m Taryn! The voice behind Taryn Whiteaker Designs. I launched this brand over 11 years ago when I became a stay-at-home mom. What started as a small craft and mom blog eventually grew into a full time design and DIY site. My goal has always been to inspire others (especially women!) with design ideas, DIY tutorials, entertaining ideas and give you the tools you need to complete them yourself!

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Filed Under: ALL POSTS, DIY Home Decor, DIY Projects, Furniture Builds and Makeovers, Organization Tagged With: DIY, Family Room, paint, Spray Paint, tutorial

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Tina from A Few Pretty Things says

    November 15, 2012 at 1:14 am

    Amazing project! Pinning!

    Reply
  2. Leslie Stewart says

    November 15, 2012 at 7:02 am

    Taryn,
    You rock! Thanks so much for sharing this great tutorial! I love it!
    Leslie

    Reply
  3. Sarah {Lacquer and Linen} says

    November 15, 2012 at 2:41 pm

    This is awesome! I have an antique secretary that already has mail slots and I too was looking everywhere for gold bookplates, I will have to go pick up the Martha ones, thanks :-) Before I had my secretary, all my mail just sat in piles, this idea is so perfect for people looking to get organized!

    Reply
  4. Carissa says

    November 16, 2012 at 10:46 am

    so cute. I love it! I need to find somewhere in my house that I need this!

    Reply
  5. Jennifer Ferrell says

    November 16, 2012 at 7:04 pm

    Wow spray paint on it! I would have never guessed. Looks great!
    Kindest regards,
    Jennifer

    Reply
  6. ChicByTab says

    November 18, 2012 at 4:50 pm

    I am so going to make this!!! SO easy!

    Reply
  7. Tricia @ SimplicityInTheSouth says

    November 21, 2012 at 3:16 am

    I just love things that are cute and functional at the same time! Your mail organizer is adorable and you made it look so easy!

    Reply
  8. Jenn/Rook No. 17 says

    November 21, 2012 at 2:42 pm

    Really, really nicely done! I’d love to have one in my office!

    Reply
  9. malia says

    November 23, 2012 at 7:03 am

    What an amazing project Taryn… I think it would be an etsy shop sensation if you ever decided to make more!

    Reply
  10. Nancy Wyatt says

    November 26, 2012 at 10:20 pm

    Love this! I think I will whip one of these up as a gift for my brother this Christmas! And one for me too! Thanks and Hugs from Conroe, TX

    Reply
  11. Anne says

    November 27, 2012 at 5:48 am

    LOVE this!! Thanks for the tute :)

    Reply
  12. Andrea @ This Pug Life says

    November 27, 2012 at 4:54 pm

    This is great! I might make something like this on a smaller scale for the kitchen counter. I have been looking everywhere for a mail organizer and I just haven’t been able to find anything I liked.

    Reply
  13. Megan says

    November 28, 2012 at 8:56 pm

    That is such a great project, Taryn. The book plates are my favorite part. :) Megan

    Reply
  14. lisa@ the thrifty challenge says

    November 29, 2012 at 12:27 pm

    Oh this is adorable! You did a great job and thanks for the detailed tutorial :)

    Reply

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Taryn Whiteaker

Hi and welcome! I'm Taryn and the voice of style behind Taryn Whiteaker Designs. Sharing our journey of modernizing our European style home in Dallas. Thanks for stopping by and don't forget to subscribe to my mailing list to get all the latest updates! Read more...

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