Reuse Fence Pickets To Give Your Mailbox A Makeover With This Clever DIY

Curb appeal is all about the first impression your home gives to guests, passersby, and neighbors. Before they even step foot in your front door, your home's exterior design and presence has already spoken volumes. The good news, though, is that not all projects that make a big, positive impact on your curb appeal have to break the bank. Sometimes, it's the little touches that go a long way. In fact, @a.dabbled.dwelling shared on TikTok one such inexpensive idea for creating a visually exciting, modern mailbox to make your home look charming and give a little personality right at the street. By using cheap pressure-treated fence pickets and 2x4 posts, she transformed a standard metal mailbox into an upscale, modern statement piece for less than $50.

To complete a similar affordable mailbox makeover, you must first gather your supplies. If you plan to refresh the finish of your existing metal mailbox, you will need a can of black spray paint for the box and gold for the flag — or whatever colors you prefer. If not, simply head to the hardware store to grab two pressure treated 2x4s for the inner posts and pressure-treated pine fence pickets, which can be pre-cut into 18- to 24-inch strips before you begin. Now that you are prepped and ready to rock, let's take this beginner DIY project step by step so you can add some modern wow factor to your home's exterior on a budget.

The first step for this modern mailbox makeover is to remove the existing mailbox. While they cut down the original mailbox pole, if you have a similar metal or wood center pole, you can likely install this DIY right around it without the need for removal (maybe just a little trim on top). You may just need to beef up the size of the inner posts to 4x4 to accommodate the original between them.

Lay the two inner posts parallel to each other on the ground the same width of your cut down fence picket pieces. Line the middle portion of the posts with the pickets, stacking them horizontally to your desired height on each side. Be sure to leave extra post length on the bottom for burying in the ground, as well as at least mailbox height on the top. Trim off the front top post so it is level with the top picket.

Next, dig two holes for the bottom posts, insert your mailbox base, and use concrete to secure them, allowing it to fully dry. Add additional pickets to the bottom to cover exposed inner posts. Rip a fence post the width and height of the stacked pickets to cover the front and back with a clean board. Cut a picket to create a top platform for the mailbox to sit on, as well as a small cap for the back top post so its finished height is level with the top. Stain or paint the wood, reattach the mailbox, and add modern house numbers to complete the look.