DIY Mailbox Makeover: Modern Farmhouse Mailbox :

DIY Mailbox Makeover: Modern Farmhouse Mailbox

Enhance your curb appeal with a modern farmhouse mailbox makeover

This project is sponsored by WORKPRO® Tools see our policies here

This DIY Mailbox makeover has been a long time coming.

It’s one of those things we have been needing to do for a while but just kept putting off.

The only problem is that it’s hard to ignore a giant eyesore that stares at you every time you pull in and out of your driveway…

So I decided to tackle this curb appeal problem with some of my favorite WORKPRO Tools.

I will also have the budget breakdown for creating a new modern farmhouse mailbox or refinishing your current one at the end of the post!

Budget-Friendly Modern Farmhouse Mailbox Makeover

Supplies:

(if you are starting from scratch you will need a 6×6 or 4×4 post)

Tools:

Modern Farmhouse Mailbox Design

If you are new here I should start by saying we live on 18 acres in Alabama.

It is amazing and we love it but our mailbox is .3 miles from the house and on a pretty busy road.

Luckily for us our house is pushed way to the back of the property but our mailbox is obviously at the front, right on the busy road.

So for this mailbox makeover I ended up buying a new 6×6 post and building it all before sticking it into the ground.

This tutorial will still work though if you want to update your existing mailbox as it stands!

1. Attaching the Baseboard

I know what you are thinking, why baseboard, this isn’t a wall.

I really wanted a modern farmhouse look and also I had leftover baseboard from our Children’s Classroom project, you could use a 1×4 or 1×6 board instead.

So I started by attaching the baseboard onto the top and where the bottom will be on the 6×6 pole.

Tip: If you are starting from scratch don’t forget to leave at least 24″ for your pole to be sunk into the ground

To attach the baseboard I used construction grade adhesive and nails.

2. Adding Lattice Boxes

Does it even get more modern farmhouse esque than lattice frame boxes?

I think not, so I used a mitre saw to cut down the lattice into (8) 18″ pieces for the sides of the frame (these pieces are for the bottom lattice frame boxes).

Before cutting the top and bottom pieces of the frame I attached the long sides using construction adhesive, clamps, and nails.

Next, I measured the space in-between the sides and cut small lattice pieces to fit on the top and bottom.

3. Ledge Trim and Top Lattice

If you are updating an existing mailbox post, this is when you would add the 1×2 ledge on top of the bottom lattice box.

Since I was adding trim to a new post, I cut one piece of ledge trim to use as a spacer as I assembled the top lattice box.

Attach the top lattice pieces the same way, using construction adhesive, clamps, and nails.

4. Adding the Fancy Support Bracket

There are a few different options when it comes to the mailbox support bracket.

I used this bracket because I thought it looked very modern farmhouse-esque opposed to the plain Y bracket.

To make sure the bracket would be able to support the mailbox and packages, I attached a 2×2 scrap piece of wood to the post and mounted the bracket on top of it.

On the top side of the bracket is a long 1×6 board that will support the actual mailbox.

The cardboard is acting as a spacer so that the mailbox will be able to slip right into place.

5. Finishing the Mailbox Post

Now that everything is attached (except for our ledge, I will add that once it’s in the ground) I filled all the nail holes with wood filler.

After the wood filler was completely dry I used my electric sander and 120 grit sandpaper to sand the entire post.

Once everything was sanded and smooth I filled all the seams with caulk.

6. Painting a Modern Farmhouse Mailbox

For the mailbox post I used the same black exterior paint we used on our doors and porch ceiling.

There is just something so sleek and stylish about a black mailbox post.

For the actual metal mailbox I ordered the same version that we already had because it is the perfect size for packages!

The existing one was pretty beat up or else we would have just re-used that one.

To make the mailbox really pop I spray painted it with copper spray paint.

I have been swooning over copper mailboxes for a while but they are really expensive.

This method was a great alternative and I was able to play around with how patinated I wanted it to look.

7. Installing the Mailbox

Finally we were ready to install our new mailbox!

We removed the old mailbox post and simply placed ours in the old hole.

I also went ahead and finally attached our ledge pieces using construction adhesive and nails.

If you aren’t sure where to place your pole here are the mailbox install regulations from USPS.

You don’t have to add concrete to your mailbox post but because ours is larger than average and sometimes contains heavy packages we decided to go ahead and do it.

Instead of mixing cement we use this poly fence post mix to make the process quicker and easier.

This was our first time using this mix and my biggest tip is to make sure you are wearing thick gloves and eye protection!

I let the bag sit for a second too long and it started to pop open and I got some of the mix on my gloved hands.

I immediately felt a lot of heat and knew there would have 100% been a chemical burn had I not had on thick gloves.

Besides that though it worked amazing and set in 3 minutes!

After the post was set, I attached the mailbox using exterior screws.

8. Adding the Mailbox Numbers

For the mailbox numbers I used these faux metal ones I found on Amazon.

They are applied just like the sticker kind and give the entire mailbox an elevated look.

I used a ruler to make sure I was applying them in a straight line because the tape is super sticky and you won’t be able to detach them and reapply.

9. Landscaping Around the Mailbox

You can’t have a gorgeous new mailbox and not add a little hint of landscaping am I right…

I created a small border around the mailbox with rocks I found on the property.

Next, I filled it with soil and added a few plants to give it a little pzazz.

You might recognize these EverBrite Solar LED Landscape Lights from our potting bench build.

They are going to solve our “we can’t find your driveway at night” problem!

I know from the potting bench they are super bright and charge automatically so one less thing I have to worry about.

Modern Farmhouse Mailbox Makeover

This new modern farmhouse mailbox makeover officially has my stamp of approval (sorry I couldn’t help myself)!

The black post and copper mailbox really pop and make the mailbox look super high-end.

Our curb appeal definitely increased by a whole bunch of notches with this easy DIY.

This eyesore took way less time and money than I thought it would to fix.

Here’s the budget breakdown:

DIY Modern Farmhouse Mailbox Total Cost- $173

For less than $200 we were able to create a welcoming and stylish modern farmhouse mailbox!

Plus If you didn’t need to buy a new mailbox and post this project would cost even less.

Had I known this project would only require a few of my favorite WORKPRO Tools and cost less than $200 I would have tackled this a long time ago.

Let me know what you think of our new mailbox and what style mailbox is your favorite.

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