Q: I need your help. I can't seem to stay organized with all of my incoming and outgoing mail. Is there something that I can make that will help get the piles of mail off the counter and in to one neat and pretty organizer?A: You've come to the right place because at my house I have become the queen of organizing. For a while we had the same habit of stacking all the bills and letters in one general vicinity. I finally just couldn't stand looking at the mess any longer, so I decided to make something to clear it all out, and that's what I'm going to show you today.
My beautiful handmade paper letter holder is all you'll need to help keep your incoming and outgoing mail in one neat and tidy space. It can either be hung on the wall or set on a desk. The key to the whole project is to use either mat board or sturdy cardboard to keep it all together. I used mat board because it's lightweight but still sturdy enough to stand up on its own.
1. Measure, mark and cut out a piece of mat board. In our case we cut a piece 10"x20". At the 10" ends, measure up 3-3/4" and 6-3/4" and mark lines straight across at both points. Score these lines with a craft knife and fold them to make a U-shape.
2. You'll want to cut two 11"x1" pieces of paper. Use a glue stick to apply the paper to the under side of the scored points. Make sure they wrap around to the front and are taut and smoothly adhered. This helps reinforce the joints and helps maintain the holder's shape.
3. Cut two 11"x21" pieces of the paper. Apply it to the back and then the front of the holder. Fold the edges over each time and glue securely in place.
4. Cut a 9-1/2"x6-1/4" piece of natural-colored paper and apply it to the front of the mail holder, where it will be laced. From the same paper, cut out and apply the envelope flap to the top of the holder.
5. With an 1/8" hole punch (or you can use a utility knife if you don't have a hole punch handy), make holes 1/4" in all corners of the shorter front of the mail holder. Make corresponding holes on the back of the holder. The holes at the top should be 6-1/2" up from the bottom. If you want to hang this, make a hole at the top of the board.
6. Cut 3' of string and lace the front of the holder. Knot the ends together at the back and secure with a dab of glue, or tie the ends in front with a bow. If you're going to hang this, make a small knotted loop and thread it through the hole at the top of the holder.
Tip: By using a glue stick instead of liquid glue, you can prevent the thin paper board from warping, and it speeds up the drying time.
If you want to add a word at the top, like mail, you can use a rubber stamp or letter stencils -- or if you have nice handwriting, you can also just freehand it.
Let's go back now and take a look at how we put this all together:
- First we cut out the mat board and marked the lines.
- Next we cut out the paper and attached it to the mat board.
- Then we punched out the holes and laced the pieces together.
Remember, you can really get creative when making something like this. You could use different colored papers or even fabric instead. Rather than using string, you could use a pretty ribbon or wire. The options are endless.
