DIY Network

Homegrown Hint: Mailbox Tool Storage How to create simple tool storage with a large mailbox. From "Fresh from the Garden" episode DFFG-301

In the Homegrown Hint, Joe installs an oversize mailbox near the entrance to the garden to hold hand tools and gloves. The mailbox protects the tools and keeps them within easy reach of the garden.

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An oversize mailbox has lots of room for your favorite hand tools. It's nice to have one close to the garden to store tools that you use every day.

1. Dig a 2"-deep hole with a posthole digger to hold the mailbox post. Then set the post into the hole and use a post level to get it plumb. Backfill a few inches of soil and tamp it down with the handle of a shovel. Keep backfilling and tamping until the post is secure. If you prefer, you can set the post in concrete to make it even more sturdy and permanent.

2. Once the post is in, install the mailbox itself, positioning it so it faces the garden. Secure the screws that came with the mailbox, and it will be ready to use.

3. A large mailbox is the perfect size to hold favorite hand tools. Place a hand trowel, scissors, a roll of twine, some pruners and a pair of garden gloves in the mailbox. This will keep you from running back and forth from the garage each time you need to tie up a plant, tuck in some seedlings or trim a vine.