Make Your Own Playa Mail Box

Mister Jellyfish Mister · Post by **Mister Jellyfish Mister** » Sun Aug 20, 2006 9:23 pm

For trinkets, swag, and nasty letters, I admire those that hang some kind of mailbox outside their tent, RV, etc. Any suggestions on empty household vessels to use or construction/mounting tips?

PurpleKoosh · Post by **PurpleKoosh** » Mon Aug 21, 2006 12:22 am

I got an honest-to-$DEITY postal mail box on Freecycle a couple of years ago. My playa name is on both sides in reflective lettering; there's a copy of my avatar on the door, and the rest of it is covered in stickers/postcards/etc. I've gotten in previous years. I used double-sided tape to position everything that wasn't already self-adhesive, and then went over the entire thing with (literally) half a bottle of ModPodge. I used a sponge brush to apply it, and alternated between vertical and horizontal brushstrokes for each layer to ensure full coverage.

The mount is a 2x2 supported in a 5qt. metal pail filled with cement. I nailed a piece of scrap wood (a drawer divider for a long-gone desk) to the top of that, then glued the mailbox to that. (Sorry, can't remember if I used GOOP or not.

) I plan to wrap the 2x2 in duct tape, then in floral garland, to protect from splinters and pretty it up just a bit.

diane o'thirst · Post by **diane o'thirst** » Mon Aug 21, 2006 12:49 am

Speaking from experience...

Artificial flowers are pretty MOOPy. Lots of light little parts and they're not of the hardiest construction. I don't bring flower garlands to the Playa anymore.

On topic: I had a nice standard wallhanging mail box with a painted tile of a water lily on it for my camp. Never got anything so I converted it to a bicycle basket. You'd be amazed how many batteries, energy bars and trinkets you can fit into one of those things and since it's made of metal, is virtually indestructible.

PurpleKoosh · Post by **PurpleKoosh** » Mon Aug 21, 2006 10:34 am

diane o'thirst wrote:Speaking from experience...

Artificial flowers are pretty MOOPy. Lots of light little parts and they're not of the hardiest construction. I don't bring flower garlands to the Playa anymore.

I probably should've specified that the "flowers" are all beads on copper wire. I've had a couple of strands of these out there in previous years (I have them on my bike basket), and they've been MOOP-proof thus far.

diane o'thirst · Post by **diane o'thirst** » Mon Aug 21, 2006 11:18 am

Ah! Okay. Yes, beads work better.

Thanks for the tip. Too late for this year but next time'll be different...

Rusted Iron · Post by **Rusted Iron** » Mon Aug 21, 2006 7:54 pm

I picked up an old mail box at my favorite store; the dump. This afternoon, I bolted it to an upside-down jack stand that's attached to a pipe that slips over a T-post. It's probably going to be the sturdiest thing in our camp.

After reading your posts I am tempted to drag it back into the house and pretty it up a bit.

PurpleKoosh · Post by **PurpleKoosh** » Mon Aug 21, 2006 9:43 pm

Rusted Iron wrote:After reading your posts I am tempted to drag it back into the house and pretty it up a bit.

No doubt you'll get lotsa stickers for schwag once you're there; consider it your on-playa art project.

(Maybe take daily photos of the progress?)