We are here for you and the awkward moment your child loses their first tooth at barely five years old and you are ill prepared to house that tooth and notify the tooth fairy.
I found myself in this moment with an 'early tooth wiggler' ... one who has now lost six teeth before her sixth birthday! What she would have given for a crafternoon to finesse a letterbox fit for the fairy queen herself!
We have teamed up with our friend and cardboard clever clogs Kathryn Ho @cardboardfolk. In 7 short steps your tooth wiggling child will have a spot to tuck their tooth, post notes and receive real life, spendable dollars from the 'tooth-fairy'!
Go on, Have FUN!
Sweetest dreams and warmest wishes,
Georgie x
Thin Cardboard
Small Felt Offcut
2 x Paper Fasteners
White Paper
Box Cutter
Scissors
Steel Ruler
Pencil
Black Marker
Glue Stick
Kebab Skewer
Hot Glue Gun*
Cutting Mat**
*If you don’t have a hot glue gun you feel free to substitute with strong tape. If you plan to paint your letter box be sure to use masking tape rather than tapes with a plastic finish
**A cutting mat will protect your working surface, you can always use a thick piece of scrap cardboard instead, but take care not to cut through it!
Step 1:
Use the box cutter and steel ruler to cut rectangular shape with domed ends, ours measures 21cm x 7cm. We used a lid to trace around for the domes.
Step 2:
Mark a line 6cm in from each end and score 2 lines with the box cutter, about 3mm away from each other (don’t cut all the way through) so that your ends can fold up at right angles.
Step 3:
Cut a small rectangular strip of felt and fold in half. Use the tip of your box cutter to poke a small hole through both sides of the felt and push a paper fastener through to create a pull handle. Use a kebab skewer to poke a hole in one of your domed ends and secure the handle to the cardboard.
Step 4:
Cut a rectangular piece of cardboard 1cm longer than the base of the letter box. It should be wide enough to wrap around the ends. Make sure that the corrugations run the same way you want the cardboard to curve. Gently wrap the middle of the rectangle around a cylindrical object like a rolling pin. Cut a small strip and curve it as well then glue to the inside of the rectangle 1cm in from the front edge.
Step 5:
Cut a flag shape for your mail box and decorate it if you wish with a tooth logo! We drew ours on white paper and attached with a glue stick. Use a kebab skewer to poke a hole in the curved rectangle piece and the flag and secure with the other paper fastener.
Step 6:
Glue the curved rectangle to the base and back end of the letter box with the little strip of cardboard facing the front so that there is a 1cm overhang at the front face. Do not put any glue on the front end of the mail box.
Step 7:
Use sharp scissors to trim the over hang at the front in a straight line from the bottom corners to the point at which it starts to curve.
