What’s a holiday tradition that you still remember from your childhood?

We always put out milk and cookies for Santa and carrots for his reindeer.

My parents embraced in and dove in headfirst, staging elaborate “clues” from Santa for us to find the next morning.

I’ll never forget the year we woke to find a scrap of Santa’s suit caught in our patio door (we didn’t have a chimney).

I want to make memories like that for my daughter, too. I want her to look back on her childhood and smile at the sweet, silly things we did for her.

I know she’s too young this year, and I guess she will be next year, too. But we’re still going to put out milk and cookies for Santa and carrots for his reindeer.

And as soon as she understands, I’m going to help her write letters to Santa. And we’ll put them in this DIY letters to Santa mailbox. I’m hoping this silly little mailbox will be one of those memories that stays with her.

And you can make one, too!

DIY Letters to Santa Mailbox

Supplies

• Mailbox
• Painter’s tape
• Flat spray paint
  • White
  • Blue (or whatever color your prefer)
  • Dark grey
• Stencil
  • Text printout, exacto knife, and cutting mat OR
  • Cut file and Cricut or Silhouette machine

Instructions

1. Spray the outside of the mailbox and the inside of the lid white.

2. Tape diagonal stripes down the full length of the mailbox and lid, being sure to wrap all the way around the sides.

3. Spray paint the mailbox blue (or whatever color you choose).

4. Peel off the tape.

5. Make your stencil from computer paper by cutting out the letters using an exacto knife or by cutting them on a craft cutting machine.

6. Tape the stencil over the front of the mailbox.

7. Add a piece of paper over the lid to protect it from the dark paint.

Tip: Use a washable glue stick to attach the insides of the letters, like the O, A, and R.

8. Spray the letters.

9. Peel off the stencil, and use the exacto or a toothpick to peel away the insides of the letters.