::rainbow mailbox birdhouse::

We had tons of fun painting this mail box.  I actually let go a little and let the kids help me paint it.  It gave me an anxiety attack but it was worth it for the joy it brought them.  Maybe I had to do some touch up painting but the cuteness factor was high.  

It ended up being a good math and logic lesson with Lily.  "If our tape is one inch wide and our stripes are each four inches wide how can we place the tape to make all the stripes the same size?"  I let her play around with the tape and think about it some.  She got kind of frustrated till I told her it was going to take at least two different tape set ups.  Then she had it figured out.  

We tried a new painting trick I had read about where you put clear paintable caulking on your tape lines, let it try, and paint right over it.   This is supposed to stop the paint from bleeding through.  It worked perfectly!!!  Loved it. 

Red - Cherry Red premixed from Kryon

Orange - this is an old sample that no longer had a sticker on it. 

Yellow - Valspar Dijon

Green - Valspar Bright Parrot

Blue - Valspar Rushing Stream

Purple - Valspar Purple Royalty

Total cost:

I had the mailbox sitting in Josh's barn for the pat few years (long story), and I already had the red and orange paint.  

Had to buy the yellow, green, blue, and purple $3 each X 4 = $12

I bought new painters tape because I have been wanting to try Frog Tape - WORTH IT!!!  This stuff works amazing.  $5

Clear Painters Caulk $3

TOTAL: about $20 

Now I love the finished project!  But Josh was concerned that rainbow mailbox may be more than rural Indiana can take.  He is concerned that it may be vandalized.  Lots.  I fought him on it, but finally I realized that he might be right.  My little rainbow mailbox might just scream a little too loudly for a baseball bat to kill it.  I think that I will use it in my garden as a place to keep tools.  Come spring I will spray it with a few coats of clear sealant and trial it out in the garden.  Right this second it is open on the floor with dog blankets in it.  Lizzie refuses to even consider sleeping in it.  Smart dog - cause I think the kids might not be able to stop them selves from closing her in.   

Link here for the pintrest inspiration image.