Pottery Barn Kids the Frugal Way

I must admit I am a bit of a Pottery Barn junkie...and that goes for Pottery Barn Kids, too. My heart shrieks with excitement every time I flip open the mailbox and see...the catalog. However, my pocketbook does not allow the financing of such a habit, so I clip out items and pictures and put them in my "Idea" file. I use the catalog for inspiration in decorating, gifting, and crafts. Many similar items can be found at Target, Marshalls, TJMaxx, and HomeGoods, and many things in the kids catalog you can actually make yourself!! Which is what I did for my kids Valentine mailboxes.

I have been eyeing these up for the past few years, but couldn't bring myself to spend the $26+ for each. (But can you believe they sell out every year??!! Who has the money??!!) So, this year was the year...I was making them myself. And had I known how easy it was, I would've made them long ago...

1 hour and $1.08 later...

My son's mailbox...he requested I not use so many hearts or make it look so "girly"...because hearts are for "giiirrrrrllllls"..... spoken like a true 4 year old!!



My daughter's mailbox...she decorated her own and went wild with the hearts. Because she's a giiiiirrrrlllll!!!

I used an empty cereal box and cut the top flaps off. I then glued (with a glue stick) red felt around the sides, tucked in the top and taped and glued inside the top, and then wrapped the bottom like a present and glued again.
I then stitched with yarn around the sides. Then I attached the top mail flap and stitched that on the back and stitched around the sides of that as well.

Then I attached a little "hook" by stitching a strip and attaching velcro tabs as a closure. The original PB one has backpack loops, but if I used those we wouldn't be able to use them on the chairs at home, so I just made one loop. Whatever works...

Don't let a low budget stop you from enjoying the things that you like (I'm talking holiday decor, crafts, etc...) Just use your imagination and try to figure out how to make it yourself!! A little ingenuity and patience is all you need! Monica has another Pottery Barn Kids craft idea , too!! I would've tried that one as well, but my printer is all out of color ink at the moment, and I'm all outta time!! Next year!!

Visit here to see what frugal "couponing" gift I made for my husband this year!!

Happy Valentine's Day, y'all!!

Linked to: Frugal Friday