Whether you buy popsicles, and wash the sticks yourself, or you purchase popsicle sticks from a craft store there are literally hundreds of crafts you can create. One such craft will help you clear the clutter from your desk and keep your mail organized. Its not hard to make the letter holder but youll be glad you did. Now youll have a place to store mail until you can file it or otherwise tend to it. Dont have a desk? The letter holder is perfect for a shelf, dresser or other area in the home.
Youll only need four popsicle sticks to create the mail holder. Take those four sticks and make two "x" shapes. Start by making an "x" with two of the sticks. Where they meet in the center, glue them together, then set aside to dry. Make an "x" from the second set of sticks, glue them, then set them aside. Its important that both "xs" be exactly the same. Lay one set on top of the other to make sure theyre both the same. Do this before the glue dries on the second set. Make any adjustments then set aside to dry completely.
Use four wooden dowels to connect the two "x" shapes together. The length of the dowels should be slightly longer than a legal-size envelope. You will be gluing the dowels between the two "x" shapes. If the "xs" were standing up, and the flat sides were facing each other, the dowels would go from the top two pieces of one side, to the top two sides of the opposite "x". Two more dowels will go between the bottom two legs of one "x" to the bottom two legs of the other. When finished, the flat sides should be facing right and left, and the dowels should be facing you. One dowel is positioned across the top back area, and one across the top front area. One more dowel runs between the bottom back legs, and another, the bottom front legs. Hot glue works great to keep the dowels in place. When the glue has completely set you can move on to the next step. Youll now cut fabric that will actually hold the mail. The popsicle sticks become the stand and the fabric will become the cradle that holds your letters. Measure from the back dowel, down to the table, then up to the front dowel. Add five inches to that measurement. Measure the length of the dowel to decide the width of the cradle. Cut two pieces of fabric. One side should be cut to equal the length of the dowels youve used. The other side should be the measurement you took plus the extra five inches. Cut the two pieces and lay them on a table with the wrong sides together. Cut a piece of cardboard that is the width of the fabric times a length of three inches. Position it in the center of the two fabric pieces. You can stitch the fabric together, if you want, or you can just use fabric glue to attach them. When the glue is dry its time to attach the cradle to the letter stand. Fold one end of the fabric over the back dowel, and glue in place. The fabric should be on the outside of the stand, come up and over the back dowel, then be glued across the edge. The cardboard piece between the fabric should be almost lying on the table. The next end of the fabric should come under and over the front dowel, then glued across the end. When finished, the stand should be holding the cradle that will hold the mail. Make a smaller version to hold notes or a much larger version to hold rolled documents. You can make a complete desk set that will help you organize everything there. To make a larger set try using rulers instead of popsicle sticks. The concept is the same, with the dowels between them, and the fabric cradle hanging down. The little letter holders and bill organizers make great gifts or will just look fabulous sitting on your own desk. Its a great project for kids to do. They can present the finished letter holder to a teacher, a parent or one of their own friends. The organizer is easy to make, costs very little, and will grab attention right away!
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