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'All supplies from Bunnings': Handywoman stuns with letterbox transformation
Curb appeal is just as important as interior design, and one lady ensured her home had just that when she created a "designer" letterbox with supplies from Bunnings.
The Queenslander shared her creation on the Bunnings Mums Australia Facebook page to rave reviews.
"Just completed my first major project. All from scratch, all supplies (except for some of the timber) from Bunnings," Paula posted, sharing pictures of each step.
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And in just three days she's received 2,700 likes and more than 170 comments.
"Love it! What an awesome job you have done," one person wrote.
"Fantastic job. It looks like a very upmarket designer feature. How inspirational," another commented.
"Love it and I want someone to make me one," a third added.
A few people thought it was a kit and hoped they could also buy it, but Paula revealed she'd come up with the plans herself.
"It’s not a kit. All from scratch," she wrote, but was happy to share how she constructed the letterbox so others could give it a go.
"I did a little research on the Internet and came up with my own design," she replied to one poster.
"I knew I wanted it to be about 1200 high and each of the slats is 600 wide.
"The timber is spotted gum decking. 136mm x 19mm. About $15/m at Bunnings.
"Fencing posts are 100x100 hardwood and internal framing is 90x35 treated pine framing."
She also confirmed she purchased both the letterbox and house number from Bunnings.
Step-by-step process
Paula then explained each step of the process, starting with the foundation.
"For this, I had to mix two bags of cement and a bag of gravel ... pour it into the formwork, put the metal stirrups in, measure they are in the right place, level them and then finish your cement (smooth it all and edge it) in 15 minutes," she said.
She revealed she was ultra-careful when cutting the wood to get it just right, utilising the adage "measure twice, cut once".
"I was constantly checking my cuts, so had to do a few dummy runs," she revealed.
"Each board was cut specifically for its location, so measured, marked then cut in situ."
She said the longest part was sealing the timber, which she did with Cabot’s exterior clear.
"Three coats with 12 hours between coats (front and back)," she wrote.
Paula also shared her tool list, including a compound saw, hammer drill ("because it’s all hardwood"), a multitool and a router.
Well, the hard work and time were well worth the effort, with a unique and quality built letterbox to last her years.
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