30 Easy DIY Classroom Mailbox Ideas for Students
30 Easy DIY Classroom Mailbox Ideas for Students
If you’re looking for some new classroom mailbox ideas, then this post is for you. It’s packed with some of my favorite classroom organization ideas for student mail including DIY options, space saving ideas and even some ideas that you may not have thought of.
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DIY Your Basic Classroom Mailboxes
So, your classroom may have come with some boring student mailboxes. If so let me show you a few easy ways that you can fix them up to make them look amazing.
1 | DIY Classroom Mailbox Paint Job
This started off as a boring filing mailbox. This teacher transformed it with paint into a colorful classroom mail center which is a pretty addition to her classroom.
2 | Add Pretty Paper
Here’s another great way to transform a basic mailbox. This boring white mailbox got a facelift when this teacher covered it with marbled contact paper. You can find a pretty paper that goes with your classroom theme and give this idea a try.
3 | Place Numbers on the Side
If you’re numbering your mailboxes on the bottom considering switching to the sides. The numbers will last way longer, and they won’t get covered by papers, win, win!
4 | Binder Clips & Colored Paper
For an easy way to add numbers to your mailboxes put the numbers on binder clips instead of taping numbers or using stickers. You can even clip on paper in all different colors for that extra pop of color in your classroom.
Filing System for Classroom Mailboxes
Instead of the traditional mailboxes a lot of teacher love to use a filing system instead. What’s great about this method is it saves tons of space. Check out some of the best ideas to create a filing system for student mail below.
5 | File Box with Hanging Folders
A small file box with hanging folders is a huge space saver if you don’t have enough room for a bookshelf system. You can create a hanging tab for each student.
6 | Milk Crate
A milk crate is another good option to use instead of a file box. This 5th grade teacher has a number system instead of student names so she can reuse the mailboxes each year.
7 | Card Stock Number Labels
This second-grade teacher was sick of her number tabs falling out, so she made number labels on card stock and laminated them and then taped them to the back of each folder.
8 | Labels with Student Pictures
If you’re looking for a bright idea that will make it super easy and fast for students, consider adding their pictures to their mailbox label.
9 | Use Hanging File Folders
If space in your classroom is very limited, then a hanging file pocket chart for student mailboxes may work great for you. These ones are from Amazon, click the link under the picture to check them out.
Classroom Mailbox Ideas with Drawers
Some teachers swear by using a student mail system that involves drawers. Drawers do help keep all the papers neat and tidy and in their place. If you want to create a system with drawers check out some fun ways to pull it off below.
10 | Cute Mailbox Idea with Drawers
If you’re going to use clear drawers why not add cute labels to match your classroom theme. This teacher even spray painted the bins a pretty gold.
11 | Pretty Boho Mailbox Drawers
These pretty boho colored drawers and bamboo mail center is from Really Good Stuff and is available on Amazon.
12 | Rolling Carts
Add student’s names to a trolley cart for a rolling student mailbox system.
13 | Numbers on Rolling Carts
It also works great to number your rolling cart and assign each student a number. That way you can easily re-use your labels every school year.
Creative Storage Solutions for Mailboxes
Check out other organizational supplies to see what you may be able to repurpose for student mailboxes. For example stackable paper organizers, trays, or magazine holders may work perfectly for your needs. Check out some more ideas below.
14 | Magazine Holders for Mail
Inexpensive magazine holders could be placed on bookshelves to create an easy classroom mail system. I especially love these ones from Amazon because the colors are so pretty.
15 | Stacking Paper Trays
Stacking paper organizers would also work great and doesn’t take up a ton of space. This teacher scored these at the Dollar Store. Amazon also has a ton of options to choose from that you can check out here.
16 | Colorful Cardboard Boxes
These colorful carboard boxes would also work really well for your student’s mail. You could stack each cardboard box on top of each other or place them side by side depending on your classroom space.
17 | Colorful Picture Labels
Colorful labels with pictures work great for younger elementary classrooms.
Classroom Mailbox Ideas with Shoe Organizers
Have you ever thought of using shoe organizers for student mailboxes? There are actually a ton of different options that just might work for your needs including shoe cubbies, clear stackable organizers and even over the door shoe organizers. Let’s check out some of my favorites below.
18 | Over the Door Shoe Organizers
This would work well for small papers, or you can roll the papers as shown. You can place them over the door or hang this on a class wall. If you want to copy this idea, you can find some over the door shoe organizers here.
19 | Stackable Shoe Storage
Clear shoe storage boxes are stackable, and you can configure them however works best for your classroom. You can even use a Cricut machine to add labels to each box with names or numbers.
20 | Shoe Cubbies
Shoe cubbies actually work really well for student mailboxes. You could stack a couple on top of each other or side by side depending on your class space.
21 | Hanging Shoe Racks
If you have a rod in your classroom a hanging organizer like this would be a great space saving student mailbox idea.
Inexpensive Classroom Mailbox Ideas
Creating an organized classroom doesn’t have to be expensive. Let’s check out some creative ideas that won’t cost you much to get your student mail system in place.
22 | Use Dollar Tree Containers
Take a trip to the Dollar Tree to find an assortment of colorful plastic containers that you can re-purpose into mailboxes.
23 | Postal Service Boxes
This teacher had a creative idea for diy mailboxes that was free! Here’s what she did:
- First, she ordered medium flat rate shipping boxes from USPS online and received them free!
- She then secured them together with duct tape and packaging tape.
- Next, she decorated them with poster board. You could also use cute wrapping paper.
Outside of the Box Classroom Mailbox Ideas
Now let’s check out some outside of the box thinking for creating a student mail system.
24 | Repurposed Pizza Racks
This first-grade teacher uses pizza racks to hold her student’s take home binders. Genuis!
25 | Use Dry Erase Clipboards
Dry erase clipboards with numbers or student’s names would work great for student mail. You can keep them in small bins on the floor or on a bookshelf.
26 | Create a Student Center
If you have the space in your class, I love the idea of creating a student center. This can be the place for mailboxes, take-home folders, the pencil sharpener, community supplies, computers, the book return cart, and anything else that your students may need.
You may even want to have one of your classroom jobs a mailbox sorter. This student can help you put all the papers in each student’s mailbox at the end of the day or week.
Teacher Mailbox Ideas
Ok so now you have the student mailboxes in place it’s time to create your own mailbox. This could be a simple way to encourage feedback from students. Especially when some students may not feel comfortable sharing their concerns in from of the class. Check out some ideas to create your own mailbox below.
27 | Teacher Mailbox
Carve out a small space like this to give students the opportunity to communicate with you privately about anything. You can leave blank letter paper where students can leave feedback anonymously or put their name if they want.
28 | Basket on a Command Hook
To keep your desk a little less cluttered you can hang a small basket on a command hook attached to the wall for your mailbox.
29 | Happy Mail
Now that you have your mailbox system in place why not add some happy mail every once in a while, to brighten your student’s day? You can write a little note about excellent behavior shown, or how the student is improving in a certain area. This will give your students a chance to proudly share their achievement with a family member or friend!
30 | Encourage Positive Peer Mail
So, the last idea for you is to have students write a positive message to someone that they don’t normally talk to and leave it in their mailbox. This will help build confidence among students as well as build a sense of community in your classroom.
Classroom Mailbox Ideas Pinterest
I made this post Pinterest friendly to make it easier for you to save your favorite ideas. Simply click on the picture that you want to save and then the red P and then choose your board.
So now you have some new creative classroom mailbox ideas. I hope you found at least one new idea to try in your class this year. If you enjoyed this post please share it!
Here are some more posts you should check out…
67 Best Classroom Setup Ideas for Back to School
83 Best Classroom Organization Ideas