Creative Projects to Thank Your Mail Carrier

Thank a Mail Carrier Day is February 4, and there are many ways for you and your kids to thank these hard-working employees who faithfully deliver the mail six days a week. From art projects to baking projects, mask-making to crafting a treat-yourself spa bag, read on to learn how you and your kids can thank these front line workers.

Collaborate on Personalized Face Coverings

There’s no better way to say thanks to mail carriers than by helping protect their health. Choose a design that’s easy for your child to make. Depending on your child’s age, that may be a sewn face covering or one made with a hot glue gun. Find a fabric that features a fun postal theme, like this fabric featuring antique postage stamps. You can follow our suggestions for making the face coverings less intimidating to kids.

Bake a Postal Cake

Honor your mail carrier with a red, white and blue cake resembling the famous airmail envelopes. Or if cake isn’t your bag, make these easy, kid-friendly cinnamon sugar donuts from the “Little Cake Boss” or these homemade donut recipes. Your mail carrier is sure to be full of smiles when they see a special treats bag -- or if your treats are bulky, you can drop them off at the local post office for all the staff members to share. Packaged goodies are always a good option, too.

Create a Giant Thank You Card to Prop on the Lawn

There’s nothing to let the neighborhood know how much you love your mail carrier like a large posterboard thank you card. Break out the glitter gel, markers, acrylic paints, crayons and more to tell your mail carrier how much you love your packages, letters and postcards. He or she can choose to take the large card or leave it on your lawn to let the whole neighborhood know they’re appreciated.

Print Out Template Cards

If you’d rather do a conventional card or printout, check out Designs by Miss Mandee or Long Story Short for a cute little card to print out and sign. You can use colorful paper or card stock if you want to get extra fancy. Etsy also has printable cards for under $5.

Knit Gloves

Your mail carrier’s hands are a vital tool, and thus may be cracked and chapped from exposure to the cold and overuse. Why not get the kids together to knit or crochet a pair of gloves or mittens that they can wear over their fingerless gloves? A scarf or hat are also great ideas. If you’re less of the crafter, feel free to order them online, of course.

Prepare a Treat-Yourself Spa Bag

Mail carriers deserve a day of pampering, so gather up the kids and prep a bath bomb, bath salts, soap, candles and essential oils for the ultimate treat-yourself spa bag. You can find DIY recipes on Inspired by Charm.

Make A Stay-Warm Bag with Hot Cocoa Bombs

Hot cocoa bombs are frothy little balls of joy that make great presents. Luckily, we’ve got the inside scoop on how to make these just-add-milk drinks. Include a pair of HotHands hand or foot warmers and an insulated to-go mug in the bag, and your mail carrier will be warm all day.

Create a Stay-Safe Bag

In addition to homemade or store-bought masks, you can add hand sanitizer, Clorox Wipes and Kleenex to a small gift bag for your mail carrier. These small gifts will show how appreciative you are of the risk he or she takes every day to deliver the mail!

Get Artsy

With cross-stitch, macrame and embroidery back in fashion, it’s time to design an inspiring message or pretty picture for your mail carrier to place on his dash or attach to his rearview mirror. You can design your own cross-stitch pattern or follow this basic macrame design.

Write a Book of Silly Poems

Whether it’s limericks or haiku, your kids can get creative and bring a smile to your mail carrier’s face with a book of poems appreciating him or her. Use regular paper and staple like a zine, or if you’re feeling crafty, you can even do the bookbinding yourself. You can even make the paper.