~thrifty thursday~{disguising a meter box}

This project has two purposes for me.

One, it disguises our power meter, and two, it has a place for mail.

Sometimes the mailman leaves it on our porch, and when I come home from being gone, I find the puppy has ripped everything to shreds.

So if you have something unsightly you'd like to disguise, this project is for you.

Here is our little front porch:

{yes, I need a new boxwood, but look, my lilac tree is starting to bloom!}

This was our front porch yesterday.

Now can you see why I wanted to disguise it?

I measured my space and cut a piece of sanded plywood.

Then I cut 1x4 pieces of pine to frame that out. The power box sticks out from the wall, and after measuring, the 1x4 turned out to be the perfect size, for the depth.

I sanded all the rough edges and then using a air nailer, nailed all the pieces together.

I then measured an appropriate size hole for the meter box and cut out using a combination of a chop saw and jigsaw. Then I sanded down those rough edges.

Next I cut another piece of plywood slightly larger than my opening. I put hinges on the top and painted the whole thing with leftover paint from my dining/living room.

To identify that it's where the power meter is, I painted the "General Electric" logo on.

Then I sanded down the whole thing and used a combination clear and dark wax over the top.

I also painted the front of the box with the same method.

I stained the edges {1x4's} grey to match the other signs already hanging on the porch wall.

I found a little metal bin at a local craft store and added that to the bottom for mail.

With the hinges, the little "GE" door lifts up to reveal the meter.

I can't decide if I love it yet, but it's definitely better than it was before.

Now, lets see if the meter reader yells at me :)

xoxo