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This is a knock-off of the Pottery Barn 'Daily System' letter bin: a store-bought 11x14 picture frame becomes the face of a shallow two-pocket mail sorter, with angled 1/4" plywood sides and fronts glued inside the frame to hold letters and papers. It's a fast, clever project that leans on the frame to do the finished-edge work for you.
The build hinges on a printable template. Print it in landscape, scaled to fit the media, cut it out, and trace it onto 1/4" plywood to get the two angled side pieces (a) — the angle is what tips the pockets forward so mail is visible and easy to grab. Cut them with a jigsaw or circular saw. The top bin front (c) gets two small 1/4" x 1" notches cut out; check the source template for their exact placement.
The assembly trick is to keep the frame's glass in place while you glue the sides to the inside of the frame — it holds everything at the right spacing for a proper fit — but avoid gluing to the glass itself. Once the sides are set, add the two bin fronts. Paint or finish the plywood to match your frame. It's a great small gift and an easy way to tame the pile of mail by the door.
| Item | Qty |
|---|---|
| Picture frame, 11 in x 14 inForms the face; keep the glass in for spacing during assembly. | 1 each |
| Plywood, 1/4 in, 2 ft x 2 ftSides and bin fronts. | 1 each |
| Wood glueDon't glue to the glass. | 1 bottle |
| Paint or finish | 1 each |
Overall cost: $. Lumber prices vary by region, species, and season, so we give a band rather than a figure we would only be pretending to know.
| Part | Qty | T × W × L |
|---|---|---|
| Sides (a)1/4 in plywoodTraced from the printable template — the angle sets the pocket rake. | 2 | 1/4" × 2 1/2" × 10" |
| Bottom bin front (b)1/4 in plywood | 1 | 1/4" × 5" × 10 3/4" |
| Top bin front (c)1/4 in plywoodNotch two 1/4" x 1" rectangles per the template. | 1 | 1/4" × 7" × 10 3/4" |
Buy 3 boards at 8 ft.
1 board
1 board
1 board
Assumes 8 ft stock, a 1/8" saw kerf, and buying each part at its own width. Change the board size or kerf on the full board plan →
Print out the template — select landscape orientation and 'scale to fit media' in your print options so the angles come out at the right size.
Cut out the template and trace it onto the 1/4" plywood. Cut the two side pieces (a) with a jigsaw or circular saw. These angled sides are what tip the pockets forward.
Notch out two 1/4" wide x 1" high rectangles from the top bin front (c), positioned per the template.
Glue the sides (a) to the inside of the frame. Keep the glass in place while you do this — it holds everything at the right spacing for a proper fit — but avoid gluing to the glass. Once the sides are set, add the two bin fronts (b) and (c). Sand and paint or finish to match the frame, then mount it to the wall.
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