Cork Board Map of Our Travels

I love the look of old maps. So does DH. I always see adorable crafts on Pinterest with old maps, but I never got around to making one. Until this weekend.

EDIT: I got some requests for more info on this project, so I decided to add some more details!


DH picked up a pack of 3 laminated maps at a yard sale two months not that long ago. I planned on using one of those, but it was too big to fit on my bulletin board. It was also laminated and too new looking.

Then I remembered a stack of old travel maps we bought awhile ago. One of them was a National Geographic map of places to vacation. From 1966, it had just the look I wanted.


So here's the how to. (Sorry for the lack of photos)

Supplies:

• Glue (I used a 4 parts glue, 1 part water mixture)
• Paint Brush (I prefer sponge so no hairs get left behind)
• Mod Podge (I used matte for sealing)
• Straight pins (I looked at a few stores, then finally founds some at JoAnn Fabrics. I got the multi colored packs (on sale for $1.50), but they also have packs of all one color)
• Cork Board (I've had mine for 10 years, and it was pretty beat up, but it worked great)
• Map! The one I found that worked best was an old travel map, the kind that fold up.
• Something heavy (to flatten out the creases)
• Patience! 

Lay out your map over your cork board. Be sure that Maine to Florida fit. Place books or something heavy on the creases to flatten them. Leave over night (the hardest part for me)

Now to glue! This is when being a folding map really came in handy. I did one panel at a time. Apply glue to the cork, and to the map itself to be sure it sticks. Flatten it out. 

My board had a metal frame around it, which I left in place since it had hangers in the back. I then wrapped the map around the edges and glued it to the sides of the frame too. Add a layer of Mod Podge or other seal. Let dry. I still had some air pockets, especially at the top, from doing the edges before the part on the cork finished drying. Luckily it's a topographical map, and little bumps disappear into the mountain ranges. 

DH and I had a lot of fun placing our pins on the map. Red is for me; green is for him. Yellow is places we've been together. I wish there were more yellow dots, but I think we're doing good for having been together 5 years. You decide what warrants a pin. We were both in the military, and did a lot of cross- country travel. We decided airports or driving through doesn't geta pin. And no pin if you were too young to remember the trip either.  

All finished and hanging in the hallway. 

I absolutely love the way it looks! I can see the places where I messed up, but since there will be lots of little pins, I don't think it matters too much. The best part? This got us excited for planning trips to visit friends and family next year and looking for new places to stop along the way! 

-DearLadyDisdain

God help us! It is a world to see.