Photo and instructions courtesy of Design*Sponge
Have you been hit by the travel bug? Here’s an easy but brilliant craft that will help you keep track of all your trips – past, present, and future! Your trips in America, at least. Of course, you can totally make your own templates for other countries! We think color-coding the flags would also be a great idea.
Tools
- bandsaw (optional)
- Xacto knife and blades
- scissors
- tape
- wood glue
- drill and drill bit
- computer printer and paper
- paint brush
Materials
- 18″ x 24″ piece of thin plywood
- 22″ piece of 1″ x 2″ wood strip
- 2 eyehooks and picture hanging wire
- 20″ x 16″ piece of 1/4″ cork
- ball headed pins
- water slide paper (optional) – http://www.decalpaper.com/category-s/8.htm
- paint
Templates
Instructions
- Cut out a 24″x18″ rectangle of thin plywood. If you don’t have a saw you can ask the nice folks over a Lowes to help you out. I rounded out my corners on the bandsaw for an extra aesthetic detail.
- Paint your board desired color. I went with a traditional blue.
- Print out map templates.
- Trim up map pages, tape together, and cut out paper America and circles.
- Tape paper America and circles to cork. Using an exacto blade in a sawing motion cut out cork America and circles
- Glue down cork pieces using wood glue.
- Print and cut out compass and mod podge onto the bottom left hand side of your board. I used a water slide image transfer paper, which creates a translucent image. (Find transfer paper here)
- To hang your map, cut one 18″ piece and two, 2″ pieces of 1″ x 2” wood. If you don’t have a saw, you can ask the nice folks over at Lowes to help you where they cut moulding.
- Drill holes in the 18″ piece about 1 1/4″ from the end and screw in eyehooks.
- Glue all three pieces to the back of the map, and lace picture hanging wire through two eyehooks.
- For the flags, print and cut out flag patterns and fold in half. Insert pins into crease and glue shut.
This is just plain genius!!