How To: Create a DIY Travel Map

Inspired by my sister-in-law, I decided to create a map to plot all of our travels!

It is was fun to remember all of the amazing places we have been... and to see all of the places we have left to explore.

Materials:

• Map (Cavallini World Map Wrapping Paper from Paper Source, only $3.95!)
• Frame (20"x28" Ribba Frame from IKEA, only $19.99)
• Cork (24"x48" roll from Michael's)
• Spray Adhesive
• Contact Cement
• Utility Knife
• Foam roller or brush
• Scissors
• Roller
• Map Pins (Staples, only $2.69)

Step 1: Cut the Cork

Using the fibreboard from the back of the frame as a template, use the knife to cut the cork to size to match the frame.

Step 2: Adhere the Cork

Using a foam roller or brush, coat the fibreboard and cork with a thin layer of contact cement. Allow the cement to dry to tacky as per the instructions on the bottle.

Once tacky, glue the cork onto the fibreboard, sticky sides together, and roll smooth.

Weight down the cork and allow the glue to dry.

Step 3: Adhere the Map

Coat the cork and back side of the map with a generous layer of spray adhesive. Make sure to spray in a well ventilated area and to well protect your work surface - everything is going to get sticky!

Allow the glue to dry to tacky as per the instructions on the bottle. Place the map onto the cork, sticky sides together, and roll smooth. Trim if required.

Step 4: Frame the Map

Once the adhesive has dried, place the map into the frame.

Step 5: Pin Away!

Of course, I could not just randomly pin our map... I had to come up with a colour coded system... red is my travels, blue is David's travels, green is our travels together, yellow is places we have both been but not together, white is significant locations (our home in Calgary, the location of our wedding in Tofino) and black is where Scout has travelled on his own (Silversmith Farms, South Carolina).

Now we just have to work at filling the map up!

Amy

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How to: Make a Paper Garland

I was quite excited to decorate for Christmas this year now that our house is complete enough to justify it.

 

I had managed to rescue most of our Christmas ornaments from the levelling cement Dave had accidentally managed to encase them in but still did not have enough ornaments to do our tree justice.

 

So, inspired by Pinterest, I hauled out my boxes of craft paper and made myself a paper dot garland.

 

This project was surprisingly easy and best of all - free! 

  

Materials:

 

• coloured craft paper
• paper punch
• thread
• sewing machine

Step 1: Punch Paper

Using a paper punch in your choice of size and shape, punch out a large pile of paper shapes. I used a 1 3/4" circle punch from Stampin' Up.

Step 2: Sew Together

Prepare a sewing machine with your choice of thread colour. Setting your stitch len to about 6, slowly slide each circle under the foot as you sew.

You can sew about three stitches between each circle if you want a sparse garland. I feed my circles in immediately after one another.

 Step 3: Repeat

Repeat this process again... and again... and again... until all of your paper shapes have been used up. I kept the sewing speed quite slow and was still able to make about 20' of garland in well under an hour.

Step 4: Enjoy!

 

Amy

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