As I was thinking through the possibilities, I remembered the map that had previously hung in my bedroom. I changed the style of my bedroom in the new house and the map didn't quite fit in so it was just rolled up in the corner. I had toyed with the idea of cutting a print to fit three vertical frames and thought that same concept would be perfect for the map! Here's how I did it.
1. The Map
The map started as something very similar to this that I bought several years ago with an Barnes & Noble gift card.
2. Adding Age
I actually did this right after I bought the map. I wanted to try and make the map look aged and a friend suggested using brown paint. (We thought about staining it with tea but weren't sure if it would stain the brightly colored map dark enough for my taste.) By watering down the brown paint and using a light hand with the brush we were able to create the look I was going for at the time. It also happens to look great with my couch and pillows!
3. The Frames
After some internet searching, I discovered that A.C. Moore was having a 40% off sale on frames. I did a lot of browsing and comparing in the store but finally settled on the black frames. I was going for cheap (they were the cheapest they had!), but certainly could have created a different look with gold, pewter or other frames. After the 40% off, I ended up with all of my frames for around $25.
4. How many do I need?
Before going to the store, I laid the map on the floor and used a sheet of paper to estimate how many of each size frame I needed. I knew I wanted a couple of bigger frames (I used 11x14) and filled in the rest from there. As a bonus, they had different styles of frames so I picked up a few of each to create some more visual interest.
5. The Layout
When I got home with the frames I arranged them on top of the map before cutting anything. I knew that I wanted to try and include at least a piece of all of the continents and as many countries as I could so that helped determine placement. An 11x14 was the best choice to fit Asia so I purposely used the other 11x14 frame on the opposite corner to create some balance.
I also wanted it to be fairly geographically accurate so I took a picture of the layout on the floor before cutting the pieces to use as my guide when it came time for hanging.
6. The Cutting
I left the frames right where they were and traced around the outside edges with a pencil. After cutting these frame sized pieces, I used the frame inserts to cut smaller pieces that would fit inside of the frames.
7. The Hanging
Before cutting out the pieces, I measured the center of the total "structure" both horizontally and vertically. This fell inside the Africa frame, so that was the first frame that I hung. Then, by using my handy picture, I guesstimated the spacing for the frames going out from there. Asia was the last frame up as it was the only one with two hangers on the back. It would have been the most difficult to straighten if I didn't hang it right the first time, so I straightened and lined everything else up first before placing the last two nails.
And there you have it! For $25 and an afternoon I now have some great new art to fill the space above my couch. I also love that I used something that I already had in my house that was otherwise collecting dust. Before you go out and buy something, see what you have laying around the house! Get creative and you'll make something awesome and one of a kind!
