There is something about vintage maps that I adore. It must be the faded colors, or printing styles, or maybe the artwork, or just the funny village names. No doubt this one’s a treasure! Today I’m going to show how to make a DIY wall map, to add to your decor.
I’m guessing the vintage map is circa 1890 to 1900 based on the artist’s rendering. It was designed to be folded into a convenient pocket-size booklet for cyclist and tourist. It also has a brief historical account of the region, road routes for cyclists, railway rates and an index of towns and villages.
After carefully removing the map from the booklet I gathered the following supplies.
Supplies
- 2 dowels
- hot glue gun and glue sticks
- painters tape
- ribbon (or string)
You may be wondering why I put painters tape on the supply list, so I’ll explain. This particular tape is for delicate surfaces and even though the map is in very good condition, I didn’t want to damage the back of the map with hot glue. My thought was that if I didn’t like the way the map looked mounted on the dowels, I could dismantle without harming the back.
If I were using the same technique on something less delicate, I might not use the painters tape. It’s just a suggestion and completely optional depending on your needs.
Steps
- Cut dowels to the desired length.
- Add tape to top and bottom edges on the back of the map.
- Using a glue gun add hot glue to top edge and quickly press dowel in place. Repeat on the bottom edge.
- Tie a ribbon or string to the dowel on each side of the map to hang.
For added interest I used a piece of black ribbon with a white camera pattern as the hanger. I think it add a touristy feel to the vintage map and looks great in the guest room over the bed.
Well, what do you think? It’s a simple project and makes an interesting focal point above the bed in the guest room, although it might get moved to the studio so I can enjoy it too. If you have questions or comments I would love to hear from you. Hope you have a great week ahead!
Cheers!
Shop the look! Source list for the guest room provided for your convenience and contains affiliate links.
©2018 DIY Wall Map first appeared on Thistle Key Lane™