I think at this point it’s pretty clear I have a thing for maps and lists, right? But since pretty much all of this obsession has yielded multiple DIY projects I’ve accomplished with massive discounts, I’m going to give myself a pat on the back and call it a day. Cool? Cool.

Do you remember WAYYYYY back in the day when Facebook had a map functionality (which I’m sure it still does, it’s just not “trending” right now) where you could input all the places in the world where you had been and also see what percentage of the world you friends had traveled? Well, this definitely sparked my interest in having a more tangible version of this that I could look at to inspire my wanderlust bucket list, and also would make me feel happy bringing back memories while looking at the places I had been before.

Making this happen took quite a while because as usual, when you have such a strong vision of something you want it’s either super expensive, or it doesn’t exist. In my case, I really wasn’t keen on paying more than a certain amount for something I knew I could make happen for a much lower cost, so I started the hunt!

THE MAP

The first item I was looking for was an actual canvas map of decent size. It’s funny because this was actually MY VERY FIRST GROUPON PURCHASE!! Throwback! #TBT… Now I don’t know about you, but Groupon is definitely one of my top go-to sites/apps when I’m doing research on an item because it usually has some pretty good offers, and this was a great deal to this day from what I’ve seen. Anyways, at the time, Groupon was offering this great deal on canvas maps that were originally close to $80 for just $19.99 + free shipping. I chose the earth-toned unframed map (no longer available) because I wanted the map to be on a cork board so I could stick pins on the places I’d visited. The Groupon was as easy as buy, choose, order! I was very excited when my map came in, and it absolutely fit the vintage-y vibe I was going for.

THE FRAME

After finding the map, it spent a couple of years rolled up waiting for a cork board that fit the size, had the right framing, and of course, was pocket-friendly. One day while I was at Jo-Ann looking for god knows what, I stumbled upon this cork board that looked like it would be a good fit for the map, and it was on clearance! I wasn’t sure about the measurements, but I took the plunge and bought it. To my great delight, it fit it ALMOST perfectly. Isn’t it the best when you stumble upon what you need when you’re not looking for it? YES! Yes it is! Now for the “almost” perfect fit part – the map actually has a cute border design, but it went a little over the frame on the cork board. Not to worry though – pair of scissors enter stage right and bam! I cut off the bottom border and glued it on top of the canvas so it’s still there and now the map fit perfectly! You can’t even tell it’s cut & glued unless I told you.

THE REST

I glued the edges of the map (not the middle so it wouldn’t make the canvas too hard for the pins) to the cork board with some Beacon 527 Multi-Purpose Glue , which is literally my life and soul. I love that freaking glue! And then I wanted the map to kind of look like “dropping a pin” in real life, so I bought some red Loops & Threads Long Pearlized Pins at Michael’s, and started pinning away my prior travels. My map looks like it got chicken pox all over North & South America (and a tiny bit in Europe) and I love it! I’m doing my best to keep spreading the red all over 😉

THE MATH 

Map = $19.99

Frame = $11.99

Pins = $4.99

Glue = $2.50 (coupons!)

TOTAL: $39.47

The WHOLE project is up and running for under $40! And it will of course be a beautiful addition to my beloved Craft Room 🙂