Welcome to our DIY map and globe challenge! Scroll down to see lots more projects from my talented blogging friends. This world map art collage is another project I did several years ago. I was inspired by a piece I saw online. I think it was on Etsy but I can’t find the link now! Let me know if you’ve seen something similar. I’d love to go back and take a closer look at my inspiration piece. Here is the large collage hanging in our bedroom. Yeah, I really need to get to work on a headboard!
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Supplies Needed for World Map Art Collage
- world map (I found mine at a thrift store. You can also get them online.)
- scissors
- ruler
- canvas (Mine were 24″ x 36″ & 9″ x 12″)
- decoupage medium
- paint brush (I used cheap foam brushes.)
- charcoal pencil
- black acrylic craft paint (optional)
Instructions for World Map Art Collage
- First, measure and cut map into 4″ squares. All of my canvases’ measurements were multiples of 4 so that worked out perfectly for me. If yours aren’t you’ll have to adjust the size of your squares.
- Arrange your map squares until you get a pleasing pattern.
- Apply a thin coat of decoupage medium to the canvas. On a large canvas work in sections.
- Lightly press map squares onto canvas.
- Apply a thin top coat of decoupage medium.
- Allow to dry completely.
- Draw lines with charcoal pencil around each map square. Smudge with finger.
- Optional, paint sides of canvas.
Here’s a close up so you can see how I smudged the charcoal around the edges. That also covered up the places where I didn’t cut completely straight!
I painted the sides of the small canvases. I’m still trying to decide if I should go back and paint the sides of the large canvas. What do you think?
Here’s the large canvas hanging over our bed… that STILL doesn’t have a headboard. I’m having the hardest time deciding what to do for a headboard! Let me know if you have any ideas.
If you enjoyed this post, you might also like these:
- 10 Easy Ways to Update Your Bedroom for Summer
- Handmade Tags with Vintage Maps
- Vintage Map Shadowbox
- 16 Crafty DIY Projects That Will Help You Recycle Your Old Maps
- How to Make Personalized Map Chairs
Thanks for reading! Leave a comment and let me know which map project you liked most!
‘Til the next project,
Ann @ Duct Tape and Denim
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Toni | Small Home Soul says
Gosh I love this so much! I was looking at some maps we had for the Caribbean and love all the blue ocean around the islands. That would be perfect in a collage like yours.
Yes, I think painting the sides of the bigger one will tie them into the smaller canvases. It’s all great!
Nila Duggan says
Amazing! I love it, it’s like a map quilt 😉
Susie | The Chelsea Project says
It’s totally awesome. It looks like a quilt. Love it. I am pinning to remember for later and to share for now.. Susie From The Chelsea Project
Sam @ Raggedy Bits says
Love how this turned out! Brilliant idea!
ducttapeanddenim says
Thanks, Sam!
Aileen says
Great idea. For the headboard use reclaimed wood stained different colors and stacked unevenly like flooring. It gives me the idea of a boat, especially with the map…like your sailing the seas.
henry leo says
It is very easy now to turn your precious memories into a living picture that can memorize your mind and keep fresh everything that you want to capture in a frame. multi panel custom canvas prints have a powerful capacity to preserve these framed art crafts for years.
Vickie says
I’m not sure I like the charcoal smudges. I’m wondering if narrow Washi tape would stick to the decoupage?
ducttapeanddenim says
I would think that washi tape would stick. Let me know if you try it.
Libby says
As a retired jr high geography teacher, I’ve always been fascinated by maps and globes. I saved some Nat Geo maps and would love to try this. I’d think it would be cool to make one using a map of my state. Thanks for the idea!
Kathy A says
This is beautiful and the variety of choices is so wide–home state, places you’ve lived, would like to visit, have visited, homes of ancestors….
Tammy Gillard says
I’m in love with this and want to do this using squares of the locations my husband and I have traveled to in the world. My question is whether you have any suggestions on where to access similar scale maps of regions in countries of the world that have a somewhat similar colour scheme? I like the scale of the maps you used in your collage but don’t know where to look when I’m trying to find this for places all over the world.
ducttapeanddenim says
Tammy, sorry, I don’t really have another source for maps. I mostly used National Geographic. Maybe you can search eBay for NG maps for different areas of the world? Good luck!
Gabriele Teich says
I uses fence post boards for our head board. Sanding them only slightly, then staining them with a rag stretched over a wooden block, so only the raised areas get stained.
It looks really rustic but isn’t coarse.
I love your map art. Will try that soon.
Maybe decoupage onto wood instead? I have to much wood pieces laying around.
ducttapeanddenim says
Great ideas! Use what you have!
Tess says
THIS is it!! Right now we have your basic world map with pins stuck in it. How much more awesome would this be, having our favorite city in each country we have traveled?!!! Thanks😁
Nancy says
Would this work with postcards? That could really define travel and memories!
ducttapeanddenim says
Sure! The postcards would be a little thicker but it could be done.
Maureen says
I’ve been going crazy looking for
something for a large wall in my living room And this is absolutely perfect. I love maps and something to do with a map has been in my head but I never figured out What to do with the idea. This is it, and inexpensive. As a quilter I like the comment someone else said that it looks like a quilt. I already have two quilts on the walls so I don’t need more, which is why I like this idea. Thank you also for such clear instructions.
ducttapeanddenim says
Great! I hope you have a lot of fun with it.