The World On Canvas

Lately I have been wanting to do artsy projects, call myself artsy, and hope people believe I really am... artsy.  Pinterest has been amazing, in that I can find fun and easy home projects, pin them to my craft board, and then attack them when I have a free day.  Well today was 'do something creative with a map' day. I have always wanted a world map in my home, but I hate using thumb tacks, and who wants to have a poster continuously falling down because the sticky putty you are using is useless. (Ahem, Marcos, I'm talking to you.) And because I want a GIANT world map, buying a frame for it is out of the question, as they are too expensive. Luckily, I found this project by Creative Juices Decor on Deedra's pinterest board.  Canvases and Mod Podge?  I'm in. I bought a brand new, though antique looking, world map at Barnes and Nobles and went to work.

Seven hours later, with a sore neck, glued fingers, a trip back to the book store for a replacement map, I finished my work.

This is the map I used.

On the Creative Juices Decor blog, the artist traced out the canvases to mark where to cut on the map, but I had issues with the tracing.  I did this with the first map, but found that my lines were all over the place, and when I cut out the first 8 x 10, I realized that I would be cutting out parts of the map if I continued cutting where I drew lines. My canvases were super cheap and all a little different, even though they were officially 8x10's, and 16x20's, but I'm sure this was part of the problem.  I'm a perfectionist and needed exact measurements.  So instead, I measured the top of the canvas where I would want the map to lay and then using those measurements, made lines of where to cut on the map.

Measuring where the map would lay.

Using a ruler, drawing lines showing where to
cut from those measurements

Just like the original artist, I spray painted
 the sides and antiqued the edges.

While the spray paint dried, I cut up the map.

I used Photo Mounting Spray,
and ended up only using the Mod Podge
 on the left, for paper, matte finish.

I glued on the maps using the Photo Mount Spray, and
pressed them onto the canvases.

Once I glued the map to the canvas, I put a layer of Mod Podge over it.  I found that the paper bubbled really bad. I almost panicked until I found that the photo mounting spray really is not that sticky and I was able to pull up the map and then flatten it back down.  This was the hardest and longest part of this project.  First mod podging, then pulling the map back up, flattening it out again and mod podging more. (Is mod podging a word?)  I had glue all over my fingers, but this process seemed to really help the bubbling.  I had noticed a comment on the Creative Juices Decor blog where someone had that same problem.  I think with a laminated map or any non paper map, you wouldn't have the bubbling.

This finished Product.

This will go in my hallway in Skagway.

I took some pictures this morning of it in the light.  I also noticed that it needs another layer of Mod Podge!

Thank you to Creative Juices Decor for your awesome creativity and ideas!  I am so thankful for your "artsy" brain.....cause lets be honest, I am not artsy.


UPDATE:  I am back in Skagway and it's up on the wall!!
TA DAH!!!!!