Monday, February 3, 2014

DIY World Map Wall Art

UPDATE: You can now find these in my Etsy shop here!

I feel a little pretentious posting a craft tutorial. As much as I enjoy making stuff, I know I'm not a pro. No siree.

Nevertheless, I really liked how this map wall art I made for baby boy's nursery turned out, and since I couldn't find a very detailed tutorial I decided to write up my own just in case someone else might be interested!



For this sign, I used a 10"x14" piece of wood that I lightly sanded and stained. I wanted it to look a bit rustic, so I didn't spend a lot of time doing either of those... just enough sanding to round the edges a bit and enough stain (one fairly light coat of this stain) to give it some color. 


I used the Silhouette Cameo I got for Christmas to cut the world map out of adhesive-backed vinyl, then removed all the "land" with the hook tool to make my stencil.

Next, I used transfer paper to put the remaining vinyl onto the wood. I had never used transfer paper before, but it was really easy to use and I can't imagine trying to get things lined up just right without it! 

Here's how I did it: 
1. Cut a piece of transfer paper a little bigger than the vinyl you're transferring
2. Peel off the backing on the transfer paper to expose the sticky side
3. Carefully position the sticky side of the transfer paper onto the top of the vinyl 
4. Smooth out any air bubbles and make sure the transfer paper is really stuck on the vinyl (I used an old gift card for this step)


5. Peel off the backing of the vinyl to expose the sticky side
6. Carefully position the vinyl in the middle of the sign, making sure it adheres well and that there arent any air bubble (I used the gift card here too)
7. Peel back the transfer paper, making sure you don't pick up any vinyl with it


Next, I painted the "land" white, just using white craft paint and a foam brush. (Note: it probably would have been a good idea to line the edges of the vinyl with painter's tape, just to be safe)


Once the paint has dried, carefully peel away the vinyl. You'll need to use the hook tool (or a toothpick) to get some of the smaller pieces off.

Last of all, attach some hanging hardware to the back. I used a sawtooth picture hanger


Voila!

 

I really liked how this turned out, and it was really easy to make... Win-win! I'm thinking of playing around with some variations too, like just staining the "land" and leaving the rest of the wood natural, or vice versa. 

Let me know if you have any questions and I'll do my best to answer them! :)


UPDATE 2/28/14: A couple of you have been kind enough to ask whether I would be willing to make and sell these. I just had a baby so things are a little chaotic around my house at the moment, but I have considered setting up an Etsy shop sometime in the near future. If you would like me to send you the info if/when I do start selling these, shoot me an email at mikaelablogs@gmail.com! Thanks so much!

UPDATE 5/9/14: My Etsy shop is now open! You can find me here

28 comments:

  1. Replies
    1. Why thank ya! I'm really happy one of my crafting endeavors didn't end in utter failure for once. It's a nice change. ;)

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  2. I'm obsessed. Like, seriously O.B.SESSSEEDDDDDDD. I need one of these. Wish I had a silhouette thingy. Can I pay you to make me one?!?

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    1. Uh... yeah right! ;) Consider it an early birthday present. Or a late Christmas present. Or a thanks-for-coming-to-my-baby-shower present. You pick.

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  3. what stain did you use for this?

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    1. Thanks for asking! I used Minwax English Chestnut. Here's a link: http://www.homedepot.com/p/Minwax-8-oz-Oil-Based-English-Chestnut-Wood-Finish-Interior-Stain-22330/100189722

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  4. Hi! I found this post through pinterest and really love the idea. I'm not much of a crafts guy and would much rather buy one. Any idea what it would cost for it to be worth it for you to make me one?

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    1. I'm so glad you like it! I have considered selling them, but since I just had a baby a week ago it will probably be at least a few months before I'd have the time. If you want to send your email address to mikaelablogs@gmail.com I could send you the info if/when I do decide to sell them though!

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  5. Where Did You Get The Silhouette Thingy? Lol...
    Thanks
    Heather

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    1. Here's the official website! http://www.silhouetteamerica.com/ You can also find them on Amazon... that's where I bought mine.

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  6. Nice job! Ditto to AJ's question. Would you consider making and selling?

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    1. I replied to his comment above... send me an email at mikaelablogs@gmail.com and I'll let you know if/when I find the time to do that! Thanks. :)

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  7. Nice job, great Idea, I would only change it the depiction rather than paint I would carve it out.
    Don't worry it can only get better from here. Remember most of the famous artists never made money on their projects. They passed away prior.

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  8. Cute! I found this through Pinterest. Is there a reason you didn't just use transfer paper on the areas that you cut out instead of painting them?

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    1. I was wondering the same thing

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    2. I just preferred the look of paint over vinyl... you could definitely do it that way too!

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  9. What brand transfer paper did you use? I bought some stuff a while ago that's too sticky and it doesn't let go of anything.

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    1. I used the Silhoutte brand. It's a little more pricey, I'm sure, but it worked well for me!

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  10. What brand transfer paper did you use? I bought some stuff a while ago that's too sticky and it doesn't let go of anything.

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  11. What a great project! It looks wonderful!

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  12. I was just looking at a canvas world map and this would be a great alternative! Question for you.. What kind of paint did you use? Everytime I used silhouette to create stencils, the paint peels away with the stencil. It's been quite frustrating! Any pointers would be great. Congrats on the new baby as well!!

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    1. I just used some cheap acrylic craft paint from Wal-mart (I think it was Apple Barrel brand) and it worked well for me. So sorry you've been having trouble... nothing like spending a bunch of time on a project just to have the paint peel off! And thank you for the congratulations! :)

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  13. Such a simple yet beautiful idea. Love it. However a darker wood plank could be even better as white fades down in lighter background on some points. Must say, a great inspiration! Thanks for sharing.

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  14. Hi, just wanted to say it loooks awesome. i wanna do it but it wouldnt look that cool.. good job x

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  15. this is such a great DIY! im definitely pinning this and hopefully trying it in the near future!


    http://www.footnotesandfinds.com

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  16. Just wondering where the island of Tasmania went to?

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  17. Alexandra RentrĂ³iaApril 6, 2015 at 6:30 AM

    Great idea! Loved it and it looks easy to do! I need a larger one, but I might try this technique. Thank you for sharing! :)

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  18. What kind of wood did you use and where did you get it?
    Thanks

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