D.I.Y Personalised Map Art Perfect for Couples, Family & Home Decor
This is a great home craft project, especially suited to less arty beginners, which can be used to memorialise special locations, commemorate intimate relationships or track travel.
There is a free silhouette cut out that can be used for this activity, download it here created by smile for no reason. Alternatively, a heart drawn by free hand could be used.
In my example, a heart was created from three separate locations: where we met, where we got together and our first home. When we move house, I can glue my old keys to add a personal touch to the picture. With a blank canvas left, it can have dates added below at any point.
Required materials
Map
Scissors
Glue
Paper/card
Suggested materials
Photo frame or canvas
Map books/printed maps
Scissors
Heart silhouettes
House keys
Ribbon
Pressed flowers
White/black card or aged paper
Stencil or printed lettering and numbering
Mementos:
old photographs,
newspaper clippings, hand written notes, event tickets, stamps etc
Sea shells
Glue
All extras are optional, this craft is flexible and adaptable for all occasions.
Step by step guide
- Maps
2. Hearts
3. Cut outs
4. Frame & finish
If you want a more vintage touch, try aged paper or aging your own paper.
This can be done by crumpling paper and putting it in an oven on a low heat, or with tea bags to stain the pages.
Print out the map/satellite or gather maps of chosen locations. Stick to hard backing card to secure or use photo-paper.
Using a print out silhouette or by drawing the heart outline onto the map paper directly, trace the location or locations you want to display. The silhouette is less pressure than hand cutting. Some may want to use a craft knife.
You could pinpoint the exact address with a pin, marker or thread.
Here you could border the heart with ribbon.
The number of maps and how they fit together is personal choice. I cut three maps up into three different segments of the heart shape to rearrange as puzzle pieces.
This allowed me a smaller frame while still having multiple locations for memories.
Others mag choose to do collages of shapes.
Back it on canvas, in a low cost frame, use it for the front of a greetings card or photo album.
Add small touches like names, dates, old keys and mementos. If your cursive handwriting is good, I’d recommend ink. Otherwise, use a stencil, a printer for specially selected font or alphabetically stickers.
You can also turn map hearts into...
- Keyrings
- Greeting cards
- Hanging art
- Wall art
- Photo album cover
- Bookmark
Appleby Ink rating
These one of a kind creations are perfect for symbolising memories. The finish product can be used for any good friend, relative or partner. It’s versatility allows it to mould to any celebration: birthdays, wedding, births, funerals, anniversaries and so on.
Even the least creative among us can easily put a memory map together in these four quick steps. Send us pictures or comment below about your handmade memory maps.
