Map Wall Art

Way back when, I posted about doing a plate collage in the dining room. I had been slowly collecting all the plates I'd need...and then Mr. Mel and I were out shopping one day and he spotted a 4' x 8' map on canvas that he, literally, couldn't keep his eyes off of. At $600, however, he figured he'd sleep on it. The next day he went back...and it was gone. Mr. Mel was very bummed.

I have decided, after spotting these really neat examples on Centsational Girl and Decor Pad, that I will give Mr. Mel the world map he craves. And what better place to put it than the big empty wall in my dining room.

Censational Girl

Decor Pad

Maps are quickly becoming a really popular design element. Nate Berkus (hello cutie) even did a segment on his show about this new trend.

I ordered a 48" x 73" antique style world map from National Geographic. Mr. Mel likes the idea of framing it in a series of four frames, rather than one large one, so I brought him along to buy the frames I'd need from Michaels. He picked these puppies:

You know that old carpentry saying, "Measure twice, cut once"? Well, this would be a good time to follow that rule of thumb. I laid the map right-side-down and made marks where I needed to cut it to fit my frames. Using a cutting mat and rotary cutter, I cut my pieces to size (you could also use scissors, or a straight edge and exacto knife).

I put the pieces in their frames and, after painstakingly measuring and marking the wall, hung them. Presto, chango! It makes a big impact in the dining room!

The best thing about this project is that you can totally do it on the cheap if you don't get picky about the frames you use. Mr. Mel had a very specific idea of what he wanted so we ended up paying *way* more for frames than I would have preferred. If you hang the entire map and trim it out in leftover casing, I bet you could save a bundle!

Cost Breakdown for this project:
Map $40
Frames $240 (what can I say? Mr. Mel can be a fussbucket!)
Total Cost $ 280