DIY Framed Vintage Map
Do you have an old map from a place that is close to your heart? Or maybe it’s just a cool looking map and you want to show it off. Either way, this DIY framed vintage map project is perfect for you!
This project was a bit of an accident. I have been keeping a map of Rome since I studied abroad there in 2012. I knew I wanted to do something with it, but hadn’t found an idea that fit my aesthetic. One Sunday afternoon, I was futzing around in my parent’s garage and came across this frame-
My mom said it had been in the garage for years so I was welcome to take it. She LOVES getting rid of stuff. So I gladly took it back to my apartment with a vague idea about how to use it. Any large frame will work for this project. I highly recommend checking out your local thrift store. They often have empty frames or frames with old pictures that you can replace with your map.
Steps:
The frame needed to be cleaned up a bit. My plan was to take out the green velvet border because it was pretty stained and repaint that portion white. I also freshened up the gold paint by adding in scattered strokes of gold paint across the frame. That was all it needed! If you’re getting a thrift store frame, the options are endless! You could repaint it all one color, spray paint it in a metallic, sand and stain it if it’s wood, paint a pattern, etc!
The next thing I did was create a faux mounting board with cardboard. If your frame already has a mounting board, skip this step! All I did was glue my map to a piece of old cardboard. That’s it!! I could have gotten fancy and ordered real mounting board and then cut it to the correct dimensions. But I’m cheap and this is supposed to be a low cost project. And honestly, you really can’t tell it’s cardboard.
The last step in this DIY project is to attach your map and mount to the frame. If you’re using a frame that has clasps, this will be very easy. Just trim your mount to the size of your frame and secure the clasps. My frame did not have clasps. So I used the tiniest nails I could find to nail the cardboard piece to the frame. And that’s it!! You’re done.
This DIY framed vintage map project is a great way to show off a place you love. It would also work great with blueprints from your home or maybe a mapped route from your family road trip. Whatever you decide to frame, I would love to see your project! You can tag me on Instagram or post it to the bridget’s beehive Facebook page.
