DIY Christmas: Map Coasters

The third installment of my DIY Christmas ideas is inspired by the wonderful site that is Pinterest. I'm not entirely sure how I coped before without Pinterest, but now its my go-to place when I need some inspiration. This DIY idea is actually a present I'm giving to my Best Friend. Shes recently moved down to Southampton to work for Ordnance Survey so I wanted to make her something 'homey' that she could use. When I saw these map coasters I knew that it'd be perfect for her. Working at Ordnance Survey she's obviously interested in maps and as she's now lived in four different places I had four ready made map locations!

You can make this present for anyone really, but making the map locations personal to them is a really great touch. The coasters are so easy to make, I literally made them in about an hour. All you need is a pack of Cork Coasters (I got mine from Hobbycraft but you can get them online too!), 4 maps that you've printed off, a paintbrush, Mod Podge (or any other glue sealant) and a craft knife or scissors.

Firstly you'll need to take a coaster and draw around it over the map, choosing the best location. Then cut this out and repeat for the other three maps.

Then using the paintbrush, paint the Mod Podge onto the cork and then stick on the map, being careful to smooth out any bubbles. Again repeat for the other coasters and leave to dry a little while. Mine slightly bent at this, so I put them under a placemat and put my camera on top to flatten them a little.

Once they'v set for around 10 minutes or so you can then paint the Mod Podge over the top of the maps and around the edges to set the coaster. Then leave overnight to dry.

There you have it, a really simple DIY that shows a lot of thought. :) I wrapped mine up in some left-over lace material and added a ribbon and bell for an added touch. Let me know if you try it!

Aimée
Xxxx

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DIY Christmas: Personalised Map Artwork

Firstly, I do apologise for the awful quality of this photo!! I actually made this present last Christmas and this was the only photo I could find of it. That aside, I really wanted to share this idea with you as I think its a really easy but thoughtful gift.

I originally saw this idea on the treasure trove of a website 'Not on the High Street' which is full of personalised gits. You can look at the original idea here, which while lovely and professional looking is a whopping £85. Aside from the fact that I didn't have £85 to spend on the artwork, I also thought making it myself would be easier and a lot more thoughtful.

As I already had a piece of plain card all I needed to buy was a photo frame. I bought mine from Urban Outfitters as they always do really lovely frames and they're never too pricey either! They don't do this frame any longer, but realistically any frame you like will do. A bigger frame is an advantage however as the map hearts will look better. You could even buy a frame that has three different sections, its up to you, which is the beauty of this DIY.

Next you'll need to decide on three locations to use that are personal to whoever you're gifting. As I made this frame for my best friend, I chose London, Lancaster and Wollongong in Australia. I made London the biggest heart as that is where she was born, Lancaster was where she went to University and Wollongong was where she spent a year studying. I did want to have vintage looking maps for this but it was really hard to find maps that were clear enough to print. You can find the maps however you like, though obviously google is the easiest option.

Finally you are ready to assemble! You want to draw a heart on the map around the area that you want, then cut them out. Then stick these onto your backing card in any pattern you like, and voila! You're done!

This DIY really is so simple, but I think its a really sweet idea and will definitely show that you've put a lot of thought into the gift. I hope you liked it! I'll be back next Sunday with another Christmas DIY.

Aimée
Xxxx

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