Wall Map Tutorial

Today I'm going to show you how to create this over sized wall map I created for the boys room.  I love the look of great big maps on the wall.  I thought about cutting out sections of the map and framing them, but this method was much more cost effective and gave me exactly the look I was going for.  This entire project only cost me about $26!

{Here are the materials you will need}

+ a large over sized map (make sure it is NOT laminated)

I used this one from Amazon.  Only $7!

+  four large pieces of canvas

(I got mine from Hobby Lobby.  They were 16 x 20 and came in packs of two for only $7)

  +  foam paint brush

 +  8 oz. tub of mod podge (I used the matte finish)

 I originally thought it would be easier to attach the map to the canvas with craft bond spray, but the Mod Podge worked better.  And I thought about giving it an antique look with the stain but decided that I liked it better with the map color on it's own.

Step 1:  Lay out the canvas mats onto the map covering the sections of the map that you would like to use.  I wanted the top and bottom sections of the map to match up as close as possible.  Lightly trace around the borders of the canvas with a pencil and cut out with a paper cutter for a straight finished edge.

Step 2:  Place the map upside down on a table right next to the canvas and apply a very thick coat of Mod Podge.  Quickly transfer the backside of the map covered in Mod Podge to the front of the canvas.  It is hard to move it once it has been placed, so be careful to match up all of the corners.  Take a ruler or flat object and slide it across the map to smooth out any bubbles.  Don't worry too much if some sections are lifted, as it dries the bubbles should go away.  Wait a few hours for Mod Podge to dry.

Step 3: Paint the Mod Podge over the front of the map in long straight strokes.  Make sure to get plenty of Mod Podge on the brush.  I only had to go over the map with one coat, but you can do more depending on the look you want.  Let dry completely before hanging.  The Mod Podge makes the color on the map even more vibrant.

And that's it!  Make sure to hang each section evenly, only a few inches apart, for a nice finished look.

the boy cave

The storyboard:

The room:

The boys room really turned out exactly as I had pictured it in my head.  Bradley's nursery was very light and calming.  But now that I have two boys, I wanted to make the room a lot more masculine.  I fell in LOVE with the Ikat print, green geo print, and of course navy and white stripes, and had to incorporate them all.  The bunting and the quilt really pull all the fabrics together since they combine them all.  I wanted to keep the aqua wall since I am still in love with the color.  I got the navy minky for the back side of the quilt from the fabric district in LA, and used the tiny piece that was left over from it to create the cover for the changing pad. 

It's a perfect room for these two little loves...




Sources:


Fabric
All of the bedding, pillows, and curtains were sewn by me.
front bumper: Navy Diamond Ikat (by Dear Stella)
back bumper: Forever Stripe in navy (currently out of stock)
crib skirt: Robert Kauffman Metro Living Circles
green pillows: Free Spirit Honey Child (green)
ikat pillow: Amy Butler Lark Midnight Blue
duvet + sham: Premier Prints Vertical Stripe (navy)
navy pillow and curtains inspired by: Caitlin Wilson Textiles

Paint color: Sherwin Williams Waterfall rug: vintage from Garrett's Grandma, crib: Sorelle (via Babinski's), rocking chair: flea market, changing table: Target, knobs: Hobby Lobby,  frames/fish: Home Goods, wall map: made by me (tutorial coming!), bunting: made by me (tutorial coming!), lamp: Wal-mart (I added the navy ribbon border), stuffed animals: blabla 

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creek

This weekend we hit up the new City Creek shopping center up in Salt Lake.  It was dreamy.  It reminded me a lot of Third Street Promenade or The Grove.  Great shopping.  Great atmosphere.  We were there for 9 hours.  

Bradley was obsessed with all the fountains

Cash just chilled and sucked his fingers.

1 / 2 / 3 (similar)

I tried on some charming cocktail dresses just for fun.  Who cares if I have no where to wear them right now.  I still think they belong in my closet.  I think the yellow one was my fav.

top: J Crew, cardigan: J Crew, pants: True Freedom via Sears (great price!), necklace: H&M, belt: J Crew, watch: Guess

We stopped by Tiffanys so that I could said hi to my third child

and so that Bradley could take a nap....

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 Also, be sure to check out my sponsor, Ooh Baby Designs new tote bags! Ooh Baby Designs is offering 10% off of their adorable mini tote to all Elle Apparel readers with the code: ELLE10 (offer is good for the rest of the week!)

spring flowers

top: J.Crew, skirt: me (fabric), shoes: Enzo Angolini, earings: gift, belt: vintage from my mom, lipstick: Lovelorn (Mac)

April showers bring May flowers, right?  We better have tons of flowers in May, because I am ready for more sunshine!  Sometimes I forget about this skirt.  Actually, I think it was one of the very first skirts that I made, almost 3 years ago.  I still love the print and the pleats.  And mustard + chambray is one of my favorite color combinations.  But you should see the backside of the hem...oohhhh honey.  It's bad.  The front is surged, the back is not.  I know it doesn't show when it's on, but the perfectionist in me wants to rip out the hem and re-do it.

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On a side note, I was announced as a teacher at Sewing Summit yesterday.  So excited!

crib bedding

 

Lets talk crib bedding for a bit, shall we?

When I was pregnant with Bradley, I spent countless hours looking for the perfect bedding for his crib.  I knew I didn't really want a "theme" or (heaven forbid) any kind of characters for the bedding.  I of course fell in love with Serena & Lily bedding, but couldn't convince my husband, or myself for that matter, that it was worth the $350.  So I decided to make my own.  I was really picky about how I wanted it all to look (the thickness of the bumpers, piping, ties, etc) and bought a few crib bedding patterns but they just didn't cut it.  I got some great foam bumper pads that my coworker wasn't using that were the perfect thickness (about 2" wide), and decided to take my own measurements and make it how I wanted it.  

Fast forward to today when I am extremely glad that I was so detailed in my notes for the bedding the first time around, because it really made Cash's new crib bedding a lot less painful to make.  Don't get me wrong....it's still a pain.  But it's worth it to get just the look you want.  

Before I show you pictures of the new nursery/big boy room, here are some before shots of Bradley's bedding:

 

front bumper: Wallpaper Roses lime, back bumper:  Swirly Buds ice blue, skirt: Mod Bead ice blue (all Heather Bailey fabric)

A few months after Bradley's bedding, I made my good friend Sandra her little girl's bedding for her baby shower.  I love the color and fabric she chose.

I put her bedding on my crib just to show her what it looked like.  In her little Sophie's nursery she painted the walls that gorgeous purple to match the ties and it looks amazing!

front bumper: lil plain jane, back bumper: citron garden pindot, skirt: gray quarter dot (all Michael Miller fabric)

I don't make custom crib bedding simply because I don't have the time, but I will be posting all of the measurements that I used, along with a piping tutorial in the near future to help out any uber picky "Icantfindtheperfectbedding" moms.....like myself.