Is there a city, state, or even country that claims your heart and has always felt like home? Maybe you live there, or maybe you have a dream to one day move. No matter what this special location means to you, it’s time to showcase it!
Earlier this year, we detailed a step by step process on making a map monogram. This project is a less literal interpretation of that same concept, for those who love travel or simply want to add an interest piece to a bare wall. Without putting a map directly on your wall, it highlights a location in an artistic and abstract way with nails and string.
What you will need: wooden board, paint, skinny nails, hammer, string
Ready for a DIY hardware extravaganza? Follow these steps to construct your very own heart and home map:
- Prepare a Board – You may be able to find a wooden plaque or precut board or you may choose to have one cut to a desired size. If you are planning to use a standard printer to print your map outline, try to keep the size of your board between 10 and 14 inches in length and width. It should also be between ½” and 1” thick to accommodate nails without splintering. Once this board has been chosen and sized, feel free to paint it over with a color of your choice. Any color will do – from plain white to neon pink! Just make sure you plan accordingly for whatever room the piece will be featured.
- Cut Out Your Map – Print your chosen map. A state or country map works the best for a more recognizable outline. The map details (roads, names, colors, etc.) don’t matter because you will only be using the printed map as a template for the outline. Cut out the map. Don’t forget to draw and cut out a heart shape in the center of the map as well. Or, if you’d rather, accent the specific city or state within the map that means most by cutting out the heart shape around it; it’s okay if it’s off-center! The heart should be 2-3” wide.
- It’s Hammer Time! – Position a nail at any edge of the map and hammer it straight down into the board. Be sure to hammer on a hard surface such as concrete, in case the nail punctures through the board. It could potentially scratch or damage whatever is below. Repeat this process until nails outline the entire map and the inside of the cut out heart. Nail heads should almost touch but leave enough room for a string to pass between them.
- Remove the Map – Carefully lift the map free from the board. Now you have a map outline from nails!
- String the Nails – Choose a color of string that complements the board color. Tie one end of the string to any nail on the outline. Then guide the string to the center heart and circle the string around the nearest nail. The string will then extend back out to the next proximate nail on the outline. After circling around that nail, it will go back to the center heart. (Because the heart will have far fewer nails, more than one outline nail will be connected by the string to a single heart nail.) In this way, the string will create a bunch of inward pointing lines that connect the heart to the state or country outline.
Fall wouldn’t be complete without The Wizard of Oz, and this DIY art construction will have you thinking, “There’s no place like home.” It combines industrial strength and delicate charm for an upbeat conversation piece that will mean something to you for years to come. And if you want to dress it up a little bit more before hanging it up in your office or home, consider choosing one of the great framing selections from Frame Warehouse. The staff at Frame Warehouse can help fit three dimensional pieces like this into a quality, lasting frame without hassle!
