Wow, do we wish we'd come across this lovely idea before Valentine's Day. Jennifer, newly married, gave her husband this gift of a handmade map depicting their travels together in thread. They intend to add to the map in a different color year to year, so that over the years of their marriage it will be an ever-changing piece of art for their home. So romantic! Find out how Jennifer did it after the jump...
Jennifer has been kind enough to share her simple instructions:
I saw thread and map postcard kits selling on Uncommon Goods and thought the idea would be super simple to make into larger art. I got my map image from here (and they got it from the free CIA maps). I played around with colors a bit (in Illustrator) and then printed it on cardstock with my inkjet. I made a list of trips that my husband and I have taken together, used Google maps to make sure I had the cities in the right places and then poked away with a large needle. For the thread, I used half the thickness of embroidery floss (3 strands). I just tied one knot on the back side, stitched from location to location and then tucked the remaining floss in the back of the frame to easily add future travels. I plan to continue charting our trips (we've been married less than a year, after all!) and I think I'll probably change floss colors next year, too.
We think it would be fun to try this with a world map, too. Happy travels!
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It is such a cute idea ^.^
This is an amazing idea. The guy I'm dating has traveled all over the world - travel is a huge part of his life. Me, I've never had the money to travel much outside the U.S. (though I've been to Mexico, Canada and one unlikely visit to the Middle East.) He's been talking about wanting to show me all his favorite cities around the world. Who knows if we'll ever be able to afford that kind of travel, but if we can, I think I'd like to modify this map idea to chart our international adventures.
My question to Jennifer or other AT readers is: what would you suggest as the best way to make a threaded map like this for not just the U.S., but all over the world? I'm worries that if I print out a world map it might be too small and cramped to thread all the cities he wants to visit. On the other hand, I could print out and frame individual continent maps and thread each separately, but there's something less dramatic about having a few bits of thread per frame rather than a world map filled with thread.
Ideas?
Perhaps you could use pins, buttons or something else to replace the strings ? Or use sewing thread of a contrasting color and not a yarn thread ?
I think it is perfect. Love the way the blue stands out against the map.
What a sweet idea, I think this is a perfect Valentine <3 <3 <3
jplee... what about using an old globe? Don't know how you'd thread it though... but if you can come up with a cool solution, it could be really pretty
you can thread the globe by sticking small flat head pins into it in the cities, and then wrapping the embroidery floss around the pin.
this is amazing, i might do this.
Ours would be international though (although right now just north and south america will work, don't need europe *yet*). I think the entire world would be cool, just make it a little bigger. Or the individual continents idea is really cool especially if you then framed them and hung them in their correct places on a wall!
One of my friends had an old globe that had a bulb inside and lit up, so she started poking holes where she had been, so it would light them up and shine through when turned on.
But yeah i am stealing this.
oh if anyone needs good maps go here. hey are either AI or EPS files, so if you have a friend who is a designer the should be able to ready them and make it how you want.
http://www.webresourcesdepot.com/free-vector-world-maps-collection/3
this is also a great map product. I bought when at an art festival. She had the little stamps there so you could stamp it yourself. The hand stamped aspect of it made it look really good.
http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=21315680
http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=20993055
i was thinking of doing something similar to make some art for our new home, with places we have lived, starting with the two different color lines separate and then coming together for our shared homes. great to see an example!
This is a charming idea!
jmorey - your mention of the light-up globe with pinholes in it made my heart skip a beat! I just love that idea!
Valentine's Day is a made up holiday. It's much more romantic to do something like this when it isn't a holiday. N'est pas?
Pretty much all holidays are made up.
Someone made up Presidents Day, Veteran's day, Memorial Day, Thanksgiving, and so forth...
Just because you are the kind of person that likes to go against the flow and can't be like everyone else doesn't mean it's not a holiday. Most people like this are being exactly like so many other people though...
The smallest part of this post was apart Valentine's day... What do you think of the project?
Wow. Thanks for the rants on holidays... They may be over-commercialized, but holidays are pretty awesome.
Anywho, love this idea. I'd love to make a world map this way!
Good idea for spouses/friends/family of those in the armed services to keep track of their travels.