I recently stumbled upon this wood map and it was love at first sight. Perfect for the fridge, this handmade puzzle makes learning about U.S. geography fun and beautiful, no matter how old you are!
Handmade by Steven Mattern in Austin, TX, the laser cut puzzles are constructed from birch plywood, with each region of the U.S. stained a different color. A small magnet glued to the back makes for easy rearranging on any magnetic surface.
Additionally, each state's capital is indicated by a tiny star cut through and etched on the back of each piece is the state's two letter abbreviation.
- Buy It: USA Magnetic Map Puzzle, $120 from Etsy Shop PipeDreams2010
(Images: Etsy Shop PipeDreams2010)
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Several species of birch and many secondary growth forests are endangered. Just how is this eco-friendly.....?
I believe that buying local and handmade products is part of a green lifestyle. These two factors eliminate a large portion of what makes many products unsustainable but yes, ideally those products are also made of responsibly obtained and non-toxic materials. While the Etsy listing doesn't get into specifics, it would definitely be great if Steven could weigh in on where he sourced his plywood.
Thanks, Lauren, not trying to give anyone a hard time, just looking for needed information. I think some things are *relatively* sustainable but the label "eco-friendly" is tricky because it's so absolute.