Tuesday, June 5

DIY Travel Map Pinboard

This little project is almost too simple to even mention. But it's also so easy and so fun that I don't want guys to miss it! It's a little framed map pinboard to mark all your travels. It's easy dress it up or down to match your decor by switching out the frame or changing the map style, plus it's a great family keepsake!


We only have a handful of pins so far. My first thought was to only mark the places we'd all been together, as a family of five. But now that already doesn't make sense because we just added a new baby who hasn't been any of these places! So we might as well go back and add everywhere we've been since we were married. Maybe we'll use a different color pin to show how big our family was for each trip.


This map was a great fit for the new adventure gallery in our dining room. You can see it up on the far left above the mountain painting.




I spotted a little framed map like this during a Young House Love gallery tour and new it would be perfect. I love adding a personal touch to our decor and this little map does the job wonderfully. Our boys are so look forward to adding more pins - we'll have to keep track of who's turn it is to put the pin in!


All you need to make your own:
  • a frame (it doesn't need glass. I used an 8x10 frame from the thrift store but you can make any size as long as your cork board fits)
  • cork board (I used these from Amazon)
  • map pins
  • a map (more on that in a minute)


Remove the glass from the frame and use it as a template to cut a piece of cork board that will fit the frame.


Pop it in the frame, along with the frame back (if it's too thick for the frame hardware you can staple or hot glue it in place).


Find a map that fits your frame. I found this free printable antique map of the US that I love. And did I mention it's free? You can download it and size it to fit your frame, or if you're using an 8x10 (and want a little space around the edges like mine) I made a pdf that's already sized and ready to go . You can download that here.

You can also check etsy for vintage atlas pages or map downloads in any style. And if you like to travel outside country, you can get a bigger frame and use a world map instead. Seriously so easy to customize!


Cut out the map, center it on your corkboard, and attach it in place. I just used extra map pins in the corners. But let me tell you - every. person. who's looked at it has pointed to one of those corner pins and said "Where's that?" So I'm thinking I'll pull those out and try a little double sided tape instead.


That's it! Get out there and start having adventures. Who knows, maybe you'll even find a few dinosaurs.






We'd love to add a few more pins to our map! What are your favorite place to visit in the US?

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