One of the many things Luke and I enjoy doing together is traveling. We like to plan trips and explore new places together. In the 5+ years we've been together, we've traveled to Florida, Minnesota, Missouri, Illinois, and obviously, Iowa, where we both live. I wanted his gift to be thoughtful - so I decided to incorporate our love of traveling.
I purchased a map online from Amazon for $13. It is HUGE! 5 feet by 3 feet, but it was exactly what I wanted. I looked through our collection of pictures and chose my favorites from each state. Make sure you check the size of the state before printing your pictures; I had to order 5x7 for some since my map is so large. I ordered the pictures from Walmart for $6, and waited for the map and pictures to be delivered!
I used tracing paper to get the state's outline. I traced the outline on the pictures and cut them out. They aren't exact, but close enough.
I used spray adhesive to attach the pictures to the map.
I used permanent marker to write "our adventures" on the map.
I can't wait for more adventures to come!
Next step: framing. I was a little naive for this portion of the project. I didn't want glass, just the frame, so I thought it wouldn't be too expensive. Wrong. Because of the map's size, it was still costly, even with Hobby Lobby's 50% off custom framing. The Hobby Lobby expert also suggested I have it dry mounted (around $24), meaning it will be attached to foam backing to give it support. Since I was spending so much on the frame itself, I figured I better just go all out. The whole frame and mount cost $100. More than I was expecting, but very worth it. This is something that will be hung in our future home for years.
This will motivate us to travel more in future years together!
