Old road maps are way too pretty to live in a glove box. These 19 cool DIY map crafts turn atlases, road maps and even map printed napkins into home decor, gifts and travel keepsakes. A map craft is any project that makes map paper the star, usually decoupaged with Mod Podge onto glass, wood, tile or a lamp shade, then sealed so it lasts. Some are quick wins, like gift tags and fridge magnets that take minutes. Others are weekend projects, like a decoupaged mirror, a painted cork board map and a map covered pendant. Thrift stores, estate sales and visitor centers are gold mines for free or cheap maps. One tip helps nearly every project here: brush on thin coats and smooth from the center out, because wrinkles are the one thing that makes a map craft look homemade in the wrong way.
1. DIY Map Mason Jar Bank
A map mason jar bank is a savings jar with serious wanderlust, and it takes about an hour plus drying time. Spray paint the outside of the jar white or cream first, because map paper napkins are thin and the light base keeps them from looking see through. Cut the napkins into 1 inch strips with a rotary cutter, peel away everything but the top printed ply, then brush on Mod Podge diluted half and half with water and lay the strips on. Any jar works if it has a two piece lid. Add a travel tag naming the trip.
Get the full tutorial at Pillar Box Blue.
2. DIY Map Coasters
DIY map coasters are a no resin, no fuss project, just tile, maps and Mod Podge. Center a coaster over the part of the map you want, trace around it and cut it out. Brush a thin layer of Mod Podge on the back of the map first, then glue it to the tile and add three more coats on top. Self adhesive felt on the bottom keeps them from scratching the table. Old tiles from the flooring aisle work fine. Fun twist: zoom in, with a continent, a country, a state and a county across one set.
Get the full tutorial at Angie Holden The Country Chic Cottage.
3. Simple but Beautiful Map Roses
Map roses are paper flowers that never wilt, which beats a bouquet that starts smelling funny by day five. Maps printed on both sides look best, but one sided maps still work. Using a petal template, cut six small, six medium and six large petals for each rose. Cut green florist wire to the stem length you want, wrap the petals around it from small to large with hot glue, and cover the stem with green floral tape. A touch of red watercolor on the edges is optional. Stand one in a milk bottle or tie one onto a gift.
Get the full tutorial at Pillar Box Blue.
4. Personalized Photo Map
A personalized photo map turns trip photos into the shapes of the states where they were taken, and it’s a showstopper paper anniversary gift. Use a big map, 32 by 50 inches, or the photos get too tiny to fit the small states. Measure each state, print photos to size, then trace a rough state outline onto the photo and cut it out. Hot glue a short ball map pin to the back of each one. Glue the map to foam board, taping pieces together if needed, then press the photo pins in, not all the way, so they pop off the map.
Get the full tutorial at Cut, Craft, Create.
5. Miniature Map Magnets
Miniature map magnets take minutes and about three dollars in supplies. Tiny ornate picture frames from a dollar section are the base. Set a frame on an old map or map scrapbook paper, trace around it in pencil and cut it out. Glue the map to the back of the frame and hold it until it’s set, then add a generous amount of hot glue to a piece of magnet strip and press it on the back. An old advertising magnet cut to size works perfectly. Feature where you live, where you’ve been or where you’re dying to go.
Get the full tutorial at Surviving A Teacher's Salary.
6. Tags From Old Maps
Gift tags from old maps cost under five dollars and take about 30 minutes, which makes them the easiest upgrade on any present. Cut a 6 by 10 cm rectangle from the corner of a map, punch a hole at one end and snip off the two corners nearest the hole at 45 degrees. Punch a hole in a plain bit of map, cut a thin ring around it and glue it over the tag’s hole as a reinforcement. Thread 12 cm of baker’s twine through and knot it. Sheet music and book pages work the same way.
Get the full tutorial at Cut Out + Keep.
7. Map Mirror
A map mirror rescues an old, dated frame with a little decoupage. Tape off the glass and spray the frame white first in case any color peeks through. Here’s the trick that stops wrinkles: spray both sides of the maps with clear acrylic sealer and let it dry before any glue comes out. Brush an even layer of matte Mod Podge on the frame, smooth the map into place and trim the excess. Once it’s dry, brush on more Mod Podge, four coats total, to protect it. An old road atlas from a thrift store has plenty of pages.
Get the full tutorial at Lovely Etc.
8. Lamp Revamp Using Maps
This lamp revamp turned an 80s brass lamp and a dirty shade, $4 each at a thrift store, into a travel themed reading light. Wrap the cord and socket in aluminum foil, then give the base three light coats of glossy white spray paint. Spray outdoors if you can, the smell lingers for days indoors. Cut a vintage map into sections and Mod Podge them onto the shade, pushing bubbles out with your fingers as you go. Once it’s dry, trim the edges and hot glue white grosgrain ribbon around the top and bottom for a clean finish.
Get the full tutorial at Silver Boxes.
9. DIY Cork Board Map
A DIY cork board map turns a plain bulletin board into modern travel decor with nothing but paint. Print a world map outline across a few sheets of paper to fit the board and pin it in place, pinning all the big areas. Cut around the outline with a scalpel, pressing lightly so you don’t slice the cork. Trace the shapes with a pen (white or brown covers more easily than black), remove the paper and fill the continents with white acrylic paint. Paint the frame black, let it dry fully, then add pins for where you’ve been.
Get the full tutorial at Doodle and Stitch.
10. Cool Gift Wrap DIY
Map gift wrap is the free, eco friendly wrapping paper hiding in your car door pocket. Most people navigate by phone now, so old road maps and the stack of local maps that comes home from every visitor center are just waiting to be used. Wrap a gift in one exactly like regular paper, folding the edges crisp. A plain ribbon is all it needs, or cut a few motifs from the leftover scraps to make a matching gift card. Choose a map of the recipient’s hometown or their next destination and the wrapping becomes part of the gift.
Get the full tutorial at HomeGreens.
11. Road Map Birdhouses
Road map birdhouses make even boring highway maps look charming, and the secret is color matching. Look at the map and pick paint colors from it, like the blue of the lakes, the yellow of the cities and the green of a national park, then paint three small wooden craft store birdhouses to match. Trace each birdhouse face onto paper for a template, cut map pieces in the same color as the house, trim them so wood shows at the edges and brush decoupage medium on the back. Sand the edges, decoupage the maps on and let them dry completely before the top coat.
Get the full tutorial at Crafts by Amanda.
12. DIY Map Pendant
A DIY map pendant turns a plain white 22 inch paper lantern into something that looks expensive. Gather a few vintage maps from an antique store, plus an old road atlas, because one map won’t be enough. Using a small bowl as a pattern, cut dozens and dozens of 5 inch circles. Hot glue them onto the pendant one at a time, overlapping like scales, and keep the glue sticks coming. The finished shade looks a little like a giant artichoke. At night it glows with a soft, gentle light that’s perfect for a nursery.
Get the full tutorial at Paisley Sprouts.
13. Map Lined Tray
A map lined tray is a quick makeover with a big payoff. Lightly sand an old wooden tray and brighten it with white gloss spray paint, one can for a few dollars. Cut an old map to fit the bottom. An aeronautical map has gorgeous blue and green tones, and ironing it first smooths out the creases. Instead of decoupaging, attach the map with masking tape underneath so it’s easy to swap later. Style it on the coffee table with aqua candle holders and a few small accessories.
Get the full tutorial at A Spoonful of Sugar.
14. Octopus Frame Print for a Pirate Room
An octopus frame print is a clever cutout trick for a pirate themed kids room. Find a simple animal with a clean outline, preschool coloring pages are perfect, print it and cut it out with a craft knife. Choose a map for the background, any paper works and free printable maps are easy to find. Lay the cutout over the map in an 11 by 14 frame so the map shows through the octopus shape. Save the little pieces between the tentacles and add them back for extra detail. It also makes a great baby shower gift.
Get the full tutorial at A Crafter in Chaos.
15. DIY Push Pin Map
A DIY push pin map is three pieces stacked together: a frame, a foam core board and a map print. Measure and cut the foam board to fit the frame, then tape or glue the map on top, nicely centered. A matte paper print looks best, or skip a step and have the map printed directly on foam board. Set the board in the frame and secure it from the back. A handmade frame may need nails, a store bought one won’t. For a rustic look, varnish the frame, paint it white and sand it back until it looks distressed.
Get the full tutorial at blursbyai.
16. The World is Your Oyster Globe
The World is Your Oyster globe is a vintage globe dressed up with vinyl lettering, and it makes a beautiful nursery or graduation gift. Design the phrase on a computer, cut it from vinyl on a cutting machine, and add a weed box around the design so the big pieces are easier to peel. Transfer it to the globe with transfer tape or painter’s tape. One honest warning from the source: humidity matters. A humid summer day made the vinyl lift and the tape tore the globe’s paper, so either craft on a dry day or hand place the letters.
Get the full tutorial at Weekend Craft.
17. Antique Oval Framed Vintage Road Maps
Antique oval framed road maps are like portholes into your own travel history. Hunt thrift and antique stores for oval frames and vintage state road maps of places you’ve lived or visited. Take a frame apart, clean the glass and use the glass itself to trace onto the map. You can see right through it, so you capture exactly the right snippet. Cut out the oval, spray paint the frame in a bright color that matches the map, add a clear coat so it won’t chip, and put it all back together. Group a few for an office or den wall.
Get the full tutorial at Sadie Seasongoods.
18. Vintage Map Decoupaged Pots
Vintage map decoupaged pots bring a little wanderlust indoors while you wait for patio season. Stain a terra cotta pot dark brown or gray first if you like, using a rag or foam pouncer. Measure the map to fit around the pot and mask off the area under the rim with painter’s tape. Use a water resistant decoupage medium, since this is a planter. Brush a base coat on the pot and let it dry, then coat the back of the map, press it on and smooth it around the curve, working out air bubbles. Finish with about three coats total.
Get the full tutorial at 365 Designs.
19. Map Journal
A map journal turns a plain composition notebook into a summer adventure log kids actually want to write in. Cut a map about 2 inches bigger than the notebook cover, with one perfectly straight edge for the spine. Rub glue stick generously over the back of the map, line the straight edge up with the spine and smooth it down. Flip the notebook and trim the map flush with a craft knife on a cutting mat (grown ups handle this step for younger kids). Add washi tape on the spine and a printable title on the front. Glue ticket stubs inside.
Get the full tutorial at The Polka Dot Chair.
