Tuesday, October 30, 2012

Pinterest Challenge - Chalk Board Map!

Since Sherry & Katie started the Pinterest Challege over a year ago, I've been wanting to participate. I just didn't have the time...until now!  Ok, I lied, I still didn't have the "extra" time, but I made it happen because this project just had me so darn excited!


Anywhoo...a couple of months ago I pinned a picture of a chalkboard map from Terrain.  (I can't seem to find the map on their website anymore...it was there last week I swear!)  After hearing about the new edition of the Pinterest Challenge, I immediately googled "Chalkboard Map" & came up with a few other inspiration pieces.  (Links below.)


1. Chalkboard map at Terrain. (Can't find it?)  Update: found the link!
2. Vintage Rand McNally Chalkboard map.  Several results on google search.
3. Chalkboard map from Smile & Wave.
4. Military map from Restoration Hardware. (No longer available.)

Ok, so after I collected my inspiration pictures, I decided that I wanted a green "chalkboard" with the water painted a different color...most similar to the vintage Rand McNally map.  I started out by purchasing a yard & a half of heavy duty duckcloth (canvas) & a Sharpie paint marker at Joann, as well as green chalkboard paint from Menards.  I also sketched out a map in Illustrator, which I then converted to B&W & printed on a transparency.  Instead of trying to draw out the whole US freehand (nightmare), I can just shine the image onto the canvas using my overhead projector - easy peasy!

Here are a few of my illustrations...if you want to download a free .pdf of any of them, just click on the links below!  All I ask in return is that you go out & vote in November!  ;)


Links to the Green map, white map, black map.  My gift to you, fellow Americans!  :)

My little helper had fun coloring in all of the states.  He can now pick out Minnesota & California 90% of the time.  Hopefully his new map will help him learn the others!



After I determined the approximate size I wanted the map to be (it's big...52ish inches wide by 48ish inches tall), I cut it to size & hemmed up the two sides.  I left the top & bottom edges raw as I planned to staple them to wood dowels later.  No sense finishing them off only to have them get covered up!  I just folded each side twice so the hem was around an inch wide & sewed(?) two seams on each one, about 1/4" from each edge, if that makes sense at all. 


Grady stripped down to his skivvies & helped me prime this big sucker.  Isn't his shadow creepy with the giant furry head & tiny arm?!  It reminds me of a fetus with hair.  I'm weird, I know...I hear it every day!  :)


Next up, we took it into the kitchen to paint a couple of coats of green Rustoleum chalkboard paint.


The puckers in the fabric had me a little nervous, but things smoothed out (literally & figuratively) after we hung it on the wall to trace everything out!


After two coats of the green dried overnight, I taped the canvas back to the wall, lined up the projector where I wanted it, & traced out the map with my paint marker.  (At this point I didn't worry about getting the white perfect, I knew I'd be painting over some of it with the "water" color, & having to touch it up anyway, so I decided to wait & do the second coat/tracing all at once at the end.)



The paint marker dried really quickly, so I was able to crank out two coats of the "water" pretty much right away.  I kept going back & forth on what color to use, & ultimately decided on using some charcoal gray paint that I had on hand.  It ended up looking a little more brown than gray (lighting?), but I'm super happy with it!


After the two coats of charcoal, I traced over all of the white outline again to make it a little bit more opaque.  I also had my dad cut a couple of pieces of scrap wood to create a top & bottom to the map.  On the bottom section, I had him router out a ledge to store a few pieces of chalk - love it!  I stained the top & bottom supports with some leftover stain from the breakfast bar on the porch & stapled the canvas to the back of them.  Then I just attached some picture hangers & hung it on the wall!

Ta-da!  I wanted to take a photo of the whole dining room, but the sun was hardly up before I left for work this morning so I just didn't have enough light!  I'll try to update with a full room shot tomorrow!





I can't wait to plot out roadtrips, play "name-that-state" with Grady, & doodle national landmarks!  Plus, I finally have a giant piece of "art" to fill that empty space on the dining room wall!  Thank you Katie & Sherry for getting me motivated!!!

Update: I snuck home over lunch & conditioned the map by rubbing chalk all over it and wiping off.  She's ready to rock!


I'm liking it after rubbing the chalk all over it...it has a nice patina now!


And of course, the room shot I promised...

27 comments:

  1. I love it! Great job on the chalk ledge.

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  2. This is super cool! I looove a chalkboard and a map - perfect combo :).

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  3. I think you two knocked it out of the park!

    (http://www.shopterrain.com/new-arrivals-house-home/united-states-chalkboard-map)

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    1. Thanks for the link Lori!!! I think I actually re-pinned it from you! :)

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  4. That looks great! I want one now :)

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  5. Thanks everyone! I can't wait to go home & doodle!

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  6. I am seriously head-over-heels for this! I am totally going to need to give this a go! Thanks so much for sharing!

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  7. Wow! This is super cool! I love it!!

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  8. Wow! This looks great! It is super professional looking- you could have purchased that! Great job : )

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  9. Amazing job!!! I love the size and the look and the colors. Never would have thought I'd be interested in something like this, but now you've got me wanting to try. Thanks for sharing!

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    1. I hope you don't mind but I just pinned the last photo.. Too lovely to forget :)

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    2. Don't mind at all! Thanks so much!

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  10. Ah!! I love this! It's insanely cool! I talked about making something similar for the backdrop to my daughter's airplane party but went with something else for the sake of time. I should make one and brush up on my geography skills!

    Amber @ Wills Casa

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    1. Oh my gosh...I just stalked your blog & saw the post on your daughter's birthday party...cutest thing ever! Good work!!! How cool is that cupcake van?! And about the geography skills...I'm hoping to brush up too! My three year old son asked me a couple of days ago what state one of the shapes was & I couldn't think of it - yikes!

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  11. Chalkboard + Map--it's a pinner's dream! :) So cool. It turned out really great. The chalk ledge at the bottom is one of my favorite parts.

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  12. Wow, that is seriously impressive. Well done!

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  13. This is ridiculous. I am obsessed with this project! Thanks for the Pin-spiration :)

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  14. This is amazing, it looks so good well done!! xox

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  15. The map looks great.

    Also, about that table. Did you make it or buy it from some place?

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    1. Thanks!

      We actually built the table & benches a while back using Ana White's "Modern Farm Table" plans...http://ana-white.com/2009/11/plan-modern-farmhouse-table-knock-off.html


      It was super easy, just 2x4 & 2x6's! Thanks for stopping by!

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  16. Amazing!! This is the first post of yours I've read but holy cats, m'dear, you are such a talent!! Can't wait to dig deeper in this blog! Wowza!

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  17. AWESOME! This turned out great. I really like the 'patina' it got after you conditioned it.
    Sarah

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