I’m once again stuck in that wonderful place between being a Mom and needing a Mom, and very much leaning toward the side of the fence that’s closer to the needing. I mean, do we ever really stop needing our Mom’s?
I imagine not. And I certainly never will. So weekends like the one we just had with my Mom are really special to me. Nothing very exciting happening, nothing stressful. Just lots of family, laughing, playing and talking. It’s so much more fun to go grocery shopping with Mom, to give Lilly a bath with Mom, to have a cup-a-tea with Mom, to fold some laundry with Mom. I love knowing that when I come downstairs at 5:30a.m. to nurse the baby, my Mom is up already with tea, ready to chat and laugh at Gracie and tame my wild beast of a dog. Mostly I just love having her around. We all love having her around. The girls get spoiled (myself included) and Brandon get’s fresh chocolate chip cookies. What’s not to love?
Making playdough pancakes (the pre-playdough meltdown)…
Fake syrup fell off (the post-playdough meltdown).
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And now for the promised DIY…
This old, glassless, thrifted, frame has been sitting in the garage for a few weeks waiting for a good idea to strike. At a measly $1.99, it was a project I could afford to sit on for a little while.
I’ve been totally in love with all the funky map art projects floating around pinterest (check out this board!) so I decided to put my own spin on those ideas and make something relevant for my girls to hang in their new shared bedroom.
And so was born this “travel tracker” cork board frame.
Here’s the How-To:
Find or buy an old wood frame- no glass or back necessary. Mine was from Goodwill.
Pick up a roll of cork board material from the craft store (with a 60% off coupon mine came to less than $2!) Make sure the length and width of the cork will work for your frame dimensions.
Wipe off the frame to remove dust and dirt then spray paint all visible edges with white primer. I had leftover white rustoleum from another project so I used that. A new can will cost about $6.
If you have an area you can paint a bright color- go for it. But if not, have no fear, the map has enough color by itself.
Print this map from the amazing mrprintables.com and adjust any sizing issues as necessary. I printed mine on card stock just to add a little stability. Carefully cut it out and set the pieces aside.
Cut cork and a spare piece of cardboard (like from a cakeboard or a cardboard box) to fit the lip of the frame (where the glass would usually sink in). Hot glue the two together and then hot glue that piece into the frame.
Your last step is to cover the cork in modge podge and lay the map on top. Cover the map in another layer of modge podge and let dry.
That’s it! Then all you have to do is add pins to the places your family (or your children) have been and you are all good to go.
Lilly refused to let me remove her painting to take a picture of the map project. (And you’ve heard she’s the boss, right?)
And a sneak peak…
Just wait until you see what I do to this amazing little $6 ottoman for the girls!
Stay tuned…
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