Make Large Canvas Wall Art Out of An Old Map

One of my favorite things about thrift store decorating is finding something unexpected and giving it a new life. When I came across an old vintage map, I immediately saw the potential for unique wall art. Instead of leaving it tucked away, I cut it into sections and mounted it onto canvases to create a custom piece full of character and history. If you love decorating with vintage finds and creating budget-friendly home decor, this simple DIY project might inspire your next thrift store makeover.

I had previously picked up an old slightly laminated MAP from the same thrift store for a few dollars. I began to wonder what I could do with my map???? Tick tock, tick tock, my creative juices were coming…….

I went to Michaels and picked up a bunch of canvases at 40% off. I traced around the canvas and cut out each rectangle. The overall map size was 31”x 50”. The smaller canvases I bought were 8x10 and the larger were 16x20.

(I have commission links at the end of this post where you can purchase similar maps/canvases yourself. :-)

I spray painted the edges with blue and aged some of the corners with gold paint also.

Once dry, I brushed on some glue and attached my cut out map pieces.

I came back and put Mod Podge over the top in criss cross strokes. If your map does not have a coating on it (some form of lamination) be VERY careful with applying the glue, a lot of people are saying their map is ripping. My suggestion would be to find a map with some sort of a coating on it. (not just thin paper)