Framed Map Series

Ever since I read this post by Jenny, I’ve been considering a framed map series for our home.  I even mentioned it as part of my New Year's Resolutions, and just squeezed it in for 2010!

In fact, I purchased a 1947 city map of New Orleans all the way back at the beginning of February!  Evidence to my dear husband that all my home purchases will come out of the guest room closet and be put to work eventually.  It is a little embarrassing that it took me this long just to start the project… when it took less than a weekend to complete!

The antique map came from a 1947 Atlas and was an actual page – not a reproduction.  The map measures about 14.25 x 10.75, and I scored it from an Etsy seller for only $9.50!

I finally decided to enlarge the map and frame it in a series on the large blank wall in our kitchen.  It could not have been an easier project!  I took the map to Kinko’s on Saturday afternoon, and they asked me to take a little tape to divide up the map to show the sections I wanted enlarged.

I asked them not to include the border, and decided to go with 9 sections, due to the space we have on that kitchen wall.

Then they did all the hard work, enlarging and cutting each section to 11x14 in size.  While they worked, I headed out in search of frames.  I knew that I wanted a very simple frame, so that I could hang the series tightly.  Similar to this idea, featured by Jenny:

I found just what I was looking for at our first stop, Wal-Mart.  Their ‘Mainstays’ brand 11x14 picture frames were only $5.00 a piece… Although, I did find a set of three 11x17 frames online for $11.91 afterwards (if you wanted to save another $9 total on 9 frames and go a little larger)

Kinko’s had a 24-hour turnaround time for the project – Grand total: $18 for enlarging and cutting on their heavy paper.  Overall, I was really happy with the end result!  The enlargements came out nicely, without looking blurry at all.  Although I will admit that 2 of the pieces came out a little too large, and I had to trim the edges to fit in the frame… and another one came out a little too short on the bottom right corner.  But I have a feeling that no one else will notice (unless you are a fellow Type A!)

All I had to do was pop the cutouts into the frames, and nicely ask Jeff to hang them in a series.  And I have to brag on my husband some here... He hung these on the first try (one nail a piece) in about 15 minutes!  No one wants to know what this wall would have looked like if I tried to hang them myself.

I’m incredibly happy with our final product!  Not only did we get to personalize with a map of New Orleans, where Jeff’s extended family lives, but we came in just under $75 for the entire project!  Compare that to the store-bought versions for $200-499 that Jenny quoted on her post… And you have a project that makes husband & wife very happy!