Made this Monday: Jazzing up a Canvas

Happy Monday All!  Hope you all had a restful and rejuvenating weekend.  As I posted yesterday, we definitely took it easy around our place.  Although, there was a bit of beach walking and burger tasting too (we just can’t help ourselves.  But amongst that and the lounging around and doing nothing-ness I did manage to finish this little, I don’t really know what to call it…art project.  

I actually wanted to make something as a reaction to my day job.  I spend a good portion of my work day looking at maps of the US, creating demographic reports and drawing territories.  It’s kind of bizarre in that it’s something I never could have even imagined doing for a living and yet here I am staring at maps day after day.  I usually have the Yeah Yeah Yeah’s song Maps stuck in my head as I sketch out a territory, thus the quote at the bottom. 

Anyway, I’m pleased with how it turned out and I’ll be hanging it in my cubicle today.  I think it will be a nice reminder that even though my work can be tiresome and tedious, I am still able to do something artistic with it.  

This was super easy to make, all you need is:

A canvas

A map

Craft Glue

Baker’s twine

ModPodge

Gesso (or while acrylic paint)

A Sharpie

Basically, I cut the map to fit over the canvas, and then crumpled it up and un-crumpled it a few times.  Paint the canvas with mod podge and lay down the map over it.  Don’t smooth it out too much or you’ll lose the texture that came by crumpling it.  

Once that’s dry, use craft glue to draw a heart and carefully lay the baker’s twine on top, using your fingers to press it down and shape it.  Cut the end and let dry.  Then paint the bottom of the canvas with your gesso (I used that because it’s easier to write on than regular paint, but any white paint would work.)  I used a sponge to again add to the texture of the map, which I think came out pretty cool.  Once dry, use your sharpie to write your quote and that’s it!  You have a fancy map you can display and love!