Gift Idea: Embroidered Map

Inspiration #1:

Source: ohsobeautifulpaper.com via Amanda on Pinterest

Inspiration #2:  My brother-in-law and his new fiancee recently moved cross country from Boston, MA to Portland, OR.  

They met and fell in love in Boston and were both pretty sad to leave.  But when you win a job with the Oregon Symphony (Go Matt!) you do what you have to do!  

Inspired by their new found love of the North West, I made this Pinterest inspired house-warming gift:

1.  Buy cheap frames from Good Will - yup, that's $.75 each.  

(Insert your own sarcastic comment about the current "art" in the frames.)

I originally thought I might use both and hinge them together but changed my mind...

us crafters do that a lot don't we?

2. Raid our map box and go to AAA for some free maps.

3. Find the cities and decide which ones to use.

4. Iron out those creases.

5. Draw the heart they left in Boston....awww

6. Find some red embroidery thread and embroidery needle.

7.  Tape the tail to the back of the map (I'm sure you could imagine this without a picture but here's to being thorough.)

8. Use a running stitch around the heart.

Awww

9. Repeat with Portland

10. Figure out the placement...

I liked them staggered...

11.  Tape together them trace to fit the frame.

12.  Connect their old love with their new love.  (Are you gagging from the 'lovey-dovey-ness' yet?)

13.  Bind those two coasts a little more tightly...

14.  Drink in the sappiness of what you just made...

15.  Paint the frame and send!

Embroidering paper was a lot more fun than I imagined, but there's definitely no room for mistakes! (I honestly was dreading having to go back to AAA for another map because I put my needle through the paper in the wrong place.)

Go embroider some paper!