Gifts for Guys: Framed Maps for Valentine’s Day (with mini-tutorial)

Need a quick idea for a gift this Valentine’s Day?  This one is sweet and romantic and quick to do–inexpensive supplies, images from the printer, and about 45 minutes of your time.  I think I spent less than $21 total for the whole thing.  Plus!  It’s a gift for him, but you’ll love hanging it in your house.  Score!

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Now, this is obviously one of those ideas you find on Pinterest–I’m sure I’ve seen a dozen versions,  and have subconsciously channeled them into this project.  I worked out the details based on what I wanted the final version to look like, and what I thought my husband would tolerate–it’s one thing to make a cute project, it’s another to make something your husband will actually let you hang in the house.  I wanted this to be that, but it isn’t a complicated design by any means.  So I won’t break your eyeballs with a crazy, full-on tutorial or anything.  Let’s just do the highlights:

sweet heart maps tutorial

tutorial how to make a hearts map

tutorial for how to make heart shaped map mats

how to create a heart filled map frame

heart map frame mat

And there it is!  Our daughter wants me to hang up the Valentine quilt I had up last year, but since we found our foyer art in Mexico, there isn’t enough wall space for that.  I think I might be able to leave it hanging out here in the living room, where I’ll catch it as I pass through, or find a spot for it in the hallway, where we’ll see it and think about it as we go to and fro, living our lives.  The lives we share with one another.  Let’s hear it for love.

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  • Martha
    February 12, 2014 at 1:09 pm

    This is so clever!

    • Deborah
      February 12, 2014 at 1:17 pm

      It was so crazy easy to do! Truly, once I had the supplies, it was 45 minutes, including taking photos. Great last-minute (or in our case, snowed-in) Valentine. 🙂

  • Robin
    February 19, 2014 at 3:57 pm

    Cute! I’ve wanted to do something like this too but haven’t started it yet. I’m thinking I want to do one with how we met, I lived in VA him in PA and we met at Myrtle Beach.

    • Deborah
      February 19, 2014 at 9:30 pm

      It’s totally one of those Pinterest projects that you see and never quite seem to have the time to do. It was just as quick and easy as you might expect–which is to say, very–and totally worth it! I printed the map images from the web and they look great in the frame. We like it so much that it’s still in the formal living room to greet guests! Hope you get around to making yours–would love to see it. 🙂