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DIY Map Letters for Our Boys’ Room {mini} Gallery Wall

I took lettering to the next level when I added the fun touch of a map! Here are my DIY map letters that I made for the boys room!

Hello everyone! Today I can’t wait to share these quick and easy DIY Map Letters that I whipped up as part of a mini gallery wall for above our son’s dresser. With the extra days last weekend it was great to have some time to finish up little DIY projects around here… our boys’ shared bedroom is about 80% finished but has kind of stalled out. I need to seriously light a fire under myself and get going to finish it all off. And this sweet map lettering project today is one of those finishing touches.

DIY Map Letters on the wall in the boys room.

To make these DIY Map Letters I used some wooden letters from Michaels and a nautical chart that I picked up at a local fishing store. The other supplies that I used for this DIY project are Mod Podge, scissors, a pen, a red craft paint and a paint brush.

I started by painting the edges of the letters with the red craft paint. You could choose any colour that works with room scheme in your home.

DIY Map Letters painting edges a red color.

Once the wooden painted letters were dry I traced the lettering shape from the nautical chart…

Tracing the shape of the letter with the map underneath it.

Then cut the shape out….

Cutting out the shape of the map with a pair of scissors beside it.

Here comes the Mod Podge which acts as a glue, sealer and finish. I painted a coat of it onto the face of the letter as well as the back of the chart cut out.

A bottle of Mod Podge and a brush.

I gently pressed the map letter onto the wooden letter and then top-coated it with the Mod Podge.

Pressing the map letter onto the wooden letter and using the Mod Podge.

I let it dry and gave it another finishing coat of Mod Podge. Then I let it dry again…and it was ready to hang. I used some Command Poster Strips as the DIY map letters are very light weight.

The map letters on the wall beside a mirror.

Close up of the large L on the wall.

The large F on the all with the map detail on it.

The cool part about the nautical chart I used is that it details the waterways all around the areas where we live – many of which are areas that we have been out boating on before. So I remember those special trips we’ve been on every time I ‘read’ the charts on these letters.

These guys are part of a mini gallery wall that I hung above my son’s Flag dresser .

A gallery wall with pictures of the boys, a model boat is on the dresser.

The letters beside the photos of the boys and a round mirror.

Like these? Want to remember it?

Pin it!

Easy DIY Map Letters poster.

Okay, so now their room is 82% done. I better get moving this weekend to try to finish up the other 18%.

Do you ever get stalled out when finishing home projects? How do you help yourself get re-motivated to finish?? Any tips for me?

Thanks for reading. And remember my housie friends, HOME isn’t built in a day. Enjoy the journey.

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34 Comments

  1. Hi Krista, Thanks for the link–I got here and love tis post! I love maps, too, and think this would be fun for some Christmas gifts. Thanks for your help and your fun ideas!

  2. OH boy do i Love those. I want to make some spelling out a word on wall using map of a lake or something like that. You always inspire me.
    It must be gorgeous where you live if there’s water close by. We lived on a 35 miles long, 1 to 2 1/2 miles wide lake in Mt. Oh could I kick myself for selling that place (20 acres) to move to KY. Anyway, I’m a big water nut, it’s my heaven, we had a boat then too.
    Your letters are so great, love how they look with that paper on them. Your boys are so cute, love their photos. How old are they now? Their room looks great and love the flag dresser. You are very talented gal.
    Do you live in Canada? i had to pin this so I can do letters very soon as we’re fixing up our living room and going to paint finally after almost 8 yrs. of living in this house. Happy week

    1. Thanks Jane Ellen! A word with map letters is a great idea- I bet it would turn out amazingly. We live on a lake but I have no idea quite how big it is (in measurements, I mean)… I should find out, I guess. And yes, in Canada- BC. I LOVE water and the boat might be my favourite place to be in the summer. Nothing feels quite like it. Our boys are 6 and 3 – some of those pics are when they are just little… so fun to look back at that age every day. Good luck with your living room project!! And have a great week too:)

    1. Thanks Carmody- it adds a little unique touch to their nautical-ish room… and I was thrilled to find one in the colors of the room!

    1. Thank you Alexis! I love that map too- I was lucky to find one with the perfect colors for the boys’ room… I guess because it is a nautical chart they didn’t stick with traditional map colours!

  3. I love these decoupage letters!! I just spray painted a few cardboard letters with the metallics paint, and still have to post them. I love this idea to use with anything really, old sheet music but I really love the maps, so great for a boys room!

    1. Hi Jeanne! Oh I would love to see those spray painted letters- what a novel idea!! I tried to make giant letters with foam board once but they didn’t turn out quite like I had hoped… Sheet music is a brilliant idea- I would love sheet music for letters at Christmas time as well- or Valentine’s Day:) Thanks for coming by!!

  4. Super cute! I just might try them for our sons room! I can totally relate to stalling on a project 🙁 haha! That’s why that One Room Challenge is just what I needed for our master bedroom 😉 Have a fabulous week, Krista!

    1. Glad it isn’t just me – I think I need to put myself on my own one room challenge (lol). Hope the challenge is going well!!

  5. Perfect! My brother is an F-16 pilot, and he wrapped a gift for my son in some old flight maps – way cool for a teenage boy. I first framed some of them as part of his gallery wall, but now need to change it up. The letters are a great idea for incorporating them again! Thanks for sharing!

    1. Wow- what an amazing way to wrap a gift- and perfect for décor in a boy’s room! I would love to see what they flight maps look like on letters – awesome, I imagine!! Thanks for coming by Jen!

    1. Thanks Abby – still several projects to go. Maybe this will be the week where I push to get it done (lol!!).

    1. Thank you so much!! We have some map letters of our families initials on our dining room gallery wall too… I love maps!! So thrilled you came by:)

    1. Thanks! I love how they turned out. This project encouraged me to tackle a little more decoupaging this weekend!! So fun and effective:) Thanks for coming by!

  6. Hi Krista! I just adore letters and love the idea of doing them with maps. So perfect for a boys room or even for Dad’s office! Thanks for sharing and pinning! Have a happy Friday and a fabulous weekend!

    1. Thank you Cindy! So thrilled you popped by! Hope you are doing really well- and have a fabulous weekend!!

  7. Hi Christa! These are adorable! I love that you used local areas for your map! Question: Did the map wrinkle at all when you mod-podged it? I have an awful time with paper and mod-podge! Any tips appreciated! Julia

    1. Hi Julia! They didn’t wrinkle – maybe because the nautical chart had a bit more of a plastic finish to it (designed to stay dry on fishing boats, I guess). I have done map letters with regular maps before and the wrinkling is a bit of an issue. My best tip would be to not over use the Mod Podge and do it in thin coats, smoothing out the bubbles and wrinkles gently. Then once dry you can add more to seal it. I think if there is too much Mod Podge under the paper it naturally wrinkles to accommodate all the liquid. Does that make sense? I have also found decoupaging to be quite a challenge but I think that with practice it gets easier and looks better!

    1. Thanks Tricia!! Now to tackle the rest of those “little” projects… it is so easy to just get used to things being unfinished, am I right?? Have a great weekend!!

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