sewing the map :: project idea

my family and i recently stayed the weekend with some friends in evanston, just north of chicago. they are incredible hosts and to thank them, i made them the above. i have seen it done somewhere (i think on etsy), but now i can't find the link to share.

i bought a map at a gas station on the way back from the city. i felt very archaic doing such a thing because we live in a day of iphones and ipads where maps and directions are at our fingertips... literally. actually, our car even has gps, so when the attendant asked me if i was lost, i couldn't help but laugh a little inside.

sewing the paper was a bit harder than i expected because it was so thin. i ended up gluing the map to some cardstock and then sewing. i then used double sided tape to adhere the mattes.

after writing a little note on the back, this served two purposes of a thank you letter and gift! this could easily be framed and displayed if our friends choose to do so. i think this could also be done for a housewarming gift for someone who perhaps just moved to a new city, or a graduation gift for a new college student.