All you creative, crafty people - help me with my hubby's birthday present.

[BethS0103]

DH's birthday is coming up and for a while now I've been freaking out because I had absolutely no clue what to get him but then a light bulb when off in my head the other day when I was at Costco and saw a lady buying a bunch of wall maps.

DH has always said that one day he wants to get a map of the world and document all our travels with little push pins. Well, since we haven't seen much of the world outside of Europe, I decided to buy this map of Europe for the Rand McNally website:
http://a248.e.akamai.net/f/248/2863/7d/www.randmcnally.com/images/products/large/1040544.jpg

I got some little map pins at Office Max and I want to put one on each place we visited. Then, I want to figure out some way to put the title "Beth & Johnathon's Euopean travels 2003-2004" and then frame it (probably have to take out the glass?). I think that will be a really cool thing to hang in our office. The problem? The map is HUGE! It's like 45x36 and I can't find a poster frame anywhere that's big enough to hold it. I don't want to get it custom framed because that will cost a fortune. So now I have no clue what to do. I don't want to hang it on the wall without some kind of frame or support of some sort. I'm not all that crafty so telling me to buy my own wood and build my own frame is not much of an option. I mean, I could try to do that I guess but that would take way too much time and I don't really have that much time to throw this together. Does anyone have any ideas on how I can mount this to something and still make it look pretty?
TIA!

[elladee]

You could mount it on some foam poster board. You would need to get a few pieces, cut them to the right size and secure them together. It wouldn't give you a frame, but it would at least make it a little more sturdy and substantial.

[MandyMaloo]

Beautiful map!

I know you said you didn't want to get it custom framed, but you may want to actually look into it. I know Michaels and AC Moore are running 50% off coupons for custom framing. It would look great in a cherry wood frame, it would kinda give it that "Old world" look.

The benefit of getting it custom framed would also be that they could make a custom mat for your travel heading. If you'd rather not go down that route, I would still encourage you to look in the craft stores to find some frames that might fit.

Good luck--and I am sure your husband will love his gift!

[camberne]

I would recommend looking into REAL framers, not the Michael's framing dept. My experience with Michael's is that even with the 50% off coupons, they're still more than both of my framers. The size is honestly your biggest challenge. Being that you don't want to have any glass over the map, that will save you a lot of money.

Another way you could go would be to mount it on some cloth (like a canvas) and hang it like a scroll with a wood hanger at the top and bottom (for the weight). We have one of those in our summer house.

You'd think that they could make a map in a typical frame size, wouldn't ya? I love this idea, because I love maps... I can pour over an atlas for hours!!

[sublime311]

http://www.mapcenter.com/images/workshop7.jpg

The Map Center (http://www.mapcenter.com/mounting.asp) has frames you can purchase online. I tried looking for prices for you, but it looks like you have to email them for info. It's worth a shot!

Also, they recommend lamination for maps:

Non-glare lamination is the preferred choice for decorative maps. It provides the greatest enhancement of colors and legibility, and some protection from fading. There is no more reflected glare than you would see from ordinary paper. It can be cleaned with water or any household cleaner that is safe for vinyl. You can stick map tacks or pins into into it. Not appropriate for write-on, wipe-off use.

Good luck! I think this is an awesome idea!

[BethS0103]

Thanks for the great ideas ladies! I knew I could count on you! If anyone else has any ideas, keep 'em comin' cuz I'm still torn on what to do. Alice, I realy like your canvas idea but then the foam poster board idea that Lisa mentioned sounds good too. Aaagh! I don't know what to do.

[greenbunny]

I know you said you don't think you could make a frame yourself, but what about buying moulding at a Home Depot or Lowe's? Often you can have them cut it for you, or it may come precut in the angles you'd need. All you'd need to do is take in the measurements.

Then put the map on something stiff, maybe posterboard or foamboard like someone mentioned, and just glue the moulding over top. It will look like a frame but won't be too difficult or expensive.

[Lolly]

What about a framed bulletin board? Office Depot has a few that may work. These are 36x48. I know on some bulletin boards you can remove the backing. This would be great because you can then mount the map and then reattach the backing.

http://www.officedepot.com/pictures/SK/MD/919845_sk_md.jpg

http://www.officedepot.com/pictures/SK/MD/261712_sk_md.jpg

Office Depot also sells laminated maps as well.

HTH!

[emmjay]

I actually used to work at Rand McNally - I love maps too! Anyway, one relatively inexpensive way to frame a map like that is to bring it to a custom framing place. They can mount it to foam core board and then put a frame on it, but no mat and no glass. I had a world map done that way for my DH before we got married. I don't know how much you want to spend, but I think it was around $150 for a 48x24. I got a medium-expensive frame (there were cheaper ones).

Now that I'm thinking about it, an even less expensive option would be to go to an art-supply store - you can get the foam core and spray mount there, as well as a frame kit. They have these kits where you can purchase different lengths of metal framing material and then put them together - like you would buy one set of two 45" lengths and another set of two 36" lengths, and then they come with all of the instructions of how to put them together around the artwork.

ETA - they have them at Michael's: Sectional Frame Kit (http://www.michaels.com/art/online/displayProductPage?productNum=fl0082)

[BethS0103]

Those are some more great ideas ladies! emmjay, I'm gonna go to Michael's this week and look to see if they have those frame kits. That's something I would definitely like to do.

[txssenorita]

Now that I'm thinking about it, an even less expensive option would be to go to an art-supply store - you can get the foam core and spray mount there, as well as a frame kit. They have these kits where you can purchase different lengths of metal framing material and then put them together - like you would buy one set of two 45" lengths and another set of two 36" lengths, and then they come with all of the instructions of how to put them together around the artwork.

ETA - they have them at Michael's: Sectional Frame Kit (http://www.michaels.com/art/online/displayProductPage?productNum=fl0082)


Ditto the frame kits. This past sunday had a 40% off coupon. Check with someone see if they still have the paper and save a little bit.

[beckyr]

Hi! I saw a couple of you recommend that Michael's framing kit. Has anyone EVER figured out how to put it together? The instructions are cryptic, and I haven't got a clue. I'm pretty darned handy, too. Any ideas? Thanks!

Becky