My Jawsome Weekend: Sunday (featuring Elvis and Corn Nuts)
My Jawsome Weekend: Part 4
OK, so this pic doesn't do it justice, but Craftzine.com is a great print/blog site for creative people and inspiration and and and...it had a tutorial on how to make a map coffee table. I tweaked it and did things my way, but if you want to try it according to their directions, you can subscribe to their site and/or print (both are worth it) and get a full tutorial.
Things you'll need:
- A table you wouldn't mind changing
- A map you wouldn't cry over if things went wrong (I have several from my European travels but I bought mine from Cost Plus World Market)
- A spongebrush or paintbrush
- Sand paper (grade doesn't matter)
- Spray adhesive (available at craft and hardware stores)
- Decoupage adhesive, the standard name being Mod Podge (available at craft stores in two sizes, you'll need the larger size for this project)
- Scissors
- An X-acto knife
- A silk-screen squeegee or a flat, plastic item that you can grab onto easily that would effectively smooth out bubbles
1) Crack a window. Adhesive fumes will make you squirrelly.
2) Using the sanding paper, sand down the table so the adhesive will grip the table better. The table above is similar to one I used, which is from Ikea.
3) Spray a LOT of spray adhesive onto the table's surface. More than you think. Immediately stick your map onto this surface and using your scissors trim the map to fit the table fairly closely. Don't worry about a perfect edge just yet, and don't worry about bubbles, you'll fix them later.
4) Take up your sponge brush and Mod Podge and spread a even layer all over the surface of the map/table union. Don't worry about brush strokes showing, decoupage adhesive dries clear.
5) When this has dried, lift the map almost completely off the table, only letting a couple inches of one edge stay on. Trust me, it'll happen, just be gentle. "Jessica, why did I just use the spray adhesive if I was going to take it off anyway?" Well for some reason the map sticks to the surface better when the decoupage agent is used instead HOWEVER if you apply your dry map directly to the surface without decoupaging the top first it's wrinkle/bubble city. The spray adhesive just keeps it in place while you apply the decoupage adhesive to the surface of the map.
6) Brush the decoupage adhesive onto the table in sections, using your squeegee to smooth the map onto the surface with minimal wrinkles and bubbles. Just do this part slowly, work in 4-inch sections.
7) Brush on at least two more top coats of decoupage adhesive, letting each coat dry completely before the next application.
8) Use your X-acto knife to cut your map perfectly along the edge of your table. Brush on one more application, or a thousand more if you have enough Mod Podge. When it dries you're good to go!
Making this table, which is at the foot of our bed, inspired me to turn our bedroom into a travel-inspired room. I'm currently adhering vintage travel posters onto canvases to hang on our walls. It looks cool already. I love making stuff for our apartment, it makes me feel really at home when I've had a hand in the creative process of decorating, rather than simply buying buying buying. Anyhoo.
Frank, Katy and I watched Neil and Josh play at Cinema Bar Sunday night. Frank bought Corn Nuts from a vending machine there - childhood! Josh and Neil have a new song that's really good and they pull off a mean Elvis cover or two. Thus ending my Jawsome weekend.