Creating art and decor pieces for the house has become a little bit of a hobby for me. Currently I have about 3-4 projects in the works but I want to show you this very personalized heart embroidered map that’s been hanging in our house.
This project was very simple. The only thing I needed to find special was a shadow box but feel free to use a regular frame with or without the glass.
Determine what you want to outline on the map. Is it your honeymoon spot? The city where you met? How about multiple hearts for everywhere you’ve traveled together? I chose the area where we live and spend most of our days, the place where we call home.
I found this vintage atlas at the thrift store and knew it was going to be a source of lots of crafts! I love the coloring, the country flags and the variety of maps included.
Materials
- Straight Pin
- Hand Sewing Needle
- Embroidery Thread-color of choice
- Map-original or photocopy
- Tape
- Frame of choice
Directions
Make sure your map size fits into your frame or mat.
Decide what shape you want to outline and lightly draw that on the map. I used a heart shape cut out and traced that onto my map.
Using a straight pin poke holes along your trace line about 1/4 inches apart. As you come close to corners or curves make your hole a touch closer so your thread can make that shape. If your paper is thin I would suggest adhering it to another sheet of paper or running strips of tape along the back to give it strength. You don’t want the paper to rip as your are pulling your thread through.
Thread your sewing needle with more thread than you think you’ll need. Pull in through from behind the map and tape the end to the back of your paper/map.
Using a back stitch start filling in your shape with your thread. This video will show you how to do the back stitch on paper, starting around the 3:30 mark. It’s not hard at all and this kind of stitch will fill your lines rather than leaving spaces leaving people wondering what your shape is. If you prefer a running stitch that is fine too. It’s all about personal preference.
Finish with another piece of tape holding your thread down in the back. Frame and hang.
A sentimental variation on this would be tracing a long road trip or relocation with a heart at the final destination.
