Marshalls Abroad

baby marshall Life pregnancy

Our Babe’s Wall Map We Built Him

If you remember from this long-ago post, we love maps. When we were building those two years ago, we talked and dreamed about a huge world map in our one-day nursery…  for our one-day baby…  
Proof that time is flying, here it is!
It’s hard to tell from this photo but it’s about 8 feet long! It basically covers an entire wall in the nursery.   We attached the map to cork board so that he’ll be able to place pins on each place he gets to go.  We also started using gold pins for us so he can see all the countries his daddy and mama have traveled to and lived in…  and left a note on the very back for him to find one day.
We’re excited that he’s not even out of the womb yet and he has his turquoise pins on New Zealand and Japan! Already a little world traveler. We have so many more upcoming travel plans for him. Seeing, understanding and enjoying God’s world is incredibly important to us, and something we hope very much to impart on our son.
DIY Info for those interested (:
I found the map on Amazon here, for only $20! It is far more beautiful in person. 
It’s a modern day map, but with an antique look to it thanks to the soft colors. 
It took us about a weekend to build:
1. My awesome husband built the frame out of pine
2. We painted it // let the paint dry overnight
3. Cam cut a piece of 1/4″ thick plywood to fit the frame exactly as the backboard.
4. I measured, cut and attached cork board squares to the plywood, using wood glue.
5. Then attached and smoothed the map very carefully and slowly to the cork board using adhesive spray.
6. Cam attached the frame to the finished map board with wood staples and drilled in metal corner reinforcements. 

We had fun working on this together over the past two days. And saved money! Finishing a project together really is gratifying. It’s also fun to think about how special it’ll be when he understands one day that his parents made this, just for him.


Comments

  2. Robyn says

    Such an amazing idea… It looks beautiful 🙂
    Thanks for sharing, will have to do it for our "one-day-babe" 😉
    XXX

  3. poppyandpine says

    I absolutely adore this. I also love maps and I think this is an amazing idea for a travel loving family, thanks for sharing the DIY, I can't to make one of our own!

  4. Sarah @ Life, Love & Dinner says

    I love this! It looks awesome! You and your baby are so lucky to be able to visit so many amazing places! I definitely have a soft spot for these maps; my grandfather was a truck driver and he sent me an atlas so that I could track the places he was driving until he came back home. I think it is such a fun and special thing to put in your baby's room!

  13. Caroline says

    Amanda, this is such a beautiful project – one that I know your baby boy will one day appreciate, especially if he has a traveler's heart! Love all of the little details that you guys thought up of – this is so very lovely!

  15. Denise Lopatka says

    love this sweet map amanda!! your babe will love it one day too. and how sweet you put a note on the back. so cool. your son is one lucky little man 🙂 xox

  16. Maggie B. says

    This is the most perfect map ever. I've been looking for a great map to do this very thing for my husband & I and all the places we've traveled to. Of course, I just hopped on Amazon on my lunch break and bought it! =)

  21. Emily grapes says

    I saw when Sarah did this in Tuck's room and absolutely loved the idea, and now seeing it in your's too confirms in my mind how much I'd love to do the same. Even if it was just in the office with all of our own travels. Such a neat way to show all the places we've been.

  22. Rachel says

    This is beautiful Amanda! Such good inspiration for our one day nursery 🙂 You must be so excited for your sweet babe to arrive!

  24. Raechel @ Our Island Outlook says

    What a great idea – it looks wonderful! 🙂

    Also, I thought I'd comment here. I swear I left a comment on my Instagram about my skirt (I'm raezie) but when I went to look a couple hours later, it wasn't there. >:/

    Anyhoo, the gist of the message was that it is actually a maxi dress from "Mac House". The bust region of the dress is the gauzy / stretchy / puckered fabric that is common on some maxi dresses, but it is not very wide. It would look fine on a small-busted woman but does look a bit goofy on a larger busted woman because it cuts your bust-line in half. I combated that issue and made it look a bit better (…I think) by tying a ribbon underneath my bust / above my belly. It doesn't take away from the fact that half of your bust is in the white gauzy fabric and the other half is in the blue floral part, but oh well. 🙂

    Do you know where the biiiiig Daiso 100 yen store is in Ginowan? If you went left out the Foster commissary gate and took your next right, it would be on that road in a little plaza, on the right-hand side of the road (before you get to Ginowan Seaside Park / Tropical Beach). The "Mac House" where I bought the dress (on sale!) is sandwiched between the 100 yen store and either an Aeon or a MaxValu, I can't quite remember.

    Have a great day! And again, marvelous job on the map. It looks wonderful and the turquoise and gold pins look great on it.

    Raechel

    • Marshall says

      I would have never guessed that from looking at your photo! it looks absolutely gorgeous on you. thank you for the tips and for letting me know where you found it // how to get there. you're wonderful, Raechel! hope you're loving the remainder of your pregnancy!

    • Marshall says

      Gosh I hope this little guy (who doesnt feel so little anymore..) doesn't wait that long! my due date is one week before yours! sept 7. we're so close!

  28. Caravan Sonnet says

    sweet friend…this is LOVELY. I find "old maps" to be just lovely and I love all of the details that you have added, the waythat this looks vintage yet is modern, and the idea of a note on the back 🙂 Thanks for inspiring us with loveliness onve again! 🙂 Praying for u'all! Jt's not long now till you get to meetyour precious son face to face!! 🙂
    🙂 Rebecca
    p.s.- Love the idea of installing a love of travel in children! My parenys did this with is and it has broadened my concept not only of the world but of how BIG our God is!! 🙂

  29. Jessica Lynn says

    Gorgeous! My husband and I have a map like that for places we've been to, but we were planning on getting one for the Julia once we get to our next house. Her room is travel-themed and we're going to have A LOT more space than we did in Italy, so I need more things to put on the walls…definitely adding that map to my wish list!

  33. Marina Delio says

    Oh I love this. I have always wanted a beautiful world map on our wall. So far I have an Italy one. You've inspired me. And I love that your hubby is wearing a SB Surf Shop shirt?!

You Might Also Like