I love to travel, whether it’s road trippin’ the US or traveling abroad. For years I’ve been wanting a way to commemorate our travels in one place. This Wanderlust Map is what I came up with.

THE BOARD

I bought a board at Home Depot and painted it a variety of colors. The paint effect is random with a slight textured appearance. I was going for an overall tan color with highlights of other colors. A basic blue background, representing the oceans, would have been nice too.

WANDERLUST TEXT

I used a Martha Stewart stencil set for the text. It worked out perfectly that no letters were used more than once. So I taped the stencils together and dabbed paint over the entire text. Then waited for the paint to dry and went over the letters again. This worked very well. However, I don’t love the R and the U letters that came with the stencil set. I wish I would have used an upside down n as the u, then use the n again, blocking off the section that wouldn’t work, as an r. Oh well.

THE MAP

I found a cork world map at Michaels and loved it.

I mixed purple, pthalo blue and black paint to create a dark navy color and painted the cork.

When the paint dried, I assembled the map onto the board. The map has adhesive on the back, but I found not all of it stuck well to my board. So, I used gorilla glue to help it stay attached.

ADDING PHOTOS

The photos are 3″ x 3″ with a skinny white border.

One tack is placed at the vacation location & one tack is on the vacation photo. They are connected with twine.

I wasn’t sure how crazy I wanted the final product to look, so I didn’t add every single place we’ve been. But, eventually I will add more photos.

FINISHED PIECE

I love it – especially because it highlights various points throughout our relationship. Hawaii, where he first kissed me. Our honeymoon in Mexico. Tropical destinations as scuba divers. Road trip as a family of 4. Then again as a family of 5. Etc, etc. etc.

How do you commemorate your travels?

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NOTRE DAME

I love Notre Dame. It is breathtaking inside and out.

In 2002, Farmer John & I quickly admired the main level. It was amazing and when we brought the kids to Paris in 2015 it was a place I definitely wanted them to see. Plus, let’s be honest, I wanted to see it again.

This time we climbed the stairs to the top of the towers. We arrived early, but there was still a long wait. It was worth the wait.

I enjoyed the entire experience – the enormous Emmanuel bell, the view, even the narrow spiral staircases. My favorite thing, though, was getting to see the chimera up close.

GARGOYLE VS. CHIMERA

Only recently did I learn the difference between a gargoyle and a chimera. The first 30 years of my life I used the word gargoyle to describe both. Very naive, I know.

GARGOYLE
Gargoyles are functional. They were built on the end of gutters to prevent rain water from dripping on the walls and eventually ruining the building.

CHIMERA
Chimera are decoration. Weird, yet awesome, decoration. These ones on Notre Dame have a great view of the city.

The building of Notre Dame occurred and changed over hundreds of years. The chimera were added during the 1800’s.

The guy in the upper right is Stryga, probably the most famous chimera.

CUTTING 3 WOOD SQUARES

I bought a long pine board that was 5.5″ high at Home Depot.

I wanted the wood to be square, so using a table saw Farmer John cut the board to 5.5″ wide. Then, he cut two more squares.

BACKGROUND COLOR

I used a simple gray color to paint the 3 wooden squares.

Then, I used a piece of sand paper to both smooth the surface and roughen the edges.

ROUGH IT UP

As I’ve mentioned a number of times, I rarely paint just one color. These squares were no different.

After the main background paint dried, I used a variety of gray paints to add a bit of interest to the wood. Instead of a brush, I used a natural sponge to lightly apply the color.

After that layer of paint dried, I sanded the edges to give them a rough look.

ADDING THE PHOTO’S

The original photos are in color. Using Photoshop, I changed them to black and white.

I cropped and printed the photos to a 5″x 7″ size. Then I trimmed the photo to 5″ x 5″.

Using mod podge, I glued a 5′ x 5″ photo to each square.

3 SQUARES IN A ROW

I chose to make three squares and place them in a row. It would also be a fun project to have 4 squares, but place them 2 x 2.

Anyone else think the chimera are as fascinating as I do?

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Years and years ago, before we had kids, the hubby and I spent one day & one night in Paris. We climbed the stairs of the Eiffel Tower and were rewarded with a great view of the city. The photos I came home with were lovely, but lacking one key feature of Paris since we were standing on it. So this last time we visited, in 2015, I was determined to get photos of the amazing city with the Eiffel Tower in the shot. We ended up making it to two famous landmarks with great views, the Arc de Triomphe & the towers at Notre Dame.

SUPPLIES

• 2 – 16″ x 20″ canvas
• 1 – 16″ x 20″ photo
• 1 – 12″ x 18″ photo
• Dark gray acrylic paint & paintbrush
• Mod podge
• Bling on a roll
• Hot glue

PAINTING THE CANVAS

Using dark gray acrylic paint I painted the sides, as well as the edges of the main part of the canvas . I was being frugal and didn’t see any reason to paint the section of canvas that wouldn’t be seen.

DECOUPAGE

I applied mod podge to the back of the photo and centered it on the canvas. Then, as a layer of protection, I brushed mod podge over the top of the photo and canvas.

ADDING BLING

Have you seen this? Bling on a roll! Brilliant.

This particular roll had 4 rows of bling connected. Four rows was too thick for my design so I cut the bling to 2 rows.

After the mod podge dried, I used a glue gun to attach the bling to the canvas.

AND, REPEAT

I repeated the entire process for the other photo and canvas.

FINISHED PIECES

I love how the pieces are matchy-matchy… but not perfectly matchy-matchy.

I would love to see how you display your vacation photos.

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There was a blank space on our Travel Gallery Wall that fit a 20″ x 16″ canvas perfectly. Since Germany was only represented once on the wall, I was hoping the canvas could be German themed. I absolutely loved this view of the river when we were in Nuremberg, so it seemed an easy choice.

SUPPLIES

• 20″ x 16″ canvas
• 18″ x 12″  photo (I had this one printed at Costco)
• Acrylic paint
• Wood letters and wood shape
• Distress ink
• Mod podge
• Craft glue

PAINTING THE CANVAS

I rarely paint a canvas color straight outta the bottle. I prefer the not-so-perfect look of color blending. However, one color would work just fine.

The main background color is a mix of 7 different paints (left photo). I was going for a barn reddish gray.

After the background color dried, I went over the top of it dry brush style. I chose an orange color to bring out the roof on the building and a light yellow green to highlight the tree.

WOOD LETTERS

I picked these wood letters up at a craft store and love them. They were priced reasonably and I’ve used them for many projects already.

They are easy to paint. This time, though, I wanted the wood to show through to match the wood bird I was planning to add. So, instead, I rubbed the edges with a brown distress ink.

GLUING ON THE PHOTO

Sometimes when I glue a photo onto canvas I do it decoupage style – putting mod podge on the back of the photo to act as glue and also putting mod podge on the front to protect the photo.

For this project I opted not to put mod podge on the front of the photo. I did use it as glue, though, to adhere the photo to the canvas. I used a foam brush to spread glue on the back of the photo and also spread a little on the canvas itself.

I eye-balled where I wanted the photo and carefully set the photo in place. Then I gave the photo a little push rubbing it onto the canvas. There wasn’t anything supporting the canvas, making it a tad irritating to rub on the photo. So I flipped the canvas over and rubbed the photo on that way. It’s much nicer to press against a hard surface.

GLUING ON WOOD DECORATIONS

I used craft glue to attach the wood pieces to the canvas.

Again, I just eye-balled where I wanted to place the wood pieces. But, I did line up the top edge of the photo with a red line on a ruler to make sure the letters were parallel with the photo.

FINISHED CANVAS

Another home decor item of a memorable family vacation complete. Woop, woop! A feeling of accomplishment for the day.

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Last May I went to Disneyland to run the Tinker Bell Half Marathon. I went with a couple girlfriends and no children. Such a weird, yet wonderful, experience.

My one friend wanted to try pin collecting, so we all jumped on that band wagon. I blame this new obsession on her.

I love everything about it… well, except the price tag. Those pins are not cheap. However, they are fabulous. I love searching the racks for a favorite ride or character. Even more, I love searching for cast members who may have just the pin I didn’t know I needed. Trading is fun.

I came home from that trip needing a way to display my new pins. I’ll be damned if I was going to spend all that money then throw those metal treasures in a drawer to be forgotten.

So, what I came up with was a canvas displaying my favorite ride. The canvas holds pins, as well as photos, from those rides at Disneyland and Disney World. I chose 4 rides and put together 4 canvases.

Materials

• 12″ x 12″ Canvas
• Acrylic Paint & Paint Brush
• Mod Podge
• Disney Pins & Photos
• Scissors or Paper Trimmer

Canvas Background

Because I knew there would be a lot going on with the photos and pins, I chose to keep the background super simple. It is painted in one color. However, I created 4 canvases and each canvas is a different color.

Layout

Personal Ride Photos

Trim photos to 2.75″ x 2.75″square. Or, for a horizontal photo: 5.5″ x 2.75″. Vertical photos are 2.75″ x 5.5″

Arrange photos in a rectangle along the left or right side of the canvas.

I used Mod Podge to adhere the photos to the canvas, but only gluing the under side of the photo. I chose not to Mod Podge over the top of the photos because I want to have the option of changing the photos after another trip to Disney. If you have a permanent design you could mod podge over the entire canvas to protect it.

Ride Image

On the opposite side of the photos I glued on a 4.5″ x 6.5″ ride image.

For the Splash Mountain canvas I used an image from the front of a folder when we purchased a photo at Disney World. The others are images I found online. You could also use a photo you took yourself while at the park.

Pins

Beneath the ride image is a blank space for pins.

The pins easily poke through the canvas. The pin back is shallower than the wood frame, so it doesn’t affect hanging the canvas.

Splash Mountain

I mean, who doesn’t love Splash Mountain? Of course, this was one canvas I had to make. Also, I was able to include a photo of the time we went to Disney World with Farmer John’s mom and brother.

Pirates of the Caribbean

Pirates of the Caribbean is one of my all time favorite rides. Yo ho ho! It is tricky getting photos inside the ride since it’s so dark. My favorite photo is outside the ride, though. When I ran the Tinker Bell Half Captain Jack Sparrow was waving and encouraging us in his drunken accent at the entrance.

Big Thunder Mountain Railroad

Big Thunder Mountain Railroad is another one of my fav’s. I had a hard time finding Big Thunder Mountain pins, though.

Mad Tea Party

The Tea Cup ride is not my favorite, but it is my mom’s. So, this was the 4th ride I chose to display. Plus, I had a photo from my 1987 trip to Disneyland that I wanted to add.

On Display

My four canvases are grouped together on a wall dedicated to Disney.

This past January I went back to Disneyland to run the Star Wars Half Marathon. While there I collected a few more pins to add to these canvases. I also turned my kids into pin traders. Although, I high jacked their pins to add to my Disney wall.

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The 2015 Tinker Bell RunDisney event was a huge milestone for me. It was the first time I finished a half marathon. I wanted to commemorate the weekend by displaying items from the 2 events I participated in – the Neverland 5k & the Tinker Bell Half. I came up with these simple canvases to hang on the wall and I adore them.

This post contains affiliate links.

SUPPLIES

• Acrylic Paint (I used Violet)
• Paint Brush
• 9″ x 12″ canvas
• Mod Podge
• Race Memorabilia (Bib, medal, photo, etc.)
• Staples and/or Push Pins

STEP 1: PAINT CANVAS

Since most of the canvas is going to be covered, I didn’t do a fancy paint job. My canvas has 2 coats of violet acrylic paint.

STEP 2: ATTACH BIB

As much as I like this canvas of my race accomplishment, 20 years from now I may decide I don’t want it hanging on my wall. So, I didn’t want to permanently adhere the bib to the canvas. I want the option of moving the bib to a photo album or box. As opposed to mod podge or glue, I used staples and push pins. Push pins were used on the front of the canvas simply because I like the look of them. Staples were used on the sides and back.

STEP 3: ADHERE PHOTO

I used mod podge on the back of the photo to adhere it to the canvas. I was careful not to add mod podge where the photo overlapped the race bib. Normally, I also add mod podge over the top of the photo & canvas. But, in this case, I skipped that step.

STEP 4 (OPTIONAL): ATTACHING DISNEY PINS

This Tinker Bell inspired trip to Disneyland was my first time going with friends, as an adult – without kids. My naughty, naughty friend decided she wanted to start collecting pins. So, we all tagged along with her. They are crazy expensive, but it was so much fun. The pins are super cute and we had a great time keeping our eye out for cast members and kiosks to trade pins. It was like a treasure hunt.

When we got home, though, I wasn’t quite sure what to do with my new, awesome Disney pins. This canvas idea incorporated many of my favorite elements of that trip. I added Peter Pan themed pins directly to the canvas. They poke right through and the Mickey shaped back is on the back of the canvas.

STEP 5: ADDING THE MEDAL

For this canvas, I just wrapped the medal over the top of the canvas and called it a day. It’s not attached in any way. It stays perfectly well. The 5k medal, though, is made of a rubbery/plastic substance making it light. Heavier medals don’t work quite as well.

STEP 6: MAKE MORE CANVASES

I also made a canvas for the Tinker Bell half marathon. The medal was too heavy to hang on the canvas, so I pinned it next to the canvases.

How do you display your favorite race events?

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One of my goals this year was to figure out something to do with at least a few of my photos. I love photographs printed on canvas, but they’re a little spendy for my ordinary every day photos. So, I came up with my own much cheaper version. Mine all cost less than $5 each & the smaller ones were much less than that.

I bought all my canvas when it was 40% off at Joann’s. I had Costco print the pics. The paint and other odds & ends I already had in my craft stash.

I had intentions of getting fancy & using my cricut to add embellishments. I even thought I would add a meaningful quote to one or two. I still like those ideas, but I was really liking the simplicity of the not-so-fancy. So, that’s what I went with on all my pics.

• Basic Technique •

Items Needed

• The 2 main ingredients are canvas & a photo. There are many size options. I’ve done itty bitty 3″ x 3″ square canvases, as well as large 16″ x 20″ canvases. And, everything in between.

• You will also need paint – I typically use acrylic. And, a paintbrush.

• Decoupage or mod podge medium is also needed. And, a brush to spread the glue.

Trimming the Photo

For many of the photos I wanted a rough edge. So instead of using a trimmer to cut the edges I folded them, then tore the edges against my craft table.

Painting the Canvas

Next, set the photo aside & paint the canvas. I chose gold acrylic paint to match the frog’s eyes in the photo. Let the paint dry before moving to the next step.

Adhering the Photo to the Canvas

To glue the photo to the canvas, I use decoupage or mod podge medium. Either one works fine.

I put a little glue on the canvas itself. Then, I spread glue on the back of the photo, paying attention to reach the edges and corners. After gluing, position the photo on the canvas and rub out any bubbles so the photo lays flat on the canvas.

In Mr. Frog’s case, I decided he needed a border around the photo edge to help him stand out. So, I let the glue dry, then painted a border. After the paint dried, I applied a layer of mod podge over the top of the entire photo and canvas. This helps the photo stay in place as well as protect it from everyday elements.

Instead of waiting for the initial glue to dry, like I did with Mr. Frog, you can apply the final layer of mod podge right after gluing your photo to the canvas. I don’t seem to have better luck one way or the other. Either method can occasionally result in unwanted bubbles in the photo. Sometimes I don’t even bother with the final coat of mod podge.

Mr. Frog, The Complete Masterpiece

More Canvas Ideas

Blended Color Background & Straight Edge

This is one of my favorite photos & was taken a few years ago at the Wooden Shoe Tulip Fest. I definitely wanted to add this one to our spring display.

Instead of painting the background just one color, I blended a few shades of pink. Also, I used a straight edge for the photo, as opposed to a torn edge.

Wood Block & Crackle Effect Paint

For this western bluebird photo I used a wood block, as opposed to canvas. The background has a crackle effect.

Glitter Edge

Glitter! I love glitter! For the Love Park canvas I used my basic technique, then added one extra step for the finishing touch. After the decoupage glue was dry, I brushed on glittering glue around the edges of the canvas, then sprinkled glitter over the glue.

On Display

I have the finished pics on both sides of our china cabinet. I change the photos with each season.

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