Decoupaged Map Crate {Mod Podge Madness}

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 How to decoupage a crate with a map from Simplicity In The South
 

Once upon a time, there was a cute little blue crate. It sat on the floor in two cute little boys’ bedroom. It had wheels, well, just because someone thought that would make it look even cuter. And it held stuffed animals. A lot of stuffed animals.
Then one day, one of the cute little boys grew older and told his mother, “Stuffed animals are lame, Mom.” (his exact words), so…the crate sat lonely…and bored. True story.

 

So that’s how the new unlame crate came to be. Along with it came a little reshuffling of furniture and accessories, which I’ll be showing you later this week when I reveal our two youngest sons’ shared bedroom.

Here’s what you’ll need:

  1. Crate: I found mine a Michael’s, but it was unpainted. Painting is optional, but the colors on your map will be truer if the crate painted a light color. Otherwise, the color of the wood will show through.
  2. Map: Maps are generally thin. The thicker the map, the less wrinkles that will show.
  3. Mod Podge: I chose matte because it will show less wrinkles.
  4. Razor blade, paint brush or sponge brush

The How To:

Cut your map two inches longer and wider than the slatted side of the crate and set aside.

Apply your Mod Podge to the slats on one side of the crate.

Carefully lay your map down onto the Mod Podge, starting with one side while smoothing it out with your other hand. If you get a large wrinkle, gently lift the map and smooth it out. Some wrinkles can be smoothed out with your thumb. This is what it looks like once it’s all smoothed out.

How to decoupage a crate with a map from Simplicity In The South

Now take your razor and cut between the slats. Make sure the razor is flush with the bottom edge of the slat. That way, you will have enough paper to fold over the top of the slat.

How to decoupage a crate with a map from Simplicity In The South

Lift the edges between the slats and apply a thin layer of Mod Podge to the underside of the paper. Then fold the paper over the tops of the slats.

 
How to decoupage a crate with a map from Simplicity In The South
 

Montreal…my ode to my dear friend, Hannah that lives there. And also because a trip to Canada is on my bucket list.

Now all you have left to do is add a layer of Mod Podge to the top of the map and trim off the excess.

How to decoupage a crate with a map from Simplicity In The South

Once it dries, Montreal’s fault line will be less noticeable.

How to decoupage a crate with a map from Simplicity In The South

The crate now holds books on the boys’ new/old bookcase that I brought out of our storage building.
I can’t wait to show you how I overhauled their bookcase with a little Annie Sloan Chalk Paint!

If you know any secrets on how to do this without getting wrinkles, please share in the comments section! If you know a synonym for wrinkles, let me know because I said “wrinkles” five times in this post. Make that six.

If you like this, then you may also like this post how to decoupage a galvanized pail.

 

decoupaged fabric on a galvanized bin

 

P.S. I’m sharing this on Hometalk. Have you checked it out yet? If not, you should! It’s like The DIY Channel and Pinterest fell in love and had a baby. I love it because it is more geared towards the home improvement/DIY fanatics like me. While you’re there, you can follow me here! 

Linking up to these awesome blogs:

 
 
 
 
 
Liz Marie Blog
 

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19 Comments

  1. Avoiding wrinkles is super easy if you use spray adhesive instead of mod podge! I switched from mod podge to spray adhesive and never looked back! With spray adhesive you’ll NEVER get wrinkles gluing paper to something, but instead you will have 2 different problems to worry about:
    1. using enough spray adhesive (if you use too little, the paper will eventually lift away–the glue won’t stick forever. Be sure to cover it with an even coat. Ha ha okay, don’t soak it, but don’t be scared to use quite a bit.)
    2. you will only get one chance to stick the paper down correctly. Line it up very carefully, and if it’s a very large piece like a map you might want a helper to lift the other side for you so you don’t accidentally stick it down before you’re ready. Once you begin to stick it down, there’s no going back!! Gently rub it down from one side to the other, then once it’s stuck down rub everything down fairly hard, just with your hands, so it creates a strong bond.

    I guarantee this creates a more professional look than the wrinkles of mod podge!! If afterwards you want to protect the paper, use a spray varnish or sealant on top. 🙂

    1. I’ll definitely have to give this a try. Mod podge has worked great for fabric, but not so great for paper. Thank you SO MUCH for the tips!

      1. Iron the map with dry iron before mod podging. Could say creases or fold lines :).

  2. What a fantastic idea ( and tutorial ) have been dying to do something with a Paris map – think this would be perfect – thanks so much for sharing!
    Definitely your newest follower – would love to have you come by for a visit and follow back when you have the time!
    Hugs,
    Suzan

  3. This looks amazing! I love all the map home decor projects that are popping up on blogs lately.

    With collage, a tip I’ve found to minimize the wrinkles is to slightly pre-dampen the paper before applying the mod-podge. This allows the paper to pre-swell before the glue is applied. A quick moistening with a sponge then blotting the excess water with paper towels usually does the trick. Be careful with the fragile papers, of course!!

    1. Thanks so much for the tip, Jackie!!! I’ve never heard of pre-moistening the paper, but it makes sense. I have another map mod podge project that I’m doing today and I will try it out!
      Tricia

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