Recently I discovered one of those wooden U.S. map puzzles at a garage sale for just one dollar; this puzzle had several missing states on its eastern seaboard (this seems to be typical at garage sales); I knew something could come of this puzzle’s pieces but wasn’t sure exactly what else could come of it; this happens to me often: finding something interesting that I think can become useful later.
I knew I wanted to create map magnets from these pieces. After collecting road atlases from garage sales and flea markets, my plan was to use those as magnets; but it took longer than expected to come up with an idea for a flag design that fit with my house decor – my home has an coastal theme, so the result is an attractive coastal-themed United States map.
Adult Puzzle Craft
I absolutely adored how both projects turned out! The magnets adorning my fridge (no idea why Michigan seems to float above Indiana and Ohio like its own country) always create an interesting conversation piece!
I took larger cities from each state within each road atlas and used these on each magnet, choosing Utah as it had a distinct look from all others. Due to space limitations I did end up using two atlases for all pieces.
Even teenagers look at our pieces and say they are “cool”, an adjective which has withstood time and space.
My other piece can be found residing in my built-in bookcase in the living room – one of my favorite decorative pieces and something I wouldn’t ever part with (links below for tutorials).
If coastal-themed projects are your cup of tea, check out my weathered beach signs or this striped fish. Or browse all my beach projects here.
As someone who’s passionate about maps, you might have already noticed my tiny map birdhouses above – I love these distressed map coasters too! And finally, there’s this crackled vintage map for your wall that I just adore!
Get Puzzle Tutorials Let me show you how to make both of these projects! I created them specifically for Fave Crafts, and their free e-book provides all the instructions.