USA |DIY|.

When I was putting together the ideas of what I wanted in our kitchen/dining room during the re-do, I knew I wanted to include a DIY version of Pottery Barn's USA map. 

It is huge, and amazing, and I love it. 

Michell at Girl In Air did a tutorial post on her version of it, and I used that as my motivation, and direction for my own version. It is a great tutorial!

I wanted my version to use completely scrap wood that the hubby had in the garage (i.e. FREE wood), so I took about an hour one morning, and just pieced together scraps, until it all fit together. 

Then I just cut the pieces down that were way too long, and then attached the pieces together with three thin strips of wood down the back, and some nails from the nail gun. 

Once it was all one piece, I painted the whole thing in a quick coat of black paint, and once that dried, I did several coats of white paint on top of that. 

After it was completely dry, I put together the edge pieces from the boys' Melissa and Doug USA map puzzle on top of it, and traced it with a pencil, and then paint. 

Next up, I filled in the outline with black paint.

After it dried, I sanded the hell out of the whole thing. I wanted it to look kind of messed up, distressed, and I wanted the first coat of black paint to show through much of the white, and the white to show through the black paint of the map.

Once I had the look I was going for, the hubby hung it up. 

I completely love it. 

Completely. 

P.S. I know I need to add Hawaii in still. Ha! 

Alaska and Hawaii have to be traced off a puzzle piece instead of an outline, and Alaska wore me out, so I didn't make it to Hawaii yet. 

It's coming though! 

Linking to: 

Tatertots and Jello Weekend Wrap Up Party