Hi, everyone! I’m Julie from Less-Than-Perfect Life of Bliss, where I blog about everything from crafts & decorating to family & faith. I’m a stay-at-home mom to 4 great kids & a wife to an awesome guy that supports my creative addiction & hardly ever rolls his eyes anymore at my crazy ideas. Feel free to stop over &see me anytime because I love meeting new readers & you never know what I’ll be up to next!
I’m sure I’m not the first to think of this. And if you searched the streets of Manhattan, visiting every cutesy boutique you saw (ooh–wouldn’t that be fun?), I’m sure you could find something similar to this. But the question is: would it be $3 or less? And would you have that sense of bliss that only comes from creating something yourself? The answer, of course, is no, friends.
So, if you’re the sentimental type who likes to gather memoirs from the different places you’ve been, you might just like this City Map Souvenir Jewelry I made the other day.
I used my simple & reliable Mod Podge method, just like I did on my Silhouette Jewelry. For the necklace, I went to Hobby Lobby & bought a rectangle pendant, a ball chain necklace, & an apple charm. {Watch for the jewelry findings to be on 50% off & get these items for less than $3!}
I had saved my city map from my recent trip to New York & cut a little section to fit my pendant.
I also made a little I ♥ N.Y. sign & punched out a little star from decorative paper for a little extra something.
Then, I just “painted” on a few thin coats of the Mod Podge, letting it dry in between. Adding on the apple charm gave it even more dimension.
The bracelet was a little more messy, but still pretty simple. I bought these large 1-inch wooden beads (also from HL) and a package of thin sewing elastic for this piece.
Using the same map, I cut more pieces (approximately 2″x3″), big enough to cover each bead.
Cutting diagonal lines from the outer edges toward the center makes it easier to cover a round object, such as the bead.
After I made the cuts, I painted a coat of the Mod Podge onto the back of the paper, then wrapped it around the bead.
I found it helps to roll the bead around on the table with the palm of your hand to make the paper adhere well.
Once the bead is fully covered, apply another coat of Mod Podge over the outside. Yeah, this is the messy part. When that’s done, allow it to dry on a sheet of wax paper.
Since I used the 1-inch beads, it took 9 beads to make an average size bracelet. {Fashion FYI: This does make a large piece of jewelry, so if you prefer a little less “Wilma Flintstone” look, you may want to use smaller beads.} Also, I covered 3 of my beads in a polka-dot scrapbook paper to add a little contrast.
When the beads are dry, use something sharp to poke the holes back thru the paper & then string them onto your elastic.
To finish it off, tie a secure knot, cut the ends short, & poke the knot into the hole of one of the beads.
Who says you have to buy your souvenirs while you’re on your trip? If you don’t find it while you’re there, just make it when you get home. And think of all the other things you can make with city maps, ticket stubs, or even playbills! Your wheels are turnin’ now, aren’t they?
And if you forgot to bring your map home with you, just google & print one. Ahhh-don’t we love the internet?
~ Julie