Faking a historic map

Shogatsu (sometimes called o-shogatsu) 2018 preparations are in full swing! For those who don't know what that is, I included a handy link to Wikipedia that talks about Japanese New Year and some of our traditions.

One thing that I've started doing over the past few years is to use my comp time from working on Black Friday for starting my osoji and to do year end and gift-card shopping on Boxing Day.  However, I also have a lot of old blog content to clean out and post. I think I might have found my first resolution this year...

Anywho, this post is something I've been sitting on for a bit since I'm not in love with the way the frame turned out and will end up redoing it at some point. In the meantime, however, here is my tutorial on how to fake an antique map.

As a fourth-generation Denverite, I am obsessed with old maps of Denver and Colorado that show what things were like when my great-grandparents first arrived here from Italy and Ireland (and when my grandparents were growing up here). Luckily, I stumbled upon some pinterest tutorials that let me get that look for almost nothing. The secret? Engineer prints, mod podge, and coffee.

Supplies list:

• Engineering prints
• I no longer have my receipt for the exact cost, but I'm pretty sure it was less than $5.  
• Reeaaallly super strong coffee
• This cost me nothing, because I like my coffee strong, and because I had some leftover from the day before that sat overnight brewing.
• Paper towels
• Work space with cover (I used an old shower curtain)
• Mod Podge
• This again cost me nothing because I have it on hand, but if you don't it runs under $5 at Walmart or Michael's.
• Paint sample for frame
• I paid about $5 at home depot. You could also use acrylic and pay less, but I would use the paint for other projects so I splurged here. 
• About $11 worth of 1x3's from the hardware store
• I bought half-rounded ones because I thought it would look cool. I am not sure I like it, so if I had to do it again, I'd buy squared ones.
• Wood glue 
• I had this on hand, but you can get it for $5 at any hardware store or craft store or general purpose big-box store like Target.
• Canvas
• This by far was the biggest expense. I shopped a sale at Michael's and got two 18x24's for about $15. 
• Grand total was about $30 for two pieces. 

I started by ordering some engineering prints from Staples, before I realized that Staples is really far away. Oops. Engineering prints are not great for super fine detail apparently, but mine turned out just fine. 

I then began to antique the map with coffee. To do this, you soak that thing in coffee until it turns yellowish brown. Some tips: 1) use triple-strength coffee (I brew mine like tar in the morning, and it still was weaker than I needed); 2) the map will wrinkle a bit; 3) you want to apply unevenly so it looks all stained and stuff. 

Don't worry, that's not the cup I drank out of two days before.

I did three coffee coats, letting dry completely between each coat.

Bless Bob's heart, he doesn't even ask questions when there is a random coffee-soaked massive picture on top of our old shower curtain in the middle of our living room.

The one on the left got the coffee treatment and all antiqued.
The one on the right is waiting its turn. 

After antiquing, I let dry a final time and mod podged the crap out of these things until there is no way they are budging from that canvas. Although it's important to smooth out bubbles, I learned you don't want to pull or rub the paper because it is fragile and will tear, but the mod podge will block any coffee from soaking in and it will leave a very glaring hole. 

Also, being a perfectionist is difficult when it's supposed to look torn and aged. 

Yes, I tried to make it look "perfectly" aged. 

After letting this dry, I painted my framing a dark warm brown-black. 

I then wood-glued the framing on to the sides.

Please ignore the cat toy, I apparently was neglecting them that day...

Another option is to order a print bigger than the canvas and just wrap it, but because my walls are white, I like the look of a dark frame to really add emphasis to these. 

This map is from 1920.
Photos for this project were found online, I believe they are both now in the public domain.

Let dry and then hang. 

The two photos alone

And (mise en) placed. 

I now live about ten blocks (or a half-hour walk) away from where the census from this era had my great-great-grandpa living. I think that's pretty darn neat to see on my wall. 

I think that's the last project for 2017. Once I KonMari everything else for new year, I'll post some pictures of the organized space. 

As always, let me know what you think! If I don't post before New Year, よいお年をお迎えください！

~Kimie