Project | Make a Map Table

Illustration by Christina Carpenter

Upcycle a coffee or side table into a place to dream of new adventures.

You will need

An old table; a paper OS map larger than your table; sandpaper; wallpaper paste and brush, clear varnish or Modge Podge

To make

1 Lightly sand the top of your table, wipe clean and leave to dry. If you want to paint the rest of the table and legs, now’s the time to do that, too.

2 Once dry, cut your map to the exact size of your tabletop. Any map with lots of features will look great but it’s lovely to use one that’s special to you. Spread wallpaper paste over the surface and carefully stick the map to it, smoothing out any wrinkles or bubbles with a ruler.

3 Once the paste has dried, apply varnish or Modge Podge over the top of the map to harden the surface. You may need to do two or three coats.

4 Add coasters, drinks and travel guides and use the table to plan your next adventure.

Find more seasonal ideas to note and notice, plan and do on our Almanac pages each month.

More fun with maps…

More from our July issue…

Make | A Sardine Tin Diorama

Illustration by Christina Carpenter

You will need:

An empty, washed sardine can with no sharp edges; coloured paper; hot glue gun; self-adhesive foam strips; scissors; fabric scraps; string; pompoms and other decorative items; small toys (such as dolls house furniture or farm animals).

To make

1 Cut your paper and fabric to the size of your tin and stick in using glue and self-adhesive foam pieces to build up 3D layers into a scene – perhaps you might like to make a seaside, farmyard or floral scene.

2 At the front of the scene, glue in your people, animals or whatever ‘toys’ you are furnishing your diorama with. Dinosaurs in a jungle look pretty cool.

3 If you want to hang your diorama on a wall, glue a tiny piece of wire to the back as a hook and hang on a Command clip. Or simply pop on a shelf somewhere surprising where guests can peek into your tiny scene.

This project is from our March issue’s Almanac pages, which features seasonal things to note and notice, plan and do each month.

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More kitchen table projects…

More from our March issue…

Make | A Chalk Board Serving Tray

Serve nibbles in style in the garden with this simple project

You’ll need:
A thin plank of stained and treated wood from a hardware store (around 200mm wide) cut to your desired length
Chalkbboard paint
Brush
Masking tape
T-bar cupboard handles (180mm) with fixings
Chalk pen

To make:
1. Give the plank a quick rub down and then, using masking tape, tape off a ‘frame’ around the edge of the plank.

2. Paint the middle area with two or three layers of the chalkboard paint and leave to dry thoroughly after each layer.

3. Peel off the masking tape and attach the handles to either end using a screwdriver.

4. Write the names of your cheeses, charcuterie or other snacks on the chalkboard area, next to the respective food items, as takes your fancy. Or simply have a doodle as you nibble.

This is just one of the ideas to mark the month from our ‘Almanac’ pages. Read more things to note and notice, plan and do in our July issue.

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More things to make this summer…

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