| Danielle West is a contributing member of CraftStylish, a site dedicated to do-it-yourself art and design projects. Below she shares a how-to on turning recycled maps and photos into a chic jewelry piece (and a wearable souvenir from your travels)! I absolutely love the look of images from old encyclopedias– with a special weakness in my heart for old maps. I love everything about them– the colors, the font, the bordering– they’re just perfect! These bracelets are rad to commemorate a meaningful location, to celebrate a faraway hometown, or for the restless traveler who is always wistfully thinking about elsewhere. The way I do this may seem a little daunting, but it’s actually quite easy once you get into it. You need to cut the paper into strips or else they won’t lie flat on the domed surface of the bangle. This leaves a little overlap near the edges, which we like to refer to as “that handmade character.” First off, you’ll need: a vintage map, a blank bangle (I get mine from diybangles.com, all sorts of shapes and sizes!), scissors, a foam brush, glue, a ruler, and some clear protective coating. Click on over to the CraftStylish blog for the complete step-by-step instructions, and other fun fashionable crafts! |