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While I love map covered letters I don't love the £12+ that they charge for them online and urban outfitters. These letters are super chunky and come in at only £3.75 a letter but for wall mounted letters they would only work out just 75p each. (Website details at the end or in my profile)
Materials needed: Wooden letters, PVA, Computer and printer.
A lot of the letters out there use vintage maps and after looking in every charity shop I could find I was coming up short. This method is dirt cheep, looks cool and as you can print out anywhere totally customisable. I’m thinking:
- Words such as KITCHEN or HOME just for display.
- Initials for a wedding (maybe at the guestbook table)
- A child’s name for their bedroom shelf
- For a summer memento get the word TRIP, SUMMER or HOLIDAY. Print out the places you visit and mount them on different letters. For extra points make them with your child and discuss what you did, where they liked, what happened in each place etc.
- Teachers, when teaching units concerning the local area get each child to write their name on a wooden heart or wooden house shape (we can supply both). Get them to glue the relevant map section to the front and write their name and (possibly) address on the back. This can also tie into discussions such as transport to and from school.
Materials needed: Wooden letters, PVA, Computer and printer.
A lot of the letters out there use vintage maps and after looking in every charity shop I could find I was coming up short. This method is dirt cheep, looks cool and as you can print out anywhere totally customisable. I’m thinking:
- Words such as KITCHEN or HOME just for display.
- Initials for a wedding (maybe at the guestbook table)
- A child’s name for their bedroom shelf
- For a summer memento get the word TRIP, SUMMER or HOLIDAY. Print out the places you visit and mount them on different letters. For extra points make them with your child and discuss what you did, where they liked, what happened in each place etc.
- Teachers, when teaching units concerning the local area get each child to write their name on a wooden heart or wooden house shape (we can supply both). Get them to glue the relevant map section to the front and write their name and (possibly) address on the back. This can also tie into discussions such as transport to and from school.
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Signing UpStep 1Print your maps & letters
1. Find your map, although you can use a real map if you wish I’m assuming you wish to use a print out. Go online to Bing Maps. Type in your postcode. On the left hand side there is a little drop down which allows you to choose map style. I used the ordinance servy style as I think it’s the most interesting visually (and is why I used Bing not Google maps)
2. Use Bing to print off the maps, this gives you a square of map that fits on an A4 page. Put them aside for now.
3. I wanted to make my letters self-supporting, for this reason I cut out three of each letter from 6mm thick ply using 14cm Sassoon Infant (that’s the font they now use in Primary Schools and has a nice flat bottom except for the O which I tweaked). You will need to get your letters in Capitals as otherwise they won’t stand.
2. Use Bing to print off the maps, this gives you a square of map that fits on an A4 page. Put them aside for now.
3. I wanted to make my letters self-supporting, for this reason I cut out three of each letter from 6mm thick ply using 14cm Sassoon Infant (that’s the font they now use in Primary Schools and has a nice flat bottom except for the O which I tweaked). You will need to get your letters in Capitals as otherwise they won’t stand.
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We should start a club.
I wish I had access to a laser cutter big enough to have done my Ampersand.
That milling machine sounds lovely, does it take your standard CAD files?
I see you are also based in the UK! Even if it is a long way from myself.
Do you have plans to visit/attend any of the Mini Maker Faires this year?
We've actually been looking into doing craft faires for a while and have been trying to pursade my boss to go to some as a punter for 'research purposes' but I don't think he's bitting :( Where abouts are you based?
Ps - little bit obsessed with AT too.
People would think me insane if I didn't.
As for the maker faires, regardless of your boss, you should make an effort to go to one yourself! This year there is a increased bloom of maker faires popping up.
There was three newcastle maker faires, I attended the 2nd, then exhibited at the 3rd. I throughly recommend it.
Last year saw our first 'Mini' maker faire based in Brighton.
This year there are mini maker faires in Derby, Brighton and Manchester.
Pretty much all three are being organised/co-organised by local hackspaces.