Making a gift for the husband is always tricky. There is a fine line between sweetly sentimental and obnoxiously cheesy. And husband hates cheese. I had several ideas floating around for weeks, mostly stemming from this room I loved by Emily Henderson:

I decided to use maps to create something a bit more personal:

Here is what you will need:
1-Maps- I chose maps from places that represented me for the J, Clint for the C, and us as a family for the heart. You can find individual maps at bookstores.

2-wood or paper mâché letters. (I found mine at Michaels)

3-modpodge and a sponge brush

4-scissors an, x-acto knife and a cutting may

I promise this is so super simple!
Start by cutting out your maps with places that are significant to you. I used maps of Places we had lived, where we grew up, served missions, etc.

Next, use your sponge brush to apply modpodge to your letters to glue your map pieces to the letter.

Overlap the map pieces so that there is no wood showing underneath and you have a collage effect.
Next use the modpodge on top of the maps to join the seams and decoupage the whole thing.

Once you have your letter all covered in maps and have a coat of modpodge on the whole thing, let it dry and move on to your next letter.

When all your letter are dry flip them over and one at a time place them on a cutting mat map side down. Use your x-acto knife to cut off the excess map.

If you have 3 dimensional items like this heart, you will need to use smaller map pieces or carefully place them so that they don’t crinkle as you are applying the maps.

Once all of your letters are dry and excess is cut off, go back with another coat of modpodge making sure to seal the edges of the letters. You can apply as many coats as you want, just be sure to let them dry completely between coats.
And there you have it!

I love the symbolism of this project and that it subtly signifies where we both came from, who we were, and who we are now as a family. I also love that as we continue to add memories and significant places to our story, we can add pieces along the way.
Have fun creating!