pushpin map | Big Sky Multisport Coaching & Personal Training

I love to travel… to experience the beauty of a new location, the excitement of a new culture, and the tastes of new foods. I’m working towards a career in international public health so I know I’ll be doing a lot of international travel in the near future.

Geography has always been a big interest to me. I once considered double-majoring in it as an undergrad (I also thought about history, political science, and economics too…. clearly I have a vast array of interests…). In middle school I won a contest on the state capitals and I could probably name a majority of them still today.

I’ve always wanted a world map on my wall that I could place pins in for where I have been and where I hope to go in the future. I found a couple of them online that I liked, but my wallet did not like the price tag!

You can buy this one for $120! From PushPinTravelMaps

I figured that I could make one at the fraction of the price! Now, I just could have easily got a map and pinned it onto a cork board, but I wanted something that looked a bit more sophisticated.

I began my search for a World Map online. Holy cow they are expensive! I found one at maps.com for $22.00. Sold!

Next I went to Home Depot for some supplies. The map is 32″ x 50″ and thus would not fit on a cork board that I was hoping to recycle for the backing. I discussed my options with my father and I decided that I would get a tri-fold poster cardboard and roll-up cork-board for the backing. I picked up some pre-stained molding for the frame. My supplies only cost about $20 total.

The supplies…

I then had my father help me cut and make the framing. It’s a bit harder than I thought it would be and thus it’s not the most professional finish, but it will work!