Update: Here is how to make a a license plate map the easy way!
This is the original license plate map my mom and I made…
I’m not going to lie, this was pretty tricky… my mom, me, and one of my best friends all worked on this one together…it currently lives in my mom’s house! If you are seriously interested in making one, feel free to e-mail me with ANY questions…craftaway [at] gmail [dot] com. I will help you as much as I can.
Here a few tips for this lovely piece of license plate art:
1: My mom bought a set of 50 license plates on e-bay. She had to specially order 2 black Texas and 2 blue CA ones (for this size, TX and California took 2 plates)
2: My mom and dad made the board the map it attached to. They just used scraps of wood, and stained it…(my mom was excited to use her miter box!)
3: We found a free printed map in an old National Geographic magazine that was the perfect size.
4: We cut out each individual state to use as a template for the license plate map.
5: The map you see in the picture was our reference guide. It gets tricky in the Northeast!
6: Not all states have to be cut out perfectly, some of them are under another plate…most of the time you only need to cut out 2 or 3 sides of a state.
7: We used white nails…to blend into the plates and painted a few tips of nails to match the specific color of the plate (blue for CA, black for TX)
8: We started with the North Dakota to Texas row.
9: We used tin snips to cut the plates…this worked well for most of the license plates.
Click here for detailed instructions about how to make a license plate map.
Comments & Reviews
Great stuff here! Thank you for taking the time to post this. Question: What is the size of your working area of wood? Outer dimension of the frame? Thank you!
One thing I did was to buy a puzzle with all 50 states and used the pieces to make outlines of the state. You can but the puzzle and re-use it.
I have been making these for years and selling them on http://www.usplateart.com. I enjoy making them. It does take a lot of work to make them the first time though.
that is so amazing…totally love it
So cute I would love it if you linked up to the Glitter Party! http://runwithglitter.blogspot.com/2011/04/running-with-glitter-3-link-party.html
This is so sweet! So creative!
wow! This is so cool! I had no idea you could buy those!
AMAZING! I am so jealous! I have been dying to purchase the original from Pottery Barn for years and have just never done it! You are UBBER TALENTED! I followed your link from HoH!
Wow, that is all I can say! That is so cool! You guys did a great job!
Carlee,
ladybirdln.blogspot.com
Super cool. I wonder if Ebay has Canadian plates?
Absolutely amazing! I can't imagine locating all those license plates to do this.
Very cool map! I featured your map on my blog!
simplyjenna.blogspot.com
Feel free to grab a button 🙂
pretty stinking awewsome!! You are some creative gals!
I saw this on Craft Envy, it turned out really cool.
I have been thinking about something like this since seeing it in a catalog a few years ago. I bet it tok a lot of time!
Amazing! I totally love it, trying to figure out if If can talk DH into doing this. 🙂
Saw your link on the Tatertots &Jello; link party. This is seriously awesome!!! What a great job I am so impressed!!!
This is a really awesome project! I love it! Great job!
I have always loved these when I see them on walls at random places. Great job super cute project.
WOW! Just… wow. That is such a great piece. You did such a good job!
-Rochelle @ http://homesweethomebodies.blogspot.com
I love this SO MUCH and I want this SO BADLY! I'm bookmarking this, I WILL be done someday!
Amie @ http://www.kittycatsandairplanes.blogspot.com/
I have always wanted to make one of these for my sons room but haven't tackled it because it looks like an enormous job. Ya'll (I would be a Texas girl) did an amazing job!
This. Is. Totally. Awesome. It would be perfect for a little boy's, car/transportation themed room.
Wow, this is absolutely amazing!!! I'm your newest follower!
This is absolutely amazing!
thats so cool. lot of work. paid off
This is so cool. My dad has a garage that the walls are covered with signs and license plates, he would love something like this for it. 🙂
Coming in super belatedly but this is SO cool!!!! Love it!
too cool!