Update: Here is how to make a a license plate map the easy way!
I have recently had a few emails regarding this cool–but pain in the butt– craft my mom and I did before the blog addiction. Here is the first license plate map post. I thought I would revisit and attempt to explain the process more clearly… This $3,900 beauty from Uncommon Goods was the inspiration…
My mom loved this version from Uncommon Goods. I mean really LOVED it. It was all she ever wanted… and in typical Tenacious T (my mom’s name is Terri) style, the next day she decided to make it, and the license plates were ordered! I was living at home at this point, and available to assist. Here is our license plate collage map:
We decided to frame it and put Alaska and Hawaii on the same board, unlike the one from Uncommon Goods. This is the only picture I have of the process:
License plate map making tips:
1. My mom bought a set of 50 license plates on Ebay. She had to specially order 2 black Texas and 2 blue CA ones (for this size, TX and California took 2 plates) My mom special ordered a few other states too, just for color distribution purposes.
2. My mom and dad made the board that the map is attached to. They used planks of cedar wood, and stained the planks.
3. We found a free printed map in an old National Geographic magazine that was the perfect size. I suggest looking at second hand stores for a good map. Let the map determine the size of your board! Finding a good map is key.
4. We cut out each individual state from the paper map, and taped it to the license plate to use as a template for cutting with the aviator snips.
5. The map you see in the picture was our reference guide. It gets tricky in New England!
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 in with the plates and painted a few tips of nails to match the specific color of the plate (i.e. blue for CA, black for TX). Be generous with the nails to make sure the plates lay flat.
8. We started with the north/south line stretching from North Dakota to Texas.
9. We used 3 different pairs of aviator snips to cut the plates…one pair curved left, on pair curved right, and one pair cut straight…We also used the Dremmel tool with the grinder wheel to sand a few of the thicker, more difficult plates (like Texas)!
10. We traced an outline on the board to use as a reference guide for placing the plates…while this did help the process in the end the plates did not line up perfectly and a few pencil marks still show today. This was a necessary evil as far as I can tell. Maybe light stenciling is the key?
As always, please feel free to email me at craftaway [at] gmail [dot] com with any questions!
Comments & Reviews
I just completed my first usa plate map i attached my plated first to aluminum sheet and riveted each plate to that. Then cut out plywood about 1 inch larger that the plate map and stained the wood. I attached the plates to the plywood with 3/4 inch spaces to it sits slightly higher and in between i placed led strip lighting around the entire outline. I can adjust the lighting to to several 100 different colour effects or change randomly.
Turned out so well I started a business selling them since I have an unlimited supply of plates from all 50 states.
do you know what issue they got the map from?
Hi can you tell me the dimensions of the wood planks and how many it took. Also, did you just crew the plates into the wood frame?
Hi. awesome piece of work. can you tell me the dimensions on the planks of word and how many it took. also, did you just screw the plates into the wood? Thanks
WOW, this is FANTASTIC! Definitely adding it to my growing list of projects!
I saw one of these in a local shop for several thousand $$$. Nice to see you DYI – It makes me hopeful that I can do my very own! 🙂
This is absolutely inspiring! thanks for sharing!
This is so cool!!!
Love this!
umm WOW!! This is amazing! My dad has a collection of all his old license plates from New York, California and LOTS from Texas. I'm thinking I will have to do something special like this with them!
This is fantastic!!! I am curious to know what kind of cost you have in it compared to the inspiration piece. Also, how long did it take! It is AMAZING!
Wow – I've never seen that before.. but that's pretty awesome.
That looks so awesome! you guys are so talented!
Oh my goodness! I love this!! My goal is to visit every state before I turn 30. I have visited 36 so far. This would be an awesome project to hang out the wall and remind me of all the places I have been!
Thanks for sharing!
Heather
Wow!! That's really awesome!! I like your version better because you didn't forget to include #49 and 50.
Awesome! I love that you included Alaska and Hawaii.
WOW! That is cool!
Jen
I love that, I've always wanted to try to make one. Great job!