Simple Upcycled Map Coasters Gift Idea
Make dad a thoughtful a practical gift for Father’s Day: upcycle maps of places he’s visited into useful coasters for his favorite drinks!
Happy Father’s Day to all the dads and husbands of my readers! We know we could not do it without you, taking care of the family and also all those projects that require heavy duty electrical power tool usage.
Coaster Gift Idea from Upcycled Maps
We do a lot of decoupage around here. From decoupage on plastic bottles, or refinishing a shelf with paper, we are big users of the sticky stuff!
So this year my daughters decided to give their dad a hand crafted gift for Father’s Day. They made these thoughtful coasters with maps superimposed on them. The maps are of locations that their dad has been to, so the gift has special meaning for him.
To make the coasters, they simply used an old mouse pad, cut it up in circles, and using Mod Podge, glued the map onto the mouse pad. Then finished it off with a few more coats of Mod Podge.
My husband liked his Happy Father’s Day Gift of Worldly Coasters so much he doesn’t want to use them. He wants to preserve the memories! What did your husbands or fathers get on this special day?
This gift also reminds me of this upcycled map keychain idea. Oh, and you have to see how I used a map to refinish the inside of a vintage suitcase!
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that’s a great idea for gifts. I think it is personalized to perfection.
Thanks for your sweet comment. My husband loves them so much he hid them away!
Don’t hide them away! Frame them and display them. 🙂
Great idea on upcycling a mouse pad! Never would have thought of that. The coasters are a fun gift idea.
Audra, and the best part is they are so personal for him only.
Supercute idea!!
Thank you for your sweet words and thanks for visiting.
I would love to make a set of these to remember our summer vacation in Hawaii. Thanks so much for the inspiration!
Steph you get me. This is exactly why my husband will not use them, he wants to preserve his memories. Thanks for stopping by!
Love these! Very creative idea!
Paula
http://www.redwineandpeonies.com
Paula, thanks for your sweet words and for visiting!
What a thoughtful and creative gift! No wonder your husband loves them so much!
Thanks Cave Mom (love your blog name) for your sweet words.
These are adorable!
Melissa, Thanks for your sweet comment.
Those look great! I kind of want to make some for myself.
Hey Brianna, they were so easy to make and he just loves them. Now I’ll have to make another set so we can actually use them.
What a great idea. I love to travel and this is a perfect gift for a traveler or a Dad…Thank you for sharing at the Thursday Favorite Things blog hop.
Joyously,
Betty @ My Cozy Corner Co-Hostess at katherines Corner
Yes Betty my husband was very happy with them. Thank you.
I really love this! Thanks for sharing.
Thank you Beth. So happy you stopped by.
What a fun idea. I love it. Thanks for linking up at the Monday Funday Party.
Thank you Emily!
How cool that they show locations that are special to him! Awesome project. And the “heavy duty electrical power tool usage” line made me laugh. 🙂
Sarah Eliza, I kid you not, those things are scary, with all that noise and bluster!
What a great way to capture those memories. I love old maps…they are a work of art in themselves. Thank you for sharing on #HomeMattersParty.
Sonja, thanks for dropping by, I’ve been really getting into them lately myself.
I love maps. and to make something that really means something to dad? The best gift ever! Sure looks like your daughters have inherited their mother’s talent!!!
Nikki, they each have their own talents. And I chrish them for it. Thanks for your lovely words.
You are one clever lady Mary! I love this project to bits. Thanks for sharing at Five Star Frugal this week. Love, Mimi xxx
Thanks Mimi, it’s always a pleasure to visit you and read all your fun and informative posts.
Really like those coasters with maps of where your hubs has gone. I’d have to do some hunting to find maps of all places my hubs has been, he was in Air Force Jolly Greens Rescue and Recovery. We were married 3 1/2 weeks when he was sent to Viet Nam. He had been few places before he met me. Our first date was 10/18/68 and we got married on 11/30/68 and he left for Viet Nam on 12/26/68. 47 yrs. later as of end of this month we’ll be celebrating our 47th. Anniversary. I had 3 very young kids when we married and we had one when he came home and we moved to Colorado Springs, Co after he got out of Air Force.
Maybe I can find maps of places he’s been on Graphics Fairy. That would be first source I’d contact. Really nice coasters, hope I can make some for my hubs. Happy week
Thanks so much Jane Ellen. Congratulations on 47 happy years together. I still have a way to go before I reach 47, I’m on 27. I hope you can find some maps on Graphics Fairy, or even if you Google it. Good luck, I’m sure it will be a wonderful gift for him. Mine loves them so much he won’t let us use them.
what an awesome idea! I love maps, not sure why I never get around to doing a map craft. This is more special since they used places he has been. Sweet!
He loves them so much he has hidden the coasters and won’t let us touch them.
Love this idea. I’m going to make them but not for any special occasion. I showed them to the Mayor and he likes them. I think I’ll use them as props for my food blog. Great idea. Oh, you could even use cork or existing coasters that aren’t in such good shape. Thanks for the idea.
That’s a great idea Baba. And yes using old coasters is a great way to upcycle them.
Mary, this is such a great idea! I think Terry would love something like this showing all of our travels as well. I chose this post to be my favorite this week on From The Archives Friday. Appreciate you coming by and sharing your familiy’s creative projects.
Thank you so much Lynn. It’s always better to try and personalize the gifts so they have meaning for the reciever.
Thanks for letting me include this project in my Father’s Day round up! You can check it out at http://www.biscuitsandburlap.com/2016/06/13/10-diy-fathers-day-gifts/
I’m so happy to hear that, I’ll be right over.
Hi Mary
I was looking at this project again and a thought occurred to me. We have the grandchildren for a lot of the summer and this would be a fantastic project to do with them.
Thanks
These are perfect.
And super simple! Thank you Amy!
What a lovely gift idea and perfect for Father’s Day!
Thank you Carlee. He has them tucked away as a momento and won’t let anyone touch them Lol!!
I love these coasters. They would make a great gift for the traveler as well as a Father’s Day gift.
Yes they would Rhonda. My husband is really happy with this gift. It spoke to his heart!
I love a good map project, these are lovely and timeless too.
Yes they are those places are not going to move any time soon! 😉
I love these coasters! I always love anything with maps, but the fact that they are also made from old mouse pads is just fantastic! Your daughters did a great job! 🙂 Lisa
Thanks Lisa, their dad was so excited he took them and hid them away so no one would ruin them. But I think it’s time to take them out and use them.
What a wonderful personalized gift Mary. Using a map of the locations your husband has been is such a memorable way to remember them. Travel is such a blessing I am sure he enjoys lots of memories when he uses these. Great idea lady.
I had no idea he had traveled to so many islands in Greece till I saw this gift. Lol!
Special because his girls made them for him!
Yes indeed. He was so touched by their thoughfulness.
I came across a store that sold cork in sheets and thought, that would be good for coasters. I like your idea to cut up an old mousepad so much better! Great result from this easy and thoughtful project. Thanks for sharing with us at Creatively Crafty #ccbg 🙂
Thanks Lydia, I’m always trying to use what I have around the house instead of buying more supplies.
Cute coasters! Your daughter did a wonderful job on them. Clever idea of using an old mouth pad. I don’t think that I would want to use them either.
Hah! I am going to take them to the new apartment. They will look great there with all the map decor.
Clever idea and could be good for someone who loves to travel too
Exactly, Amber before my husband and I married he had travelled extensively all over Greece so this is a tribute to his travels.
This is a great idea! ibwould never have though to upcycle a mouse pad into such a personal gift!
You just never know what can be repurposed.