Day 11 of the Twelve DIYs of Christmas 2025
I like maps. For the past several years, I had a simple print of a United States map hanging in a thrifted frame in our finished basement. This fall I decided to upgrade the wall into more of a gallery by adding photos of places we've visited.
In the upper right, I hung a framed lobster post card and a nautical picture I took while boating in the Penobscot Bay during my visit to Maine this past summer.
The upper left showcases artwork and a photo from our hiking trip to Utah's Big Five national parks during summer 2024.
Our Pennsylvanian roots are well represented with this cleverly designed map of the state:
And, of course, Penn State gets a "WE ARE" shoutout with a metal laser-cut sign which I found at a garage sale.
While the layout certainly isn't to scale, the goal was to have some directional sense -- west locations being more more west, east locations being more east. (That's as good as I can get.) I plan to add pictures from a few southern locations, too, like Naples, Florida where my parents live and Jekyll Island, Georgia, which is one of my favorite places ever. Once I thrift a few more picture frames, I'll add a lower tier to the wall.
It's a gallery wall that's going places, one that happily showcases the places we've gone.
May your DIYs be merry and bright!
Visit again tomorrow for final installation of the Twelve DIYs of Christmas 2025!
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