Sweet Valentine Gift

So it's valentines day, or your mans birthday, or a special anniversary and you need a creative gift.  I have the perfect idea for you.  Modeling after my grandparents goal of traveling all 50 states together, I decided to make my boyfriend a map of the states and to tack a picture taken in the states we've been to so far.  It's a cute, easy gift that's sure to have him wooing in no time.

Supplies:
1.  Cork board (smaller one)
2.  Paint (I chose two variations of blue)
3.  Tacks
4.  Pictures of you and your special someone
5.  Paint pen (I used black)
6.  Map of the US printed out or a picture online if you're ultra risky/artsy
7.  Cute travel icons (optional)
8.  Scrap booking letters
9.  Glue gun and sticks

How to:
1.  If you printed out the US map on a piece of paper, cut it out like a stencil and trace.  If you did like I did and didn't have time/access to an immediate printer, do your best to draw it from a picture online (google image search US map). ** don't forget Alaska and Hawaii
2.  Squirt your paint colors on a plate and paint alternatively on the map while mixing and blending at the same time to get a swirly blended look.  If that's to hard or time consuming you can do one sold color.
3.  Outline the whole thing with a black paint pen.
4.  If you want you can outline each state but I found it easier to just put the abbreviations of each state (it makes it not look as cluttered)
5.  Glue on your letters at the top for the title (mine is titled Garrett and Courtney's Travels)
6.  Make a section for Countries off to the side
7.  Glue on any cute icons or adornments (I bought a "travel" themed set of pieces in the scrap booking section that had little planes, luggage boxes and travel buttons)
8.  Tack on each picture to the corresponding state
9.  Wrap and give to your lovey!


Now that you've wowed the socks off of your special someone, go book yourself a trip to Hawaii or an Alaskan cruise to knock off some of those hard to get to places!  Lucky for me I get to mark off Minnesota, New York and New Jersey this spring break! Hurrah!