Shape it as you want!

When Oli was just born we celebrated the quiet moments by solving a jigsaw puzzle together. 5000 pieces is quite a lot and makes a huge picture … for a while it hang in our corridor but after remodeling it got stuck under our bed … and now when Oli is about to turn 3 years old I have made a wall hanging out of it again :)

puzzle cut in shape of Latvia lying on my floor

I cut out the shape of Latvia because I love all the different ways americans celebrate the shape of their states (with string art, jewelry, on mugs and t-shirts and that is just the tip of the iceberg!) and my country's shape is close to my heart so I thought why not and woala!

If you want to know how I did it just read further ;)
if not just skip ahead, skip ahead ..


1st step
I bought big enough map of Latvia :) and then taped it to window.

2nd step
taped a piece of leftower wallpaper over it.

3rd step
outlined my country :)

4th step

took wallpaper and map off the window and cut the shape out of the wallpaper

 

first four steps where just to leave the map usable as map or anything else I ever think of :)

5th step

make sure you place the shape properly!

WRONG!
this could have worked if I had chosen to
cut the shape from back side of the puzzle

6th step 
tape the shape to jour puzzle. I used paper tape because it is less sticky and will come off more easily
(btw, your puzzle must be glued together in one piece beforehand) 

7th step
find ruler and cutting knife.
DO NOT FORGET TO PUT SOMETHING UNDERNEATH !!!
I had big black thick plastic piece that now is quite ruined and can only be used as "safety net" for other cutting adventures :)

8th step
start cutting!
I chose to cut approximately 3cm around border which in the end made Latvia look a bit heavy …
next time I ever do this i will cut as close to actual border as possible.
why did I make the 3cm border you ask? I just wanted more of this ocean view to be included … (blush)

9th step
when the cutting is done and the hand hurts like hell (no I did not cut myself, thank God) take off the template and enjoy!

10th step
attach it to your wall :)
I chose to scotch it to my wall. because it is the easiest and fastest way I know and if I am lucky after a while I will be able to take it off and the wallpaper won't be damaged.

make a scotch loop with sticky side outside 

attach many scotch loops to the puzzle's back side
(can't believe I didn't take picture of this … but you can believe me there were more than 20 scotch loops on my Latvia shaped ocean before I attached it to the wall)

11th step
Enjoy!

and here two more pictures from our hallway :)

Oli loves all the fishes and even Sam tries to make the fish sounds with her mouth :)

See you soon and have yourself a crafty adventure too ;)