Spring cleaning is the perfect time to redecorate or remodel. While you’re about the task of moving furniture and cleaning, make your work multitask by freshening your decor at the same time. Here are green, recycled options for wall coverings: maps, book jackets and magazine covers.
Amongst other passions, I am a map-ophile. I should have been a cartographer, surveyor or navigator in another life. I could stare at maps all day and now I can when I rehang maps as wall art or wall covering. Save old maps and pull out maps from National Geographic, Conde Nast, Smithsonian and other travel/culture magazines. I was given several years worth of National Geographic. Besides making fabulous lesson plan material for homeschool and my classroom, I collected about two dozen maps. Hang maps from different regions and time periods. Maps are large enough to use for entire wall coverings. Paper the den, office or bathroom with maps for a bold, literate decor.
Book jackets, dust jackets, make another edgy wall decor theme. I realized this when I bought several vintage books. Being a reader of history mystery, I loved the book jacket image juxtaposition: Gothic, lurid pulp fiction, Victorian, Ancient Rome, Gangland Chicago, Art Deco New York. It doesn’t matter if the book jackets are in mint condition or slightly worn. Tattered book jackets lend character to wall art. Book jackets should be laminated before hanging. Border a room in book jackets. Strategically place a few book jackets. Or cover one wall with a collage of book jackets.
Buy an inexpensive laminator or have your maps, book jackets and magazine covers professionally laminated. You can also purchase DIY self-stick lamination paper from Staples or any office supply center. Hang the maps, book jackets and magazine covers with putty. Putty doesn’t damage wall or paint work. Putty leaves no holes either in the poster or the wall. Putty comes off clean. Putty is a teacher’s best friend for classroom decor and it works great around the house as well. With your urban, high brow wall art, you are going to have difficulty getting your guests to leave. Especially if they are readers of fine print like me.
Remember, teachers, maps make excellent, educational classroom wall decor. Try to connect the maps to content areas to give student atmosphere a global feel. For more decorating tips, visit me at www.decorthemes.blogspot.com. and www.diynhow24u.blogspot.com.