getting crafty...vintage map garlands

i was really lucky to stumble upon a whole box of vintage maps ranging from fairly ancient cloth automobile maps to more modern (80s?) european city paper maps. i've got lots of ideas to use them in my crafting projects and my first idea that has come to fruition is the vintage map garlands for hampshire open studios along with the vintage button magnets. what's even better is that one of the maps i used covers portsmouth, which is just around the corner from the event! i couldn't have planned it better!

these garlands are made from very old cloth bartholomew's quarter inch automobile map of great britain numbers 22 (london southwards) and 21 (portsmouth) threaded on to green and red cotton wool. here's a snap - sorry the bag is a bit shiny...

it did feel difficult cutting up a beautiful old map, musky with age, and threading it up in to a garland but at least this allows others to appreciate its fabulousness, just in a different form. i've got plans for the little bits left over so not much will go to waste.