Using up old maps...

It's a miserable Monday afternoon with another deadline looming, so in the ultimate state of procrastination I've been giving my University bedroom a bit of a spruce up. I've learnt first hand how student houses can be pretty crap. They smell like moth balls, are always cold and it would take a Kim and Aggie duo living in one to keep it looking tidy.

If you've been reading my blog for the short time I've been writing it, you'll know I love maps. I love using them in my work and to wrap presents (see here for a post on this). I always have them around in draws that I've picked up from charity shops for pennies. I thought I'd show you how you can use up old maps you may have lying around the house...

I started off with an old box that a candle came in - I was using it to store the millions of bobby pins I own. I've been wanting to cover it in something for a while, the yellow colour doesn't really compliment my bedroom.

Flip the map over to it's blank side and draw around the box, so you have a template to cut out. Then just glue away. One tip is to make sure you fold down each of the edges - it just makes it look a little neater when it's finished.

It completely transforms something that was pretty dull, into a storage box with character. Of course you don't have to use maps, you could use old prints or comic book pages.

Here's my little nook that I keep my new box, I thought I'd share with you some other pieces I used my maps on. Take a look..

I bought this spicy Christmas candle from home store Dunelm the other week. The packaging was a bit festive for this year, I think I can just get away with the scent! I trimmed the edge of the map to match the wrapping of the candle tin and just glued it on. Now it looks a lot cooler and fits in perfectly with the rest of my bedroom.

My mum picked me up this notice board from the TK Maxx sale, it's a little chipped, but nothing that a black sharpie can't fix. These cork boards are brilliant for making collages to brighten up a bedroom. I filled mine with the last bits of my map, then filled in the gaps with some photos, tickets and postcards - I put it together pretty quickly with things lying around in my purse, I'm actually really pleased with it!

These little touches have made such big changes to a room that lacked in personality, yet so simple and easy to re-create. I'd love to know if you give this a go, if you do tweet me a picture here.

Or do you have any quick tips to spruce up a bedroom? 

Harri xxx