DECORATED IN DETAIL

With their intricate markings showing the lie of the land, old maps are ideal for creating simple but unusual crafts

IT CAN BE fascinating to study maps, with their fine detail revealing a multitude of intriguing towns and villages, as well as county borders and the geological contours of the landscape. Patterns are formed by the network of rivers and roads that meander between fields and woodland, while symbols and place names denote interesting locations to visit or allude to the underlying history of an area.

Pages from an old Ordnance Survey map or atlas can be used in a range of crafts to showcase their particular beauty, creating textural talking points to decorate the home or to give as gifts. Emphasis can be placed on favourite destinations or the colours of the land and sea to create harmonious artwork.

PAPER LANTERNS

Jars from the kitchen cupboard make ideal lanterns when a tea light is placed inside. The glass is enveloped in a sheet of map paper, which should be slightly taller than the jar, and glued together at the edges. When the candle is lit, intricate details, such as place names, are illuminated in a warm glow. Holes can be added with a needle to highlight features, such as rivers, while adding tiny stars of light to the map.