Handmade for the Holidays - Gifts forTravelers + Map Geeks

Welcome to my Handmade for the Holidays series. Today I am featuring some handmade items from Esty sellers that would be great for those on your holiday list that love to travel or love anything related to maps. Maps are great for repurposing into many art objects.  There are lots of things that will get your inner cartographer signing in today's picks.

Also, a little tip: I buy large maps really cheap at yard sales and use them for unique wrapping paper. You can often pick up old Michelin travel maps for a quarter or so. Much more interesting than typical holiday wrapping paper. Now, on to my Etsy picks for today:

Custom Map Magnets ($16/ set of 4)

Calgary-based Dombot will made square glass tile magnets for you customized with the cities of your choice. A great way to remember a past adventure or stay inspired for a new one.

Passport Cover ($5)

Utah-based TwoPolkaDots has vinyl passport covers decorated with fun papers. They are durable and thin enough to slide through the passport reader machines so you don't have to remove your passport. This Etsy shop has tons of other styles available. If you are looking for other types of passport covers, perhaps fabric or leather, just click here.

Topography-Inspired Papercut Art ($40)

Crafterall  is based in Minnesota and works magic with paper and a sharp blade making layered artwork that looks like topographic maps. She can customize it by a specific place and a specific color. Pretty impressive and detailed work. There are also note card-size works available tool.

Vintage Map Cuff Links ($119)

Anne Holman Jewelry Designs makes all sorts of lovely jewelry that incorporates maps. When I look at her pieces, they all seem to have a story to tell. In addition to cuff links she makes lovely necklaces.

Map Clutch Bag ($15)

This small unstructured clutch is made by Sew Ecological and would be great for carrying your phone and some cash for a quick trip to the market. Based out of Michigan, Sew Ecological puts a little love in each item they make.

Vintage Map Butterfly Art ($189)

London-based Bombus takes vintage maps and turns them into little works of art. I love these butterflies, so delicate! The cool part is that the artist will customize the butterflies for you to reflect any special place you want. How cool is that? Check out their shop for other artwork incorporating maps.



Kraft Airport Journal ($9)

Jet Set Paper customizes journals and note paper with airport codes. A fun way to jot down travel memories. Each Moleskine Cahier notebook contains 64 lined pages.

Hemp Toiletry Kit ($28)

Sarah Winter Clothwork combines hemp, hand dyeing and sewing to create bags and wearables. I like this toiletry kit because it is compact in size and has a bright interior which makes it easy to find things.

There you have it. Some of my favorite picks from Etsy that covers Gifts for the Traveler or Map Lover on your list. Check out my previous post on Gifts for Her, Gifts for Him, and Gifts for the Home. Happy shopping and hooray for supporting handmade. Coming up on November 29th, unique and fun gifts for the the kids on your list.  Check back to see what I have picked out for you!


Note: Photo credits belong to each of the Esty vendors listed in this post.