Upcycle an old world globe into a one-of-a-kind keepsake.

This is a gift for my nephew. His mother is Japanese and his father is from Missouri. I wanted to make this a unique project that represented the parents' cultures and geography but combined them into one piece.

Step 1: Supplies

For this step you may find yourself at the thrift store.

You will need an world globe on a stand,

Gold, dark blue and white spray paint

Clear spray sealer

Gold and white paint pens

Chalk

Printer

Pen

Scissors

Screwdriver

An area outdoors for spray painting (drop cloths, ect)

Step 2: Disassemble

The first thing you will want to do is disassemble your globe from the stand.

Under the stand there should be a screw to remove. Then, carefully pull apart the arch piece to release the globe. It will be a snug fit but it should slip out.

Remove any washers and set aside.

Sand the globe and platform of the stand to prep them for paint adhesion.

Step 3: Spray Paint

Wipe off any dust from your stand base and globe.

Spray paint them both white as a primer.

Let that dry and then spray paint the globe dark blue and the base and other stand components in metallic gold. You will need at least two coats.

You will have to paint the globe in sections, letting it dry then turning and painting more. I used a small bucket as a base.

Step 4: Painting Base (optional)

You can leave your base gold or follow these steps to add some accent triangles.

Mask off parts of your base so that the exposed area will create triangles.

Spray paint over the entire base in dark blue.

Give it a minute and then peel off the tape while it is still wet.

After everything has drived, Dab some gold paint on a rag or news paper and blot gold specks on top of the blue.

Outline the triangles with your gold pen and then clear coat the base.

Step 5: Draw Your Countries and Text Part 1 of 2

You do not have to draw out countries but to bring in the global lifestyle of this family I chose to.

Draw out approximately where Japan and the United States would be on your globe in the white paint pen.

Next figure out where your wording will go and what font you will use.

I looked at some font as I was drawing out the English text.

Draw the font in gold and outline with a white pen.

Step 6: Add Text 2 of 2

The next step is to add the same message but now in Japanese kanji (or a language of your choosing).

I had to recruit the help of my friend's cousin's wife to help me translate it correctly (Thanks, Kimiko ^^)

If you need this exact message you can copy and paste it in to a word document:

あなたは私にとって世界で一番大切な人です
(You are the most important person in the world to me)

I broke the message into three lines so that it fit nicely on the globe (You can split Japanese where ever and the message is the same - they do not use spaces).

Next print off your Japanese text in the size you will be using. Label each line 1,2 & 3.

Flip over your paper and rub white chalk all over the back of where your text is.

Cut out the three lines and tape one line and then trace (pressing firmly) over the Kanji. This will transfer chalk lines onto your globe.

The kanji might not have transferred perfectly so I taped the same piece down to reference and then traced out the text in gold pen. Repeat this process for the other two lines an then outline in a fine white paint pen.