Use Your DIY Talents to Change the World, One Globe at a Time
Shopping at Goodwill and buying items there for your home are great ways to honor Mother Earth. How? Rather than tossing unwanted or unneeded items into a landfill, people donate them to Goodwill to resell at scratch-your-head low prices. And what better item to pick up there than a globe to transform in honor of Earth Day/Earth Month 2024? We often say every day is Earth Day so anytime you stop by at Goodwill and see a globe for sale, be sure to take it home with you.
There are some many ways to upcycle a globe for use in your home, apartment, condo or office. Clearly, globes unite us all as they reflect our home—no matter where it might be located.
Give an old globe a 2024 makeover that will leave you wanting to do more!
Here’s How:
1. Find a world of good at Goodwill
There are several things you’ll always find at Goodwill: unique items at low prices and a wonderful team very happy to help. If you were to ask me my top list of items to pick up while finding your good there, I would place globes among my favorite five.
Globes look great in any decorative style because of their timeless, universal appeal.
The one featured here stood heads (or should I say worlds?) above the others because of its unusual, tall stand.
2. Paint propels pops
- To give the dated-looking wooden stand, metal base and holder a fresh look, a glossy black spraint was applied.
- Plastic grocery bags were cut in half and secured around the globe to protect it from the paint. Painter’s tape helped to keep things in place.
- Follow this first step for your global transformation and then place it outside on a drop cloth.
- Carefully apply a couple of light layers, moving your globe and its stand around to get solid coverage.
- A gentle touch when spraying will help prevent drips and runs.
- Be sure to allow ample time for the paint to dry well to avoid fingerprints or smudging the glossy finish.
- Use scissors to cut away the plastic bag and use care when removing the painter’s tape. You are already changing the world with this one, simple step!
3. Brush on brightness
Use colorful craft paints to make each content or section of the planet pop. Enlist several small craft paint brushes to apply a couple of layers focusing on the shapes of the landmasses. Use a bright blue to fill in the oceans and other big bodies of water. Your paint strokes will help to hide the names of various places and create less small visual clutter.
You might consider brushing on a couple of layers, too, to make each color as vibrant as possible. While you could stop at this step, keep going to make your globe truly a work of art Mother Earth will love!
4. Clip and collage
Linking to this DIY project’s reuse-rethink focus, go through old magazines, sheet music, calendars and cards to clip relevant words and fun images.
Consider words like adventure, travel, explore, grow, fun and more which are often found as article headlines or in advertising messages.
Cut out things like flowers, stars, small animals, boats, planes or even a spaceship!
For my global domination—I mean transformation, I came across fun images of the Eiffel Tower, Statue of Liberty and Big Ben, all which are iconic landmarks and say travel to me.
After you have a collection of clipped pieces, secure them on your globe using Mod Podge. Apply a light layer on the globe where you want it to be, position it carefully and brush on another light layer. Mod Podge is popular with DIYers because it dries clearly and solidly.
Again, be patient (something hard for me!) to allow time for the Mod Podge to dry completely before moving to the next fun step.
5. Make your mark on the world
Use a black Sharpie or other permanent black ink marker to outline the bright landmasses and clipped collage pieces. This will help them to stand out while the black tone will connect your globe’s new look with the transformed black base.
For added whimsy, consider drawing in dashed lines from one place to another as if it was a path of a plane or boat. While I didn’t do it on my globe, you could also write messages, too, like “Enjoy the Journey” or “You Mean the World to Me.”
6. Position it and give it a spin
This colorful, funky and unique globe is now a totally one-of-a-kind art piece! Place it on a credenza by some tall vases under an interesting, framed print. Set it next to your sofa for a creative conversation piece.
Be sure to give yourself a pat on the back for tapping into your DIY talents while celebrating Earth Day in this wonderful and very fitting way!
Similar Reads:
- Globes Upcycled: 3 Transformations
- Take a DIY Voyage by Upcycling a Suitcase Into a Side Table
- My Top 3 Most Unexpected (and Awesome!) Goodwill Finds
Tim Kime
Artist, Motivational Speaker, Life Coach
