What You’ll Need: 

   Paper (Construction paper works best)
   Pencil

Optional Items:

   Lighter or Candle
   Sandpaper
   Water
   Bottle with cork
  
To start with, you will need a piece of paper to draw your map on. Anything beige or yellow looks best, and construction paper works well.

If you are doing an island treasure map like I made, you will need to draw the outline of your island. We all know that islands aren’t perfectly round, so don’t draw your’s that way. Make the edges uneven and give it a random shape. You can add a smaller island to the side if you want to like I did.

Every good map needs a compass, so draw one of them in the corner. That will help to make it look more real. Any way you draw it is fine, I just made mine fancy.

You can name your island if you want to. I put the name of mine in the upper right corner, and added numbers just for effect. Kind of makes it look like latitude and longitude degrees.

Add details to your map, like mountains, rivers, caves, or whatever you like! I named mine to give more of the look I wanted to the map. And don’t forget, “X” marks the spot!

Keep adding details until you are satisfied with how it looks. Then you have your map!

For more advanced map makers, you can make it look even more real. Children should not attempt to do the techniques dealing with fire. Adult supervision is advised.

To make the map look old, you can crumple it up a little, or rub some areas with sandpaper. You can also darken areas by holding it over a flame. Be careful not to hold it there too long or the paper can catch on fire. You can burn the edges to give it a burnt look, but make sure to put out the flame quickly or your map will be history. Keeping water handy is a good idea. You can also use the water to make your map wet. After it dries, it will also give it an aged look.

And if you really want to give it a real look, you can buy a glass bottle with a cork at an arts and crafts store. The one in the photo below only cost me around $1.00! Then roll your map up, slip it inside, and seal it closed with the cork!