Bottled Up A bevy of 50-cent canning jars full of travel collectibles (shells, sand, volcanic rock, even a New York MetroCard and some Broadway tickets) is a great way to remember where you've been. Each jar can be labeled with the date and location of your trip and lined up on a bookcase or window ledge for a memorable tableau. Map It Out Bring home a map from each excursion and use it as the mat in a frame with your favorite corresponding vacation photo. Make some meaningful art in an instant (you can even photocopy your maps for a black-and-white look). Hang a grid of six different photos and maps in matching frames to create an arrangement with even greater impact and bring back memories of all the amazing trips you've taken. Same Old, Same Old Gathering similar items from different places makes for a varied and interesting collection. Restaurant matchbooks or smooth stones that can be labeled with the place and the date they were found are just two examples of pocket-sized possibilities. These kindred objects look fab when displayed together. Try an apothecary jar full of matchbooks or corks from wines you've enjoyed, and a tray stacked with menus from restaurants across the globe. Looking for more ways to spotlight your favorite vacay finds?
- Sending yourself a post card detailing your favorite vacation moments is such a simple way to remember your trip. It'll only cost you about 75 cents, including the stamp, and tossing them all into a big glass vase makes a statement.
- A shadowbox is an ideal place to create a collage with vacation keepsakes (plane tickets, Mardi Gras beads, seashells, etc). And it's much more meaningful than tucking souvenirs into a box in your closet and promptly forgetting about them.
- Adopt a signature pose (jumping into the air, kissing, etc.) that you and your travel mate(s) can strike on every trip and create a special album or wall display full of parallel poses against strikingly different backdrops.
- Bring home a local specialty beverage bottle (beer from Ireland, sweet tea from Georgia) and group the glittering green, brown and clear bottles on a tray or windowsill to make for an intriguing and memorable display.
