Three Ways to Display Your Travel Memories

Do you love collecting objects throughout your trip and, then returning home wonder what on earth to do with all the things you have accumulated? We have all faced that dilemma at one time or another. Rather than tossing these precious items out or stashing them in a box that just adds to the clutter why not organize them creatively? The stay at home order is a good time to do this and we have three creative ways for you to showcase your keepsakes.

Vacation Memory Jar
If you have scooped up powder white or black sand from an exotic beach or the desert, collected shells from far away islands, or collected lava rocks and other interesting natural treasures, why not store them in a mason jar or artfully shaped vase. Before filling your mason jar with your treasures you can laminate a photo of the destination and attach it to the inside of the jar.  After the photo is firmly attached, fill your vacation memory jar with layers of sand, shells, rocks, flowers, and other items from your trip.  A vacation memory jar can be placed on a shelf or in a bookcase as a decorative and meaningful memento.

ShadowBoxes
We like the idea of a shadowbox because the space is so flexible. There are so many places to purchase shadowboxes online and if you are handy they are pretty easy to make. Include those items that caught your eye along the way, add your impression of the destination on the back of a postcard, and jot down a poem or song lyrics that remind you of your trip.  It is important to have a smattering of three dimensional and flat objects to make the shadowbox interesting.  Don't forget to have colorful pens, markers, and glitter on hand, often they add to the final product. 

Most shadowboxes are deep enough to arrange a variety of your favorite trip memorabilia from bulky items to slimmer paper keepsakes like currency, maps, plastic room keys, tickets, photos, brochures, and menus that you have saved. It is fun to organize these items in a colorful and meaningful collage. Shadowboxes look great hung on a wall or placed on a shelf.  The shadowbox by Frame YI and Love-Kankei are highly recommended on Amazon.

Scrapbooking 
A time tested tried and true way to document your travels is by scrapbooking. There is something nostalgic about preserving memories this way. The most common scrapbook size is 12x12 that fits four to six photos per page. Make sure you have some plastic page protectors if you are using a three-ring binder, a sharpie for writing bold titles, and a pen for more detailed captions. Some of the pages should have a plastic pocket where you can include your bulkier finds and trinkets. 

It is always important to consider the layout for each page. Think about how you want to organize them...by day or by attraction. Play around with the placement before you attach the images and other items. After you are happy with your layout it is time to layer and add extra elements especially if you have left space between the photos to write down certain memories or add postcards and ticket stubs.

Whatever method you choose to save your travel memories we hope that these ideas have inspired you, not only to look back on the good times you have had but to all the journeys that await you with Tours of Distinction based in Connecticut.