Treats, Crafts and More!
You’ve had an amazing travel adventure and it’s time to head back home — so what are you going to bring with you as a souvenir of your experiences? Souvenirs can be a great way to remind yourself of your wonderful travel memories or to let friends and family know you were thinking of them, but sometimes the cliche fridge magnets, bottle openers and t-shirts can be a little bit boring.
Hopefully you found some creative ways to document your travels while you were abroad, but having something physical that will bring memories rushing back to you with a single glance is just as important.
Why not be more creative when you are thinking about what to bring home with you from your travels? Here are some fun ideas for vacation souvenirs you’ll be glad you brought home with you.
Local Edible Treats
Experiencing the local food can be one of the best parts of visiting another country, so why not bring home a souvenir you can eat? A bottle of locally produced olive oil from Greece, a collection of sweets and hard candies from the United Kingdom, odd flavors of KitKat such as green tea and wasabi from Japan, Belgian chocolates from Brussels, Kampot pepper from Cambodia, a bottle of wine from Italy and other yummy treats are all great options.
A good way to find these tasty local treasures is to check out the farmers’ markets and even the local supermarket.
Before you bring any food items home with you, make sure they won’t spoil or perish before they can get to your fridge. Also, look up the restrictions on importing food items into your home country, as sometimes items such as meat and dairy will need to be declared or will be confiscated.
Pack the items very carefully — you don’t want to arrive home and find that all of your clothes are soaked in spicy jerk sauce you brought back from the Caribbean.
Beach Sand
Here’s an easy — and free — trip souvenir to bring home. Whenever you visit a beach destination you can grab a handful of sand. Many travelers like to do this and then layer the sand in a decorative glass bottle, which will highlight the different colors and consistencies of the sand.
You can also use one tiny jar for the sand from each beach and then display them in a row on a shelf. It’s certainly one of the simplest things to collect when traveling and will make for a great conversation piece in your home.
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Local Handicrafts
Carnival masks from Venice, hand-painted ceramic bowls from Morocco, hand-woven alpaca shawls from Peru — one of the best types of souvenirs to collect is a locally made handicraft. They are beautiful, unique and cannot be found anywhere else in the world.
Also, by buying these creations you will be directly supporting the local artisans — making this a much more meaningful purchase than a mass-produced t-shirt or key ring.
Postcards
Postcards are a cheap travel souvenir that can be purchased in almost every travel destination around the world. You can send some off to your friends and family, but make sure you also keep a few for yourself.
You could make a fun craft project with them, such as a collage for your wall or a postcard scrapbook. You could also frame them, place them under the surface of a glass coffee table, or even hang them up with fishing line and clothespins.
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Themed Photos
Photos can be one of the best types of souvenirs because they don’t take up any extra room in your luggage and you can take as many as you like. To make things interesting you could go beyond the obvious travel photos and take photos with a fun theme that carries through to every destination you visit.
For example, you could bring along a stuffed toy and take a photo of it in every location. Or you could take a certain type of photo, like a snapshot where you are jumping in the air, at every spot you visit.
When you get back, you can combine these fun photos into a collage or frame them to hang on your wall. They can also be printed into a book, which makes a lovely travel keepsake.