Daily Archives: November 18, 2011

T-shirts, keychains and shot glasses are easy souvenirs, but they don’t carry a whole lot of significance for the giver or receiver. Besides, what’s the point of buying something made in Thailand when your vacation was actually to Costa Rica?

If you didn’t have time (or funds) to comb through artisan markets and pick out locally made crafts for all of your friends and family during your trip, it’s not too late to turn your travels into meaningful gifts… Roll up your sleeves and start making them yourself.

First, identify what materials you have to work with. Besides the photos you took, did you save any maps, brochures, currency, transit passes, newspapers, magazines, bottles, coasters, shopping bags? (If not, then keep it mind on your next trip!)

The list of objects you can craft from these salvaged bits of your travels is endless. Here are some ideas to get your imagination rolling:

• Print your best photos and stick them onto business-card-sized magnets.
• Cut maps into squares and make origami ornaments.
• Construct a mobile or piece of wall art out of subway passes.
• Cover a box with clips from travel brochures and fill it with homemade treats from a recipe you learned on your trip.
• Use a page from a foreign-language newspaper or magazine to make a picture frame.
• Craft maps into paper flowers and use exotic glass bottles as vases…