It might be easier to buy ready-made souvenirs when you’re traveling to your dream destinations but creating something out of keepsakes make them extra special. It can be as simple as buying some textile with a beautiful pattern that reminds you of your island getaway and turning it into a shrug for your couch. Or you can go full-on DIY with a framed collage of ephemera you’ve collected on a trip. Whatever you choose to do, the result will be a reminder of the happy memories you made away from home.
1. Frame It
Take a store-bought frame and unclasp to release the backing board. You can cut some artboard paper to fit the frame. Before adhering your collage, try to lay out your items on the paper first. These are just some of the things you can include in your collage: a boarding pass; a coaster from a restaurant you had an amazing dinner at; tickets to a Broadway show; a handwritten receipt from an old school diner; a piece of stationery from your hotel. You can create a collage for every trip you go on and arrange your frames on a wall in your condo.
2. Currency Mosaic
You’ve probably started a coin collection of foreign currency without realizing it. You can take coins of varying sizes and turn it into a mosaic. You can use a glue gun to affix the coins on a marble slab or a sturdy board. You can also spray it with a fixative to make it easier to wipe down when it gets dirty. Whether you frame it and hang it up on a wall or turn it into a decorative piece for your coffee table, it’s a great conversation piece to have in your home.
3. Coast Along
If you like making the rounds at flea markets or night markets, you’re likely to have come across stalls that sell tiles with gorgeous patterns and designs. Buying in bulk is certainly out of the question for light travelers but collecting one or two on each trip is doable. You can use the tiles as mismatched coasters for your dining table. Keep everything else simple on your tablescape and let the travel tile coasters shine on your mantle.
4. Wall of Travels
If you’ve got an instant camera, make sure to snap a photo in each city you visit. You can also have your digital photos printed to look like Polaroid prints. Using some baker’s twine and wooden clothespins, you can create a wall of all your travel snaps. You can use washi tape to affix the strings across the wall before securing the photos with the clothespins.
5. Magnetized
Here’s an idea if you’re constantly stuffing your luggage with refrigerator magnets and running out of space on your fridge door. You can take a metal tray and turn it into a moveable art piece. Try going by color and arrange your magnets by hue. Or if you’ve got themed magnets, arrange them by country or region. Either way, you can always mix it up when you feel like changing up your display.
If you’re looking for a home to furnish with your sentimental DIY mementos, The Residences at Commonwealth by Century is a great real estate choice for the hardworking millennial. The hyper-amenitized condo in Quezon City is only a 5-minute walk from Commonwealth Avenue and the Don Antonio station of the upcoming MRT-7 line, making it accessible to major business and commercial hubs such as Ortigas, Cubao, and Makati. The spaces are expansive and uniquely-shaped with wide open spaces for leisure. To learn more about Commonwealth by Century, head to our website.
