10 Ways to Preserve Vacation Memories

Between juggling work calls, snack requests, and the never-ending swirl of mom life, I know how chaotic these days can feel. And yet, in the middle of the busy, so many families are suddenly home… searching for something new, something meaningful, something that brings everyone together, even for just a moment.

If you’re anything like me, you return from a trip with the best of intentions. I scoop up the napkins, the menus, the hotel keys—each little piece holding a memory I swear I’ll use for a scrapbook! And then…life happens. Those treasures get tucked into a shoebox, photos sit languishing on my hard drive, and the magic of the trip slowly fades into the everyday.

But here’s the good news: right now is the perfect time to preserve those vacation memories.

It’s a chance to pull out those keepsakes, relive the laughter, and turn your family’s adventures into something you can hold onto forever. I’ve rounded up some of my favorite vacation-inspired craft ideas to help you preserve the stories, the smiles, and the sweet little moments that made your trip special.

Create a Photo Book 

Growing up, my mom always had a camera in her hand. Every vacation came with thousands of photos—piles of prints that would eventually end up in towering stacks of boxes just waiting to be labeled and tucked into an album. I have such sweet memories of sitting with her, sorting through each picture… but I also remember the papercuts!

And when we recently had to move her hundreds of albums? Let’s just say I’m extra grateful for modern technology.

One of my favorite parts of parenting in this era is how simple it is to turn our memories into something beautiful. I can upload our photos, pick my favorites, and create a gorgeous book without ever pulling out a glue stick. There are templates if you want simple, or you can design every page from scratch if you’re feeling creative.

Annabelle’s book from our Disney trip is a daily staple—she pulls it off the shelf constantly, reliving every moment as if we’re right back on Main Street. And I love that all of our books are the same size and shape, slowly becoming a little library of our family adventures. Not only is it a beautiful keepsake, but with everything saved in my Shutterfly account, I never have to worry about sticky toddler hands or sudden spills. If a book gets damaged, I can just reorder it—no papercuts or panic.

And if you’re curious about where to start, Travel and Leisure has a great roundup of the best online photo book makers to help you choose the right one for your family.

Create your own Magnets 

Another great way to preserve your travel memories is with DIY magnets. By making your own, you don’t have to worry about cluttering your fridge with a hodgepodge of hokey magnets picked up at the airport. You can use your travel photos, maps of the places you visited, or even the notepad paper from the hotels you stayed in!

If you’re interested, The Happy Housie has an excellent tutorial on making your own magnets here!

DIY Coasters 

If you already have enough magnets cluttering your fridge, try coasters! They’re another easy and affordable way to commemorate your vacation. All you need are some tiles and some Mod Podge! You can use maps, photos, takeout menus, and just about any paper product you collected in your travels. For more information, check out this tutorial from Little House of Four!

Shadowbox 

To corral all the ticket stubs, sand dollars, and souvenirs carefully collected from your last vacation, a shadowbox is a great organizational and display tool. If you want to display your treasures, line the shadow box with a map of the place you went, add a photo, and arrange items on top.

Make a Gallery Wall 

After a wonderful family vacation, you not only want to preserve the memories, but you also want to show them off! Let’s be honest—we all have that one large, blank wall that we don’t know what to do with, so use it to create a gallery wall dedicated to your travels! It can be as simple (or complex) as you want. You can fame your photos using maps for matting, turn them into posters with photo paper and a bit of poster putty, or even get custom canvases created—the possibilities are endless! You can even add a shadowbox or two for dimension. If you want something that requires a little less commitment, check out Fotobit (a program that creates 4X4 modular frames) or use clothespins and twine to hang up photos from your most recent adventure. If you need some extra inspiration, check out Lovely Etc!

Charm Bracelet 

When we took our very first trip with Annabelle, I spent so much time thinking about the kind of souvenir I wanted to bring home. I wanted a keepsake that could travel with us from place to place, but I didn’t want more clutter, and I didn’t want something that would get tossed in a drawer and forgotten.

That’s how we ended up with a tiny Georgia peach charm from her very first adventure. She was a toddler then, blissfully uninterested in anything that wasn’t a snack or a playground, but my hope is that one day this bracelet becomes a treasure she carries into her own travels.

I wanted to include something similar on this list, but it took a bit of creative thinking. Then I stumbled onto howtomakeaglassphotopendant.com and found these Pendant Trays and Glass Cobouchons on Amazon—perfect for creating your own travel charms. Not only does it make for a fun activity, but it’a also a lifesaver if you forget to pick one up or can’t find one during your next adventure.

Another fun option, depending on how crafty you’re feeling, is stamped metal. You can create a cuff bracelet or charm with airport codes, city names, or even the coordinates of a favorite memory!

Create a Map 

Another great way to commemorate your travels is to mark is on a map. We have all seen those pushpin maps at roadside attractions and restaurants, but with a little bit of creativity, you can go far beyond the conventional! We have this scratch off map, but here are some of my favorites:

• DIY Push Pin Map from Hip to Save
• DIY Heart Map from Living Well Spending Less 
• DIY Chalkboard Map from Craftivity Designs
• DIY Watercolor Photo Map from Lovely Etc. 
• DIY Photo Map from the Travel Channel 

Scrapbook

One way I’ve preserved memories over the years is by creating scrapbooks. Creating a scrapbook is not only a unique and fun way to keep the memories of family vacations alive, but it’s also a great way to keep your children involved and entertained during quarantine! They can add stickers, cute paper backgrounds, and more! Scrapbooking is a great way for your children to express themselves, and the act of making the scrapbook can easily turn into a cherished memory itself.

Make a Blanket of All Of Your Destination T-Shirts 

As most Moms with toddlers do, I recently cleaned out my closet and got rid of things that would never fit my new strong Mom body. One of the things I couldn’t bear to part with were the t-shirts I picked up during my time studying abroad in London. I have shirts from my visits to Greece, Germany, France, and many more! Until now, they’ve just been sitting in a bag in my closet, waiting for me to learn how to sew so I can create a quilt. If you’re stuck at home with time on your hands, check out this great tutorial from Memory Stitch!

Travel Keepsake Boxes

I found this really simple, yet beautiful idea from Martha Stewart Living while researching this article. Although I haven’t tried it yet, I ordered some boxes and am thrilled to try it myself! Because keepsake boxes are, essentially, just semi-organized boxes of souvenirs, photos, and anything else you’ve saved from your travels, they’re easy to keep up with over time. To make it even easier, get a bunch of boxes up front and prepare them ahead of time so you just have to fill them up and write the name of your destination when you return! I love the photo they provided, as I can easily coordinate the color of the box with the spine color of a custom book for some beautiful office decor.

Travel is tough, but not being able to travel can be tougher. But quarantine doesn’t mean that you and your kids have to miss out on the magic—with some tape, photos, and a bit of creativity, you can preserve (and re-live) vacation memories that will last a lifetime.

Who is Christina?

Meet Christina Vieira, a Traveler, a Planner, and a Mom. She is also the owner of Showcase the World Travel, a modern travel agency that helps busy Moms take the vacation they deserve without adding “planning it all” to their to-do lists.  After all, Mom should get to enjoy their vacation, too!

She specializes in Disney, the Caribbean, and Europe, and has helped dozens of families have magical vacations that they will always remember. She loves traveling with her four-year-old daughter, Annabelle. Her favorite destinations include Walt Disney World, Wyoming, and Prague.