What to do with all your travel Souvenirs

Best things to buy and how to re-use them / use them

When visiting places like India, Italy, and Morocco you get lost in the beautiful mosaic and ceramics. However, often you bring back souvenirs and it ends up somewhere in storage or in a cupboard. What to do with your travel souvenirs, is a question often asked.

We have a few ideas for what to do with your travel mementos:

Looking at beautiful handmade tiles (often from countries like Turkey, Italy, or India), is something you definitely would want to display.

Decorate your steps:

You can create the same look at home. Those steps leading to the garden or your front door can be the perfect place to replicate an Italian stairway. These steps in Italy (picture below), can be your inspiration. Instantly creating a hot topic to talk about during the next family gathering.

The Staircase below is located in the city of Caltagirone in Italy and dates back to the 16^th century.

Create a bit of French flair:

Another wonderful idea is to decorate an outdoor table with mosaic for your braai or barbeque area. Creating a bit of French flair or Amalfi splendor. Also, the perfect opportunity for you to try mosaic as a new craft. (Check out this video – Easy Mosaic tutorial in 5 min.)

I know you don’t want to smash the gifts you brought home. However, this is ideal for those plates or tiles that got chipped or cracked during travel.

Decorate your walls:

Why not decorate your walls with it and display the items to get that holiday-in-faraway-countries-vibe going in your own home. Plates on a wall are perfect for that Greece-look. Another idea is to frame the maps you’ve collected during the trip. Which will be perfect for decorating the wall in your study, entertainment area (great conversation pieces), or as part of a memory wall with photos.

Create a cozy corner:

I think we all need a cozy corner in the house. By adding a rug, cushions, a throw or two, and strategically placed mosaic items with the same sentiment, you can have Greece, Morocco, Turkey, Italy, or India in your own home. For instance that Turkish mosaic lamp (a gift from an old friend) just lying in a corner somewhere; why not create a room around it.

Here are our tips on buying souvenirs:

Struggling with ideas on what to do with your travel souvenirs? Keeping in mind that you don’t have to buy big, expensive souvenirs on each trip might give you a solution for the future.

In my opinion, the keywords are: “Buy things you can use”:

Start small traditions like buying a Christmas tree decoration in each country. Soon you’ll have a beautiful tree filled with memories. Many countries have Christmas tree decorations that hint towards what they are famous for. Keep a lookout for those.
If it fits in with your decor ideas, buy items like cushion covers or material for table cloths and serviettes.
Buying a scarf is always something you will be able to use again. (If not wearing it as a scarf back home, it might even end up as a tablecloth, or a cover for a cushion..etc.) However, it also makes perfect gifts for family and friends. Above all, it doesn’t take up a lot of space in you your luggage.

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In conclusion: You can easily create a space filled with memories without it looking “out of place”.

Think out of the box when you are thinking of what to do with your travel souvenirs. But first, ask the questions: Would I like to have them out on display? Will I use them? – before you buy.

On the other hand, bring back photos of your experience and print them out. In my view, this is the best souvenir as it captures the moments. But display them. Don’t just download it somewhere and forget about it. With this in mind, shop for a few good photo frames and print your favorite photos. It will definitely become a talking point when visitors come over.

Don’t have a place to display photos in frames; then print a photo book for your coffee table or as gifts for friends that maybe went with you on the trip.