In my travels, I collect a few souvenirs that I use to decorate my room. I thought that it might be a good idea to share what kinds of souvenir would be great to bring back with us and decorate our homes with.
Magnets
These are probably the most common and most popular type of souvenir amongst travellers. My parents always buy magnets when they travel and fill our fridge with them. It is a great conversation starter when we have guests at home and they see the magnets we have up.
Postcards and maps
We see a lot of people hang up pictures on their fridge or on their walls showing places they have been but I personally collect postcards and maps and stick them up on my bedroom wall but you can put it anywhere in your home. I collect postcards because they are really cheap and as for maps, you can sometimes get them for free at visitor information offices. In addition to that, postcards and maps are not bulky and super light which means they are not a trouble to fit in our luggages.
Bottles of sands
Growing up in the Philippines, I can say that I am an island girl. I love the beach. It has grown to be a hobby of mine to collect sand from every beach I go to. I know that some people are against taking anything away from nature but I love comparing the different textures and colours of sand of the beaches I have been to. I put the sand in really small bottles and label them. I have seen others get a huge bottle and just layer the different sand they collect. The downside of putting different sand in one bottle is that it might mix together if the bottle falls or anything like that. You can put these bottles of sands anywhere you see fit. Something similar that my parents do is collect stones and they have a collection of stones from their travels showcased in our bathroom.
Travel DIY jars
Whenever I travel, I bring home with me keepsakes including boarding passes, local transportation tickets, tickets to shows, receipts, information pamphlets, and everything else that I acquire during the trip. At home, I buy big jars at a dollar store and put all of these keepsakes in the jar. I then design each jar and label it with the name of the place I went to and when I went there. I place these travel DIY jars on a shelf in my bedroom and whenever I miss traveling, I open these jars up and reminisce about my trips. It’s like a time machine!
Replicas of iconic landmarks
This has to be my favourite souvenir of all time and I am so proud to display it at home. I buy mini replicas of iconic landmarks and decorate my bedroom with it but you can display it anywhere in your homes like the living room or kitchen or wherever you see fit. For example, I bought a mini Eiffel Tower in Paris, a mini Fushimi Inari torii gate in Kyoto, a mini Big Ben in London, and a mini Statue of Liberty in New York. Seeing them displayed in my room makes me feel like I am back in those cities again.
