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Get Ready for Summer! Fun Vacation Keepsake Projects

by | Jun 6, 2011 | Creative Inspiration & Projects, Traditions & Memory Making

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Get Ready for Summer! Fun Vacation Keepsake Projects

Photo & Ideas from Martha Stewart

Since the summer vacation season is just beginning, I wanted to tell you about these fun vacation keepsakes. I’ve shared this post before so you might remember seeing it, but I’m going to share the idea again because I think these would be good to think about before the vacations begin!

Have your kids or grand kids gather mementos all summer and during any vacations so they’ll be ready to put one or more of these keepsakes together!

Happy travels!

———-

My son loves collecting little keepsakes and treasures. Sometimes we go on leisurely treasure hunt walks through our neighborhood, hand in hand, to see what we can find. We pick up pine cones, bottle caps, pretty rocks and leaves. I love going on treasure hunt walks with him. He also enjoys finding or buying little keepsakes on our beach trips.

Sadly some of those little treasures get stuffed in a drawer or lost in the hustle and bustle of life. We try to remember to put things like shells in the apothecary jars in our front entry or the lantern on our front porch, but I really like the idea of letting him fill his own jars as a creative project.

Why let those little moments be forgotten so quickly?

I saw these keepsake jars over at Martha Stewart and thought they were a fun way to capture those summer vacation memories. Aren’t they cute? Martha suggests using bendable wire to ease trinkets into the jar if the mouth is a little narrow. I would think you could even use wire to help mementos stand up or “float” within the jar.

These jars would also make sweet gifts or mementos for:

  • an anniversary (fill with keepsakes from dating or the wedding)
  • first year of baby’s life (put their first booties, hair clips, hats, hospital bracelets, hospital snap shots, pacifier)
  • a year in review (tiny mementos from the past year)
  • a gift for grandparents or for any other loved one or occasion in life
  • you could even make one as a teacher’s gift!


Get Ready for Summer! Fun Vacation Keepsake Projects

Another variation is making shadow boxes with summer vacation keepsakes! Both from Martha Stewart.

Do you have any fun vacation plans this summer?

inspiration: Martha Stewart

11 Comments

  1. Jess

    No big vacay plans except to stay home and meet my little one! Love the idea of doing this as a first year of life memento! Now you have me thinking!

    Reply
  2. Vee

    Day trips only… What a great idea for saving treasures. Hope that you and your son have many opportunities this summer for treasure walks. If one has a plan for the found items beforehand, it makes it much easier to allow the hunt to begin in the first place.

    Reply
  3. Erin

    Wow the jars are gorgeous! I’m feelin’ the need to head out to the resale store to look for gorgeous glass jars and stuff :)

    Reply
  4. Laura

    I’m sure I read this post before, but today I got excited when I read your idea to put kids’ baby stuff in a pretty jar. How much more attractive than the plastic storage boxes all that stuff is in now! I will add that to my list of things to do on this week’s stay-cation!

    Reply
  5. Hope

    We just returned from Disney World and had a BLAST! I love, love, love the jars! Such a cute idea.

    Reply
  6. Dana

    Love it.
    We have a couple of version so of this going. In one ball jar we have a growing beach glass collection.

    In another I have some sand and shells from a trip.

    In another, we have really cool unique rocks we’ve found.

    This year will once again be traveling by car and camping many nights. It’s all about the most fun we can have while saving the most money possible. (Even our teenager gets a kick when we save lots of dough – pretty cool.)

    Reply
  7. RosieK

    We’re staying fairly close to home this year–lucky for us we live in San Francisco, near A TON of places people fly in to visit! Our summer trip will be to Sonoma, with plenty of Wine Country shopping for me, rest for my hubby, along with lunch at Thomas Keller’s Bouchon in Yountville.

    Reply
  8. teresa

    Great ideas….I have a few things collected from our early summer trip….now I have some ideas as to what to do with them. Thanks
    Happy Day

    Reply
  9. Karen

    Melissa,
    What fun ideas. I love the jars and the shadowbox for keepsakes. This will definitely go in the file for reference.
    Karen

    Reply
  10. Shanthi

    The keepsake Jars are Gorgeous. I just bought one recently. I also liked the shadow boxes idea too. Over a period could make a good theme for a wall.

    Reply
  11. bianca

    Oh my goodness – I’ve seen these before in MS Living magazine, but I had completely forgotten about them! I want to make one this summer with my daughter :)

    Reply

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