The last few weeks have been deliciously random and so productive for us! I think we should bounce around from room to room all the time like this… at least until we dive into a big renovation that demands all of our attention. So far this week we’ve painted raindrops & a pink door in Clara’s room, had some fun with Shannon’s design dilemma, finally finished our big sunroom floor project, and we’re actually starting to work on something in the kitchen for Monday (ahhh! that room needs more help than I did in Calculus class).
And this week’s little crafty project didn’t bomb, which is a huge relief because there were definitely a few moments of doubt. I decided to tackle something I’ve been meaning to do for, oh, about two years: displaying our vacation keepsakes in a charming and easy-to-see way. So here’s where I ended up…
It’s sort of like a vacation-memory-jar-meets-snowglobe-or-cloche, and it was actually really easy and only ran me $2.79 to make each one.
But let’s grab a ride in the Delorean and go back in time for a second. Once upon a time (back in 2008) I made six vacation time capsules here… but I haven’t been displaying them for the last few years because I just don’t love them anymore. Which is sad because I love the keepsakes – I just didn’t like the containers as much anymore.
I certainly think canning jars are crazy charming (and they’re probably more “in” now than ever) but I didn’t like that when you looked down at them on surfaces like console tables or desks or dressers, almost all that you saw was the lid instead of whatever was inside (see above).
And I also didn’t love that when you lowered your gaze to stare at them head-on (or placed them in high places like up on a bookcase) the glass was wavy, so it blurred the items inside. Here’s a comparison of how the canning jars obscured the contents compared to a regular stemless wine glass. See how much clearer the objects in the glass on the right are?
I also thought the scotch tape labels that I had added so many years ago were hard to read, especially depending on what’s behind it (you can see one in the picture above). So I wanted to come up with a way to accomplish three things:
- more clearly label the contents of each jar
- display our keepsakes behind non-wavy glass
- make them visible from above and the side instead of just from the side if at all possible
At first it felt like a tall order, but I was inspired after coming across this project, which made me realize that there might be a way to use inexpensive stemless wine glasses or vases from the craft store along with little slices of wood and some type of adhesive or caulk to connect them. It definitely could have bombed (uh… sand everywhere) but I had a few lucky breaks along the way.
For one, I couldn’t find any tree branches of the right thickness to slice in our yard or at a local firewood spot (they were all triangular or too narrow, and free of bark) and I couldn’t even locate any pre-made wood slices in the craft store (other than some too-large birch ones for $15 a pop online). But when I walked around JoAnn I did notice these little 4 x 4″ round wood plaques for 79 cents each (in their wooden box/birdhouse/plaque area). They also sold stemless wine glasses (in their party/glassware area) for $1.99.
It was nice to find both potential items at the same store because I could flip the glass over on top of the wood plaque to see how they’d work together. It kind of felt like a miracle when they lined up so well.
So as soon as I got home, I jumped right into painting the wood plaques. I debated everything from a bold color to white or charcoal or even a whitewash or a stain, but in the end I liked the idea of a timeless neutral taupe-y color the best so the items in each jar could be the focus – and I already had leftover Revere Pewter from the bathroom project upstairs. Two coats did the trick without any bleed-through from the wood (which is nice because I didn’t use primer, so it was sort of a gamble).
After they dried I used a sharpie to write each of the places we’d been on the side of each one, along with the year that we traveled there. It’s so much clearer and easier to read than tape on a wavy glass jar!
Next I decided that clear silicone caulk would be a good way to seal the glass to the wood. Here’s why: some types of adhesives/glues are thinner/runnier and I worried the seal wouldn’t be as tight as it would with a more thick/dense line of something to stick them together. The other reason that I went with clear caulk is that it can easily be sliced with an exacto knife and peeled back to free up the contents of these jars. So I don’t have to Hulk-smash them like an old school piggy bank to access things (which definitely could have been the case with crazy glue). Instead, I can just score and peel the silicone caulk to open these up again whenever I’d like. But in the meantime they’ll be nice and secure – even with things like sand floating around inside.
I just ran a thin line of it around the top of the glass like this (I used GE Premium Waterproof Silicone II Caulk in the clear color). Tip: try not to make the opening in your caulk tube too wide or caulk will pour out a lot faster/thicker and you’ll end up with a drippy ol’ mess (this is universally true for practically every caulking project, so it’s a good skill to master).
Update: I’m a paranoid prego, so I wore a ventilator and worked the caulk gun like Darth Vader (since caulk can get fumey sometimes), but I later learned that this type of caulk is on the green list. Hurrah!
After getting a thin ring of caulk around the top of the glass, I pressed the wood round onto the cup while it was still in the upright position (didn’t want things to spill all over the floor, which I was certain would happen if I flipped it over before joining it to the wooden plaque).
Once they were joined, I could easily turn it over without anything spilling. So I placed it on the table and made sure the glass dome was centered. Then I pressed the glass down with one hand (to keep it centered, since it can slide around a little before things start to set) and used the other hand to wipe the edge down with a paper towel to remove any extra caulk that was oozing out.
It only took them three hours to dry, and they were sealed up and pretty dang seamless looking. Here’s the sand, all nice and contained (you can sort of make out the clear shiny line around the base, which is the caulk doing its job). I shook that thing like a snow globe and there wasn’t a sand explosion or anything. So glad.
Right now they’re chilling on various surfaces in the office and living room, but my dream is for them to eventually end up all together in our bedroom (we’d love to add a wall of built-in cabinetry in there to make our bed feel like it’s tucked into a nook – and I can just picture them all lined up on one of the shelves). Sigh. Can’t you see it?
I’d love to keep making more over time as we travel to new places, so the paranoid collector in me is tempted to buy at least ten more wood plaques and glasses just to keep around for future vacations so they all match. Is that crazy? What do you think?
Is anyone else out there displaying vacation keepsakes? How do you do it? In shadow boxes? Scrapbooks? With framed photos? I read somewhere once that “experiential purchases” bring you the most happiness. So instead of buying a new car, if you spend money on an amazing vacation, the effects can last longer and you won’t take the purchase for granted like you might if you upgraded something that you’d use everyday and would soon become accustomed to (I found an article here about it, although I’m not sure this is the same one). Certainly makes me want to make the most of our little vacations and memorialize them when we’re back home – even though they’re usually just road trips as opposed to exotic foreign locales. Maybe someday I’ll have a vacation jar for Morocco or Australia. A girl can dream…
Psst- Wanna know where we got something in our house or what paint color we used? Just click on this button:
Mary says
What a great idea! Have you thought about trying to expand this to snow globes for Christmas decorations or gifts?
YoungHouseLove says
Yes! I think they’d be so much fun for that! Although I’d worry about water slowly leaking out over time (since it’s even finer than sand, if that makes sense) so I might have to experiment and see what works…
xo
s
Emily says
They look GREAT! And I would totally be stocking up on future supplies, haha.
Diana says
I scrapbook both our vacations and our regular life. I enjoy doing it but hate how much room the books take up. I’ve thought about switching to photo books but would miss including ticket stubs, brochures, etc. Maybe this is a solution to that! Or maybe just a good way to display various rocks, sand, shells, and keychains from our trips. Love the idea!
Grace @ sense and simplicity says
What an amazing idea (and yes I would buy a bunch more as they may change the size or shape on you and that would be a bummer).
I think they would look so cute at Christmas as little scenes like a fake snow globe. I think I’m inspired.
gayla says
I think I am crazy as well… when I was reading this all I could keep thinking was.. man I realllly hope that she bought a lot of these for future beaches…
hahaha :)
Kaitlyn says
I have a 6 panel painted map of the world with vintage looking airmail stickers that name the location and when we went. Next to the map are unique souvenirs we’ve picked up to highlight.
YoungHouseLove says
So cool!
xo
s
Holly says
I am head over heels in love with this. I have shells and sand from our vacations that I had in vases w/candles but they’ve just been sitting gathering dust. Sooooo doing this :-)
Jihane says
These globes are adorable! Now Petersiks (yes Burger, I’m talkin’ to you too), I’m about to say something extremly important. Drums… no, not really :-) well, if you come in morocco, PLEASE know that you have a moroccan fan who would love to give whatever advice you need. I read your blog everyday and will do it as you long as you keep bloggin’, so just say it and I’ll be there (imagine I’m singing those last words).
YoungHouseLove says
Oh my gosh, that would be amazing! Someday…
xo
s
Emily @ Love, Pasta and a Tool Belt says
What a cute idea! I love this! For our vacation last year I used the seashells to make this pretty candle decoration which was in our guest bathroom but then we just moved and now it matches our master bedroom!
http://lovepastatoolbelt.com/?p=1517
YoungHouseLove says
Cute!
xo
s
Kate @ Indulgent Wellness says
Great idea and came out adorable! I’m totally with you on buying extras so things match. I’m paranoid about that as well. We were in Puerto Rico last week and I found the most perfect sand dollar…but it broke on the way home…tears:-( Happy Halloween!
YoungHouseLove says
Oh no!
xo
s
Ali says
Okay, number one reason to stock up as soon as your morning/afternoon/daylight sickness subsides…all these eager readers who are running out NOW to clean out the JoAnn’s in town! Hey, YHL fans in the RVA…leave a bunch on the shelves for $herdog and Bun! She’s coming!!
YoungHouseLove says
Haha!
xo
s
Geralyn says
I love any and all things having to do with vacation mementos. I totally agree that “experiential purchases” bring you the most happiness. Every birthday, anniversary, or Christmas I always tell my hubby, “Don’t get me anything. Let’s do something together.” A broadway show, a day trip to the wineries,a vacation. Here are some of my projects I’ve done for to remember our wanterlust adventures.
http://daisyanddaydreams.com/2013/04/17/lifes-a-beach/
http://daisyanddaydreams.com/2013/04/12/where-in-the-world/
YoungHouseLove says
Love those project adventures, Geralyn!
xo
s
Claire says
Totally go and buy the spare glasses and plaques! And then when you’re done add New Zealand to your bucket list. I’m confident that the South Island is truly the most beautiful place in the world.
YoungHouseLove says
Sounds amazing!!
xo
s
Ashley Gonzalez says
This is quite literally my favorite craft project you guys have evert posted!!! I have small keepsakes from all of our vacations and they are just sitting in boxes in the closet because I couldn’t think of a way to display them without the house looking cluttered. I know what I’ll be doing next weekend! ;)
YoungHouseLove says
Thanks so much Ashley!
xo
s
JC says
I have taken a different route with preserving my trip “memories”. I take my ticket stubs, postcards, all paper items I see, collect during a trip and I cover the outside of a photo album with it. I then cover it with a laminating paper so it gets preserved properly. The inside of the book has the photos from my trip and the outside is my scrapbook! It is a super easy way to keep the things I love from the trip with my photos and doesn’t take much time (compared to scrapbooking)
YoungHouseLove says
Sounds really sweet JC!
xo
s
Anna, Sydney says
When you DO come to Australia, allow us to toss a shrimp on the barbie for you! :)
YoungHouseLove says
You know we’d LOVE that!
xo
s
Lauren says
Speaking of a new car, I was wondering if you had plans to replace your car with something a little larger now that the “Bun” is on the way? I know you guys do lots of research before making any big purchase decisions and was wondering if any makes or models stood out to you. Sorry if you already addressed this question in a post or comment section somewhere and I missed it.
YoungHouseLove says
I think we have been weighing the pros and cons. We’re definitely mid-debate, so we’ll have to see where we end up!
xo
s
Lauren says
Oh I can’t wait to see where you end up! Car shopping can be so overwhelming, we just started looking for a larger vehicle and I’m drowning in the details! Best of luck to you!
Felicia says
My husband and I have a glass topped table in our livingroom that holds many of our paper momentos. My husband isn’t a crazed collector/momento hoarder like me but there have been a few times that he has handed me a ticket or pamphlet “for the table”, so I guess he is more fond of it than he lets on. :)
Your globe idea is great for the boxes of less… smooshable stuff I have hidden in various places, and/or for the eventuality that our table meets its maker (not exactly a high quality piece). So glad you guys brought back the craft posts!
YoungHouseLove says
That’s so sweet!
xo
s
JennT says
super cool idea!!! Though you could go buy a whole bunch of glasses and plaques now, it’s doubtful you’ll buy a lifetime’s worth (and where would you store them)! I like the idea of having a set of similar globes to begin and allowing the collection to grow over time. The globe and stand might actually become a part of the souvenir in the future. You could tie them together with your signature handwriting and consistent lettering.
Not to be a party pooper, but sand, shells, corals, and rocks on the beach are what keep coastal communities safe from the ocean! If everyone took a tiny handful of sand and a couple seashells home, there’d be nothing left for the plants and animals that live there. It’s illegal in many places to take indigenous species away from beaches.
Please, Leave Paradise in Its Place!!!
YoungHouseLove says
Thanks Jenn!
xo
s
Ahsamon says
Sherry, I am in LOVE with this!! Such a nice way to preserve keepsakes! Now I can do something with the various plastic water bottles filled with sand from beach trips! :)
Tracey Stevens says
This has nothing to do with the post, I just wanted to let you know that your little extra padding in the comment count bubble is awesome! It’s all in the details.
YoungHouseLove says
Thanks! An amazing reader hooked us up with a cure for that after years of it getting cut off! We’re so grateful!
xo
s
Meg says
Not crazy at all to want to buy more matching supplies for future trips. I’d do the same thing. When we were in high school, my mom bought multiple frames when my sister had her senior portraits done, so all the siblings would match. It’s just smart planning! :-)
Amber says
I love your vacation memory globes! They turned out great! Pinning this idea :)
Holly says
Happy Halloween petersiks! Have you guys seen he “Halloween candy gone wrong” commercial from crest and oral b on YouTube? Hysterical! Hope you have a fun night and thanks for your positive and fun blog!
YoungHouseLove says
Yes, so funny!
xo
s
Tracy W says
Wow! These are pretty awesome! I will be doing this project soon. – on another note: Have you seen the video of the rapping couple’s baby announcement? So cute and made me think of you and John! :) (Here is the link- enjoy) http://youtu.be/eZ1oxXod9TQ
YoungHouseLove says
SO FUNNY!!
xo
s
Heather says
I’ve read to spend money on experiences instead of things too. Can’t think of where it’s from though – maybe “The Happiness Project” by Gretchen Rubin?
YoungHouseLove says
Yes, I loved both of her books! I totally think it could have been from there!
xo
s
Jessica says
Hi John and Sherry!
I really love this idea. It would be so cute to have them lined up in the bedroom. They would pop really nicely with a colourful background.
I’ve been reading your blog for a couple years now and I can honestly say YHL is my favourite blog out of all I read. You guys have stayed so humble and are always considerate, funny and really warm. One of my favourite things to do at work when I have a break is to get a cup of tea and read your blog.
It’s funny because when I started reading this blog I was still in uni (I live in Australia) and didn’t have a full-time job. But now I do (so I really appreciate the work friendly options on your posts!) and my fiance and I recently bought a house so I’ve been going through old YHL posts for ideas and tips. It’s a lot of fun!
Thanks guys :)
YoungHouseLove says
Aw thanks Jessica, you’re so sweet! That made our night.
xo
s
Shelley @ Green Eggs and Hamlet says
Wow, love the revamp of the vacation keepsakes, so elegant!
If I were you, I’d definitely run back to JoAnn and get some more wooden plaques and stemless wine glasses. It would be so frustrating if you wanted to add more to your collection down the road and they no longer carried those materials. Worst case you end up with some extra supplies for your craft stash that, knowing you and your resourcefulness, I’m sure you could find creative alternate uses for.
p.s. I’m living in Australia for 3 months and would love to send you a postcard (call it inspiration for your someday trip Down Under). Do you guys have a PO Box?
YoungHouseLove says
Aw you’re so sweet Shelley! We do have a PO Box, so if you drop me an email I’ll send it over (we try not to put it online since we get a lot of promotional things from companies and stuff when we do that).
xo
s
cathy says
i am totally in love with this project! i love the idea of having the things you love displayed (and contained) to enjoy. thank you so much for sharing!
Angela says
I love these. The style is more my kind, than the one you linked to. I would totally go out & buy some extras to store. They look so pretty being all the same, I would be disappointed if I couldn’t get an exact match, next time I wanted to make one. You could paint the bases now too, so that you don’t run out of the right colour paint.
YoungHouseLove says
Great tips Angela!
xo
s
Rachael says
We do the Christmas Tree ornament thing too, although not on our main tree as I’m too anal for that!
Every year, we send the kids into the woods behind our house to choose some branches that have fallen, spray them silver and then decorate them with our homemade vacation ornaments, the ornaments that the children have made over the years (and bearing in mind, our oldest child is 17 and we have 4 kids, that’s a lot of ornaments!) and numbered chocolates so it doubles up as our advent calendar. It goes in our family room and, if I’m entirely honest, I love it so much more than the tastefully decorated proper tree in the living room!
YoungHouseLove says
So charming!
xo
s
Marcy says
I think the experiences vs things is true in general but depends on the options and the personality. My husband loves driving his car every single time (but I know plenty of people always wanting the next one after a year or two). I love certain upgrades like light fixtures for years but we do also prioritize experiences with each other or with friends like taking a class or tour.
YoungHouseLove says
Agreed! I bet it’s really a personal thing!
xo
s
Bethany says
So have you guys collected things to make jars since 2008? I know that’s when you made the drawers but I would hope you’d have mementos from your hawaii trip at least!
YoungHouseLove says
Yes, we have stuff from Hawaii and Destin and a few other bags that I need to make into jars. Just need to grab more wooden circles (I got as many as they had last time, but have to go back for more).
xo
s
Bethany says
Made the drawers…? I’m not sure where that came from, and I can’t even blame autocorrect since I typed it on my computer. Hashtag epic fail. We’re just going to blame the excess amounts of sugar and running around today (I work at a children’s hospital and coordinated all of our holiday events today) for addling my mind.
YoungHouseLove says
Haha!
xo
s
Caitlyn says
Thanks for such a creative diy project! This will make for some wonderful Christmas gifts!
Caitlyn says
Thanks for such a creative DIY project. I know this will make for some amazing Christmas presents!
Jennifer says
Yes – you definitely need to go and buy a bunch of the materials to have on hand!!! Not crazy at all.
I’ve gotten WAAAAAAAAAY into photobooks over the last few years – its a hobby I love and my family does too. I’m currently waiting to receive the book I did for my son’s Kindy work. We live in Australia (want me to send you some sand?) so he had Kindy (which is like Pre-school) Jan-Dec 2012. I took photos of all his work, scanned what I could, and documented it all in a book, along with photos of him throughout the year in school. His teacher did an awesome digital portfolio of his work, so I was able to incorporate all of that as well. I can’t wait to see the finished product. And so much easier to save than all the papers and boxes!
Sandra says
I’ve always wished that I would have saved a little sand from every beach I’ve visited….I saw where someone did it and they layered the sand in a jar and then labeled it on the outside with the location. It was neat because you could see the different color variations of the sand.
Lyn says
I won a set of these glasses at Bunco and they are really too large for my stubby fingers to hold so this is way better than taking them to Goodwill. I think they would be cute on antique mismatched saucers or little plates that you can find easily at thrift stores and yard sales. Only something like sand would need to be glued, things like ticket stubs or rocks wouldn’t need gluing. Ok now I’m going to be looking for saucers to go with my glasses.
YoungHouseLove says
Love that!
xo
s
Kelli Green says
These are so pretty! I love how you think of everything — like the caulk!
I have to say that we agree with you on what to spend money on. We are driving an old car into the ground and very slowly redoing our old cozy home, but we definitely spend money on vacations! I LOVE the memories and the time spent together as a family. I had a hard time deciding how to remember our vacations until about five years ago. Now we get an ornament from every place we visit (they sell them all year round at every tourist place) and then we pull them out each Christmas and reminisce about our vacations! I love that our memories don’t clutter the house, but we can still remember our good times!
I DO love your globes — I think they are beautiful and your collection will be so fun to add to. Great idea!!
Timothy says
That’s such a great idea!! You guys are so creative. My mom does the same thing. She has a bunch of different jars, that essentially coordinate a little bit ,full of sand and shells from a bunch of places like Hawaii (honeymoon) and other vacations like the mountains, the beach, etc..I’ll have to tell her about your idea!Its perfect :)
Natalie says
Not crazy buy 10 more of each. If you would regret not buying them if the same ones were no longer be available – go tomorrow! Store them away and take that off the back of your mind. :)
Love the project – makes me wish I had thought to keep sand and fun memory’s from trips. Maybe in the future. Thank you for your inspiration!
Kate says
This is brilliant!!! I looove it! Cannot wait to try myself! And you definitely need to go back and buy at least 10 more plaques and wine glasses, cause these are too adorable not to make more of!
Gail says
Hi, Sherry. Love the idea of the clear keepsake. I would say buy 10 – 15 of the items now!! Every time I think something is so basic it will be around forever I can never find it again when I need it. Love the idea of keeping them all together in your bedroom, so if you want the future ones to match, buy and store. Love your site!!
Angela-Rose says
I love this Sherry. I’m sure someone else has probably said this but I could lean both ways…my OCD side says stock up so they all match but then my forced-to-calm-the-heck-down-and-chill-side says that a mixed collection would also look really neat…like they were collected over time (as is the case with the contents). Of course, if you plan to display them chronologically, it may look weird to have a bunch the same and then they suddenly start changing. Either way, super cute project! Thanks for sharing!
cindy says
I like postcards from our travels. At first I started with shot glasses but then it was hard to display so now I have a huge glass container in my living room and I mail myself a postcard from that country. I love seeing the postcards when I am back from vacation since it brings back good memories
Patty Lucas says
I love this idea. You should go back and buy several more because I have found that if you really like something, they stop making it. I am a Justice of the Peace and many of my couples do the sand ceremony. That would be perfect – but just a little bigger – for a keepsake. Thanks for sharing.
YoungHouseLove says
So cute!
xo
s
Erin @ House Envy says
This is a great project! So crafty and cute. Thanks for sharing!
felicia says
Definitely buy more supplies unless you are prepared to make more later that don’t look the same. Wood and glasses will always be available but THAT wood and THOSE glasses will disappear. This is a great idea, and a wonderful way to keep vacation keepsakes from disappearing into storage and being forgotten. You are right about experiences being more valuable than stuff, and hand-gathered mementos are the best!
Amanda says
Nope, buying extras doesn’t make you crazy. Unless stocking up on things like my favorite tank top in four colors earns me that nomenclature…which is a title I absolutely refuse to own this early in the day. :)
Great project! Can’t wait to try it out!
YoungHouseLove says
Haha!
xo
s
Monica says
Brilliant! On my way to Jo Anne! There may be a run on these supplies. Definitely pre-paint the bases. If you change your mind later they can be repainted, although not returned to wood tone! Pre-painting would also allow you assemble the globes in one sitting, which would work nicely if you wanted to include Clara.