Ever since I started traveling, I have had a love for purchasing small keepsakes from my getaway locations. Those items bring back wonderful experiences from those destinations and encourage me to continue to explore. I can’t forget the fact that I can also show them off to family and friends! It’s a small piece of where you’ve been and it’s so satisfying to see that collection grow. To key chains and jewelry, to food items and personal tokens, there are so many things you can bring back home from your trip. Here are a few of my favorite souvenirs to purchase when traveling.
Souvenir Bells
This is an item that I see everywhere I go! I don’t personally collect them but it’s such a neat idea. My aunt has actually traveled all over Europe and has bought a bell from each of the destinations she’s visited. She keeps them all on a shelf to remind her of all the interesting place she’s been to and they look so elegant. They fit in well with a contemporary home design. My aunt also gets them gifted to her, so whenever someone travels somewhere they may bring her a bell to add to her collection.
Souvenir Magnets
These are my personal favorites! I collect magnets everywhere I go. I missed a couple of destinations but I began collecting them and hanging them on my refrigerator. I hope to buy a magnetic board to either hang up on the wall or place it on a shelf with all the magnets on there, so i am reminded of all the wonderful experiences and places I’ve seen. I also get them gifted to me so I can add them to my collection and hopefully visit that location one day! These are also fairly inexpensive and don’t take up space in your bag.
Christmas Tree Ornaments
Ornaments are another one of my favorites! I’ve seen them at most locations I’ve been to, but some travelers order them online after they’re back home from their trip. It may be safer that way since some are fragile. The only down side is you’ll only see them once a year, but once that Christmas tree is up and decorated, it must look spectacular! This is something I’ve looked into doing, maybe in the future I will.
Postcards
These are definitely a budget friendly souvenir. These can be found anywhere! Postcards are a great idea for travelers that don’t want something that takes up too much space in their luggage. They can be added to a photo album where they can be viewed or they would look beautiful framed and hung up for all to see. Some travelers send them in the mail to themselves as a sweet surprise for when they arrive back home.
Coffee Mugs & Tea Cups
Mugs are always fun to have! My family and I used to have a collection of mugs from the different spots we had visited! It’s also a wonderful gift to give to family and friends once you’ve returned home. It may take up some space in your bags, but place them in the kitchen as decor or use them often, you can’t go wrong with this item.
Shot Glasses
Another classic souvenir, shot glasses! I’ve been gifted a few shot glasses and they’re such a fun item to have. They don’t take up too much space, are easy to take around and are a nice display item for your kitchen or bar.
Souvenir Patches
Patches are a great item for those travelers that backpack or want to add patches to their clothing items; something you can take with you on the road and show others where you’ve been! Another item that is similar to this are stickers. Travelers can purchase stickers from different locations and place them on various items, including notebooks, or they can be added to a scrapbook as well.
Local Art
This is a beautiful item to collect! Purchasing local artwork to hang or display in your home would add that special touch to your space and home ambiance. No one piece will be the same, uniquely made at each destination you visit. It may be a bit difficult fitting these items into your suitcase though. Some items can be shipped over as well. Also, something to add onto this would be photographs. Some travelers take a photograph of where they have been and enlarge the image to display in their home, creating their own travel collage or art gallery.
These are just a few interesting souvenir ideas I’ve seen out there or personally collect myself. There are so many options in regards to items you can take home to remind you of your adventure! What are some of your favorite keepsakes? I would love to hear your ideas and check out what you collect from your trips.
I love those ideas Annie! I collect postcards and I used to buy a mug from everywhere as well but stopped doing this 😁
Yay! Glad you liked the ideas! Postcards are such a great item to collect, I might start collecting them too!
I’ve started inadvertently collecting Christmas ornaments! I don’t really get destination specific ones, but we got a couple of Aussie ones with kangaroos and koalas, then a Santa in a hula skirt in Hawaii… hahaha! I like finding “interesting” ones! Apart from that I just collect postcards – the cheapest souvenir you can get AND it takes up very little space. 🙂
My latest trip was quite fun because a group of us banded together, and one of them collects spoons, one patches, and one gets an ice cream everywhere she goes and takes a photo! So we were all looking out for each other!
The Santa in a hulu skirt cracked me up! I love it. Such great ideas, I’ve seen people do that (the ice cream one) where they purchase an item or take an item everywhere they go and take a photo! Thanks so much for this comment, made my day!
Great post! I an looking forward to picking up local art and stickers everywhere I go on my travels!
Thank you! Glad you liked it! Enjoy your future travels!!
i used to collect shot glasses but have yet to find something that i just have to have.
Joy at The Joyous Living
I agree. Sometimes it’s hard to find that special item you just need to take home with you!
I try to get magnets. A few years ago I met a young German backpacker who had brought a plain white skirt and everywhere she stayed she got people to write their name, where they were from and where they met with on the skirt she was at the end of her year long travels, it looked fantastic. A wearable souvenir.
Can’t go wrong with magnets. And that’s amazing! What a great idea!! Memories that will last forever, meeting such interesting people while traveling.
My husband and I always buy a shot glass whenever we go away and I like to buy something small from our trip too like a little ornament of sorts – I recently brought back a lucky rooster from Madeira which I love because it’s quirky and colourful but it’s quite small so doesn’t take up loads of room. I also love keeping things like tickets to attractions, restaurant cards and leaflets too as I use them in my scrapbooking 🙂 Great post!
So many neat items! And the scrapbooking idea is great, I used to love to scrapbook!! I actually have a whole bag of tickets and flyers from different theme parks I have too but haven’t added those to a scrapbook yet lol. Glad you liked the post!
We always buy a shot glass when we go away and I like to buy a little something to remind me of our trip too. It used to be mugs but our cupboards are rammed so I have to stick to little trinkets and things now. I also love to keep tickets, leaflets and restaurant cards too for my scrapbook! Love this post!
Haha Yes! At some point there is no more room for mugs or shot glasses! & I used to love scrapbooking too! Enjoy your future travels.