15 ways to remember your vacation (other than Instagram!)

sometimes making memories doesn't require a filter.

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The worst part about a vacation is coming home. In an age when we’re all Instagram-and-Snapchat-obsessed all the time, we sometimes forget to bring home keepsakes from our travels because we’re busy picking out filters and scrolling through our feed. This summer, put down your phone and try a new way to remember your trip! Whether it’s purchasing a special something on vacation or doing a little DIY upon your return, we’re sure these mementos will be keepsakes that’ll always bring back sunny memories of your summer vacay.

vacation photos and ideas bookshelf styling with obects
Photography by MYDOMAINE

bookshelf bliss

Purchase a book on vacation and fill your shelves with chic reads from all over the world. We’d love to let this list of beautiful bookstores be our guide. Just be wary of picking one up on every stop of your European tour. No one likes to lug a heavy suitcase home!

vacation photos and ideas lomography camera on beach
Photography by LUCY DJEVDET VIA FLICKR

go old school with a Lomography camera

Can you remember the last time you actually got photos developed? Now think about the last time you bought a roll of film! Sometimes there’s nothing more exciting than picking up an eveloped of freshly developed photos from the pharmacy and reminiscing about a summer vacay.

vacation photos and ideas custom family watercolor
Photography by SUSAN WOODARD

custom artwork

Send a favorite snapshot from your vacation to a watercolor artist, like North Carolina-based artist Susan Woodard, for a keepsake you’ll always cherish.

vacation photos and ideas gallery wall with pink sofa
Photography by PATRICK CLINE

buy street art

We love to purchase small watercolors of the landscape or streets of the town we’re visiting. With a trip to the frame shop or with a service like Simply Framed, you can create a

gallery wall

with these inexpensive paintings to remember all of the places you’ve been around the world.

vacation photos and ideas memory jar with tickets
Photography by PINTEREST

memory jar

Save train, plane, and show tickets in a jar for a unique accent to a coffee table, tray, or bookshelf.

vacation photos and ideas grid of photo frames
Photography by UMBRA

This mega photo frame is absolutely perfect for prints of your travel Instas.

vacation photos and ideas custom photo calendar
Photography by ARTIFACT UPRISING

customize a calendar

Create a calendar with your vacation photos so you can remember the fun times all year long. We just love these clipboard calendars from Artifact Uprising.

vacation photos and ideas photo album with coffee
Photography by ARTIFACT UPRISING

coffee table photo album

And because we can’t get enough of the simple yet beautiful aesthetic at Artifact Uprising, maybe put together a photo album as well…

vacation photos and ideas postcard gallery wall
Photography by FOUR CORNERS DESIGN

framed postcards

Purchase postcards from each city you visit. You can easily pop them into Ikea frames for a quick gallery when you’re ready to fill up an empty wall in your home.

vacation photos and ideas pineapple christmas ornaments
Photography by BRIT + CO VIA DOMINO

christmas ornaments

Purchase ornaments from wherever your travels may take you. There’s no time like the holidays to remember your favorite travel memories with family and friends.

vacation photos and ideas diy photo ornaments
Photography by BRIT + CO VIA DOMINO

…or make your own!

DIY these funky ornaments with prints from your Instagram page for a customized bauble to hang on your tree.

Find the DIY via domino.

vacation photos and ideas gray malin beach photography
Photography by GRAY MALIN

largescale prints

Blow up your photos on high quality paper for a stylish piece of artwork above a sofa, bench, or console. Another brilliant idea: split your photo in half and print it as a diptych á la photographer Gray Malin.

vacation photos and ideas matches in a bowl
Photography by MICHAEL WILTBANK FOR DOMINO

collect matchboxes

Pick up a box of matches at each restaurant, hotel, or shop you visit. After a few trips, you’ll have a collection of colorful boxes you can display on your coffee table like our friend Maria del Russo.

vacation photos and ideas matches with book
Photography by BRITTANY AMBRIDGE VIA DOMINO

tiny treasures

Take your matchbox collection one step further! Tuck tiny mementos within for a sweet reminder of your vacation.

vacation photos and ideas memory boxes in bookshelf
Photography by MARTHA STEWART

keepsake box

DIY these keepsake boxes and style them within your bookshelves. Whenever you have family or guests over, show off your trip’s treasures!

Find the DIY via Martha Stewart.