When you travel to new places, you want to remember those special memories you made and the people you met. Sure, pictures can capture a specific moment in time, but a souvenir can preserve the feelings, emotions, and sentiments felt during your trip.
If you’re looking for a way to remember your travels, take a look at our ten unique curio ideas for starting a souvenir collection below.
1. Books
At first, a book may sound like an odd souvenir to take home. But, if you’re an avid reader and have a favorite book or author, you can bring home the same book, but in different languages. While you may not be able to understand it, a collection of the same book in different languages is a unique way to remember all of your vacations and create a home library. Plus, if you made lifelong friends along the way, they’ll have a piece of literature to read if they ever happen to visit you.
2. Jewelry
If you’re looking to wear your souvenirs, you can’t go wrong with jewelry. From unique watches to one-of-a-kind necklaces or bracelets, jewelry is a great idea for a souvenir collection because styles vary across the world. For example, jewelry in various African countries are made from hide, husks, nuts, and seeds, while jewelry in Asian countries like China have engravings of animals and nature due to their symbolic nature.
3. Rocks
Rocks are a great souvenir because they’re free, so you save money, and also show the vast disparities among nature across the globe. It’s important, however, to make sure you’re legally allowed to take rocks and other natural resources. The last thing you want is to disrupt a natural habitat or get in trouble with authorities across seas.
4. Wine and Beer
If you’re a wine aficionado or a beer lover, you can’t go wrong with shipping home a few of your favorite bottles you’ve tried on your adventures. Not only will you be able to extend parts of your trip when you return home, but you’ll also be able to share with friends and family and save your empty bottles in a collection.
5. Tea Towels
Tea towels are a soft cotton towel that usually have imprints and designs on them. They’re lightweight, which means they’re easy to take home, and most countries put designs on them that represent their culture. Whether you want to collect them for your own collection or buy two and give one as a gift, you can’t go wrong with a tea towel.
6. Dolls
Dolls are another great souvenir idea because they’re typically dressed in traditional clothes that represent the country’s history and culture.
Not only are they symbolic of the place you’re visiting, but they’re lightweight and can easily be displayed on a shelf, bookcase, or doll display case.
7. Art
If you’re okay with spending a few extra dollars and want something to hang on your walls or place on counters or shelves, art will be perfect. Each country has drastically different art styles that interweave cultural values, history, and much more. Whether you’re looking for a painting, statue, photographs, or glass, art will remind you of each place you’ve visited while sprucing up your home.
8. Postcards
Although this is a common souvenir collection idea, it’s hard not to mention postcards. Postcards are a simple souvenir collection idea that still serves as reminders of all the places you’ve been. You can then write on the back of each postcard about what you’re seeing, feeling, and doing in that exact moment to keep your memories alive and place them in a postcard holder when you’re home. You can also send them to your friends and family back home to stay in touch while traveling.
9. Thimbles
Thimbles are a unique souvenir collection idea because most people don’t think to collect them. However, thimbles can be found almost anywhere you travel, and you can find thimbles with intricate designs and artwork painted on them. They’re also extremely small, which makes them perfect for bringing home. Once they’ve arrived at their final resting place, you can gracefully display them on a mantle, table, desk, or counter.
10. Currency
When you travel to a new place, you’re most likely going to exchange currencies so you can buy food, go to museums, and pay for your travels. More often than not, we end up with a few extra bills and coins. Sure, you can always re-exchange your foreign currency. But, if you want to create a unique souvenir collection, save a coin or two! After all, you were most likely planning on spending it, so saving your coins for a coin collection won’t come at a drastic cost.
Wrapping Up
Traveling is a wonderful experience, and while it’s impossible to remember every moment from your travels, you can preserve your memories by creating a unique souvenir collection!
