Looking for ideas on how to display souvenirs at home? Let these ideas spark your creativity.
What to Do with Travel Souvenirs
For some reason, it took me a while to warm to the idea of souvenirs. Perhaps I was a travel snob in my youth but now that I’m a little older, I’ve broadened my understanding of what a travel souvenir can be.
It’s not just plastic snow globes and cheap magnets. Good souvenirs can involve a range of products, from personal ticket stubs and photo books to wall art, luxury chocolates and even foreign currency if you have enough creative ways to display it.
After all, souvenirs whisper stories to help keep our memories alive. That’s not pretentious, though I grant you it sounds like it is. That’s backed up by the research I came across during my neuroscience degree. Seriously!
But – and you knew it was coming. Most of the time, what began as a heartfelt intention to preserve memories quickly sinks into a shoebox or, worse, a lonely, crumpled carrier bag hanging on some discarded home gym equipment.
Not any more. Instead, here are some great ideas on how to display souvenirs at home in a way that keeps your travel memories alive.
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How to Display Souvenirs at Home
Go Large with Your Travel Photos
Let’s start with the obvious as it’s also the most effective. Everyone takes travel photos that are meaningful to them but they’re often hidden in phones or cloud storage. Let them breathe.
Now, I love a good photo album or photo book and always mean to create one after each trip. But they do tend to get lost on the shelves. A gallery wall is a lovely idea but often takes up too much time.
What I’ve found really effective is enlarging one (or more) of the images as a canvas and hanging it on the wall. Wall art or canvas prints are quicker and you can’t miss them.
What’s more, Inside the Travel Lab readers can get a 10% discount on canvasdiscount.com by using the code SUMMERFUN10 (10 discounted products max, unlimited redemptions, valid till 31.12.25)
Create a Dedicated Travel Corner or Shelfie
What about all those souvenirs that aren’t that flat?
Designating a specific space in your home as a travel corner can bring structure and cohesion to your displays. It might be a bookshelf, a wall-mounted cabinet, or even a windowsill that catches the afternoon light.
Use shadow boxes or floating shelves to give dimension to your display if you’re using wall space. Decorative trays work well too, particularly for groupings of small souvenirs like coins and key rings. Consider the principles of balance, colour, and height, just as you would when styling any part of your home.
Curate with Purpose
Remember: not everything needs to be on show.
Think like a museum curator. Choose objects that tell a story or match a colour palette. I mean, I’m assuming they “spark joy” here otherwise what’s the point?
But perhaps we should just quickly run through that. There are no “shoulds” when it comes to doing this – the idea is to find a way of enjoying your living space and remembering your travels fondly.
Switch with the Seasons
This approach not only keeps your decor fresh but also allows each item to shine. Which is a polite way of making you feel better about just how much stuff you seem to have brought home with you.
Store some souvenirs away, labelled if you’re feeling fancy. And then rotate whenever you feel like looking at something fresh. I read this great idea in How To Do Everything and Be Happy by Peter Jones. He suggested having a pinboard for the year. Pin everything you enjoyed doing as the year goes on, so that you realise you are not wasting your life away after all.
Pinboards are great for layering ephemera like postcards, tickets, and maps, without needing to commit to a frame.
At the end of the year, bundle it all into an envelope (or box, depending) stick on a label and start again.
Memory Jars and Frames
Souvenirs don’t always come in standard sizes. Some of the most evocative mementoes are flat or oddly shaped, like city maps, boarding passes, textiles, coasters, pressed flowers, or old train tickets.
Framing these pieces gives them prominence and protects them from wear. Deep box frames can hold beaded necklaces, while double-glass frames give a modern twist to things like hand-written notes or dried flowers.
Now, just personally, I find these a little too fiddly to do in practice. Another variation is the “souvenir jar” where you can drop in all the bits and bobs from your travels. It can be plain, wrapped or painted and every now and again, you can pour them out and take a stroll down memory lane. They’re also a good solution if you only have a small space or can’t hang pieces of art on the walls.
Reusing or repurposing vintage frames and glass jars is a sustainable touch. They add character and history while saving a trip to the high street. If you don’t already have plenty (first, how have you managed this?) then check out local flea markets and charity shops. You can always but a picture you don’t like and then just use the frame.
Actually Use Them
Not all souvenirs need a special touch. Many can actually be useful there and then in their own way. I know. Sometimes, souvenir shops sell practical items.
A bowl from Cappadocia can hold your keys. A jug from Provence can display fresh flowers. Cushions from Peru can live on your sofa. And there’s nothing quite like a trusty tea towel to elevate one of life’s most dull daily chores. Spice racks pull off the same trick, though local liquors are not quite so reliable.
To really make the most of this approach, though, you need to have thought of it while you were on the road. That’s why we have a number of souvenir guides, like the best souvenirs in Thailand and what to bring back from Helsinki.
Keep it Sustainable and Ethical Where You Can
Souvenirs, like so many things in life, can tread a fine line between meaningful mementoes and problematic plunder. Be mindful of where your travel memorabilia come from and who made them.
Avoid mass-produced plastic trinkets and anything that feels culturally insensitive or exploitative. Seek out local artisans, co-operatives, or conservation-driven projects. Not only are you supporting communities, but you’re also more likely to come home with something with a personal touch.
When displaying these items, take a moment to include their backstory if you can. A handwritten tag, a note tucked behind the frame, or even a QR code linking to a digital journal can help connect the place to the piece.
Obviously, I hope, it goes without saying that you should not take part in the trade of endangered animal products, drugs, knives and so on.
You can find out more about how to be a responsible tourist here.
Make it Interactive (Especially for Kids)
If you travel with children, or have those who visit, consider an interactive souvenir zone.
This might be a world map with pins or strings connecting photos to locations. Or a rotating “mini museum” shelf where kids can touch and talk about the things they’ve collected. A box of postcards, a travel journal, or even a collection of coins can become an educational tool. The key here is accessibility: items should be easy to reach and robust enough to handle the tough and tumble that comes with small hands.
Another lovely idea is to make a memory box for a souvenir collection. This is simply a dedicated box that you decide together to call a memory box. You can keep the box as it is or decorate it with glue sticks galore in your child’s own unique style. It’s up to you. It’s a wonderful way to corral the chaos of things like seashells and pebbles for younger children but older teens can also gather personal mementos in this lovely but easy way. Heck, so can adults…
Get Started
Ultimately, it’s easy to dream about how to display your souvenirs. The crucial thing is to actually do it.
For this, my top tip is to start with what looks the easiest to you. You can always make it more complicated later, if you wish.
So dust off those bowls, find that missing photograph, and resist the urge to clutter every surface.
Take one photo and use this discount (SUMMERFUN10) on canvasdiscount.com . Or find one glass jar for all your small items. It’s time to bring all those different countries into your living room.
