Want to remember your vacation forever? Here are how to make beach memory jars - a super simple and almost-free souvenir!
Sean and I went on an amazing cruise in May and, while we both bought souvenirs, my favorites are still the shells and sand that we collected while swimming and kayaking in Cozumel.
We wanted to do something special with the sand. We also hope to do a lot more traveling together, so wanted to do something that we might be able to continue with future vacations (like our trip to San Francisco in October!)
So, I was of course pinspired. We started looking for the perfect memory jars. Sean had an amazing vision of a short, squat jar with a big cork lid.
Like these old school piggy banks. We looked at Walmart, Michaels, Target, and all over the internet and found very little.
We ended up settling on these recycled glass jars with cork lids. Unfortunately, they are sold out now, but these jars are very similar with the same cork tops.
They were perfect for the task and made a great memory jar. If you want to make your own, here's what you need to do!
How to make vacation beach memory jars!
Sand memory jars are super easy to make. Here's what you need:
Materials:
- glass jars with lids
- sand
- optional: shells or other small items
Steps to make them:
It is very easy to make these memory jars!
Step 1: clean the jar (if necessary)
If your jar is dusty or dirty, wash it and dry it thoroughly.
Step 2: add sand
Dump your sand into the jar. If you have multiple sands, you can choose to mix them or layer them if they have distinct colors or textures.
We dumped our Cozumel sand into the jar and liked how they looked about ¾ full. The sand had some small shells in it which looks pretty cool in the jar.
Step 3: add extras
If you have rocks, shells, or anything extra, you can sprinkle them on top. You also can add a small label or sign reminding you where it came from.
I took a piece of cardstock and cut it into a little tent card and wrote "Cozumel Mexico" on it. The other side of the tent says "April 30, 2012", the date we were in Cozumel.
Step 4: cap and display it
Add the lid and place it - carefully - on your display shelf!
Ta-da!
These jars are super simple but a great, inexpensive way, to remember and celebrate your memories!
What do you do to keep vacation memories alive?
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Mary McBride says
My husband and I used to do the same thing when we took trips. I saw a really neat idea when we went to Bermuda so collected some sand and small sea shells and came home and made some. I took a glass Christmas ball, took the top off and poured the pretty pink sand into them filling them about halfway up. Glued top back on and tied pretty little bow around top with enough left to make a hanger out of it. Then wrote the place and date on the glass ball in gold marker. It can be used on Christmas tree or I have one hanging from the knob of an antique glass fronted China cabinet. Very pretty and brings back great memories of a wonderful trip!!