00:00Do you have drawers or boxes full of things you have saved from trips or special events?
00:05Things that don't fit well in a scrapbook?
00:08We have lots of these souvenir memories from our honeymoon trip to Italy years ago,
00:12and I want to display them so we can see them every day.
00:16Find a frame that will work for your space.
00:19If it has a mat like mine, remove the mat and use this for your souvenir grouping.
00:25Lay your frame or mat on a surface and start to arrange your souvenirs in a collage pattern that you
00:31like.
00:32Start by creating a background with a map, patterned paper, or a special document.
00:38Then start to layer the souvenirs and photos on top.
00:42And because we had lots of items, I decided to create three separate collages.
00:47Once you have a design that you like, take the open frame or mat and place it on the top
00:54of a copy machine.
00:55Then start to lay your souvenir pieces in the same design upside down on the copy machine.
01:02Press copy and see your memory collages emerge from the machine.
01:07Once you have your copies, trim around the image, leaving about an inch border.
01:12Center the image behind the mat and secure it in place with painter's tape.
01:17Slide the mat into the frame and then secure it in the frame with the tabs.
01:23Hang your collage on a wall where you will see it every day and enjoy the flood of memories that
01:29they bring.
01:31I hope this inspired you to gather up those special memories from your drawers and create a memory collage for
01:37your wall.
01:38If all of your souvenirs from your past trips are just shoved in a box in the back of the
01:42closet somewhere,
01:43go grab them because I have some inspiration for you today to beautifully display things around your home.
01:49If you've ever come home with a handful of coins or bills that you didn't spend in a foreign country,
01:55don't just toss them into a drawer.
01:57Put them inside a beautiful glass jar on your desk or on a bookshelf.
02:02I love that you can actually see all the different currencies inside and this just becomes a little conversation piece.
02:09If you have a collection of seashells, rocks, or other natural treasures you found out hiking or at the beach,
02:16give those a place to live too.
02:18A pretty jar, a glass box, or even a small trinket tray can turn those random little souvenirs into something
02:26you actually display.
02:27If you've saved any boarding passes, museum tickets, train tickets, concert tickets, or anything else from your adventures,
02:34tuck them into a beautiful jar and display them on a shelf or sideboard.
02:39There's something really fun about seeing them all together.
02:42I like to collect playing cards on my trips and I found this old cassette tape organizer at the thrift
02:48store,
02:48which happens to be the perfect size for displaying playing cards.
02:55Choose a favorite postcard from your trip to display as art in your home.
02:59Find a pretty frame, add a piece of patterned paper or thrifted fabric back behind the postcard,
03:06and you've got an inexpensive piece of art that holds real meaning to you.
03:10You definitely can't find that at the store.
03:12A collection of postcards also looks really beautiful inside a vintage wooden bowl on an end table.
03:18Place it next to a chair where someone would sit and flip through the stack while they're waiting,
03:23and I'm sure it's going to be an instant conversation starter.
03:27Imagine adding more and more postcards to your bowl as the year goes on
03:31and seeing it overflowing on your coffee table someday.
03:34Recipe boxes are also surprisingly great for displaying travel photos, postcards, tickets, maps, brochures,
03:42really any type of paper souvenirs you brought home.
03:45I added some of my favorite postcards to this pretty vintage recipe box on my kitchen counter.
03:50It's a place where I'll see them often and guests will be flipping through them too.
03:55A great way to talk about past trips.
03:58The next time you're unpacking after a trip and you're wondering what you're supposed to do
04:02with all those little things that you collected while you're gone,
04:05don't automatically pack them away inside a box.
04:08Incorporate them right into your decor.
04:10Grab a basket and collect keepsakes from around your house and I'll show you the best way to keep those
04:16memories alive.
04:17I also grabbed some clear plastic ball ornaments that I bought at the dollar store last season
04:22and I had saved in my craft bin.
04:24I removed the top and placed the keepsakes inside.
04:27For the first one, I added the shells from our vacation
04:30and I placed them inside the ball filling only about a quarter full.
04:35I put the top back on and then I cut a piece of brown paper.
04:39I rounded the edges, punched a hole, and wrote on it the name of our vacation spot and the year
04:45and then I tied it onto the top.
04:47For the next ball, I had a friend with beautiful writing write on it,
04:52our family keepsake garland circa 1960
04:55and I placed the very special piece of garland that still remains inside
05:00and now it will last so much longer.
05:03For the Taylor Swift one, I placed all the bracelets that we had traded at the concert inside the ball
05:10then before putting the top on, I placed the wristband through the top part to attach it
05:16and we also kept that little piece that covers the battery so the light still works.
05:22For the last keepsake ball, I placed bracelets from when my daughter was born
05:27but first I added some fake snow for the bottom
05:30and then I put the baby bracelets and her name bracelet inside.
05:34I hung each of these special personalized keepsake ornaments on a garland
05:39perfect for remembering important things for our family all season long.
05:44Which one do you like best?
05:46I hope this inspires you to use clear plastic balls
05:49and make memory ornaments for the season.
05:53Do you have old photo frames or wall art frames stored in your house?
05:58Let's give them a little makeover.
06:00For your first frame, remove the mat from the frame
06:03and then tape off sections of the frame with painter's tape.
06:08You can be very symmetrical with the blocks you tape off
06:11or you can be asymmetrical.
06:13With a small paint brush, brush craft paint onto the exposed areas of the frame.
06:19Paint those exposed areas on the side of the frame as well.
06:23You can give these spaces a couple of coats to get it solid
06:27or leave it with just one coat so some of the frame color shows through.
06:32Once dry, carefully remove the painter's tape.
06:35If needed, go back with your brush and touch up any areas that need fixing.
06:40Now put the original mat back into the frame.
06:44Using the painted blocks on the frame as your guide,
06:47use your small paint brush to lightly paint a broken line onto the mat
06:53that is an extension of the painted blocks on the frame.
06:56Now take some artwork, or in my case, a scrap of wallpaper in a coordinating color
07:02and tape it to the back side of the frame with painter's tape.
07:06Enjoy the various patterns you've created on this frame.
07:10For your second frame, spray paint the frame in a neutral color.
07:14I chose to paint this dingy dated frame a bright white.
07:19Draw a pattern on the outer edge of the frame by using a quarter.
07:23Lay half the quarter on the edge of the frame and trace around it with a pen or pencil.
07:29Do this around the entire perimeter of the frame.
07:32Now take your paint brush, and with your craft paint,
07:36start to outline the curvy pattern and fill in the space on the frame.
07:41Be sure to paint over your pen or pencil tracing lines.
07:45For this frame, I found a sheet of peel-and-stick wallpaper from the dollar store.
07:49Since this is a photo frame and didn't have a mat,
07:53I simply opened the frame, peeled the wallpaper, and stuck it to the inside of the frame.
07:59Instant wall art!
08:00For the last frame, take an old gold frame and give it a dusting of spray paint.
08:06Pour some craft paint into a plastic cup, add water, and mix thoroughly.
08:11With a foam brush, use the watered-down paint to paint the mat with a finish that is similar to
08:18a
08:18watercolor. Variation of color is encouraged. Put the dry mat back into the frame and tape a piece
08:25of bold wallpaper to the back of the frame. Flip the frame over, and with a paint pen,
08:31draw a pattern on the mat that is somehow reflected in the artwork. My wallpaper has lots of straight
08:38white lines in it, so I simply extended those lines onto the mat. Now, I used wallpaper as my chosen
08:44artwork, but you can frame anything you like. Display your new painted frames as part of a gallery wall!
08:51I hope this inspired you to paint some simple frames and frame mats to create your own unique
08:58gallery wall. Thanks for watching Home Talk! See you next time!
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