10 Fun Travel Souvenir Collections to Start on Your Next Trip

What's the best way to remember all of the adventures you and your family have? We think it's starting a collection that you can add to with each new spot you visit. But sometimes it's difficult to figure out exactly what you should be collecting on your trips and not only what you should collect but also how you can display your collection once you get home. So we've rounded up 10 ideas for fun collections to start for travel addicts, along with great display hacks you can steal.

1: Maps

Create a gallery wall with pretty maps from each spot you visit. You can even choose vintage maps to display, as they tend to be more stylish. Use the same black frame for each map to help bring your collection together.

2: Postcards

Postcards are another easy collection to start, and there are a variety of ways to display them. Clip your postcards to strings or frame and hang them on the wall. Look for cards with images that best represent your trips, and don't be afraid to get more than one for each location.

3: Hats

Pick up a stylish hat in each locale you visit, and choose one that best represents each city or country. As your collection grows, display your hats in a variety of ways. Try hanging them on the wall in your bedroom like artwork, or group them together on a shelf.

4: Patches

Track down patches of the national parks, monuments and various cities and countries you've visited. You can also find patches for sports teams and other local organizations. Take a walk down memory lane and add your patches to a vintage jean jacket, or display them on a felt board.

5: Matches

Back in the day, most restaurants, bars and hotels gave out matches to patrons. While the tradition is not quite as common today, it's still fun to collect matches from locations you visit that happen to have them. Display your matches in a vintage bowl on your coffee table or in a dish in your guest bathroom.

6: Shot Glasses

We're not going to lie -- shot glass collections can potentially end up looking a bit cheesy; however, we think this fresh idea stops the cheese right in its tracks: put a plant in them. You can use air plants, fresh herbs or simple succulents to fill up your shot glasses. You can even add some pebbles to add some different layers.

7: Art

Pick up a piece of art from each new city you visit, and create your own evolving art collection. Mix it up and choose different pieces, mediums and styles from the locations you travel to or try to keep things more similar and choose the same types of art (i.e. all black-and-white photography or all line drawings). Display your art on a beautiful gallery wall in your home to help remember all of the amazing trips you've taken through the years.

8: Pins

Pins are easy to find in most spots you visit, and they often have a retro vibe. We love this display idea, which uses an embroidery hoop to showcase the collection in full. You can hang the hoop on your wall and add to it after each trip.

9: Shells

If your vacations usually include the beach, seashells are the perfect piece to collect. Try to bring at least five shells home from each trip, and find a fun way to display them. This beautiful shell arrangement almost looks like a piece of art and would look stunning on a coffee table.

10: Perfume

For any travel addicts who also like to mix up their daily scents, perfumes are a fun item to collect from each country you visit. Choose scents that remind you of your trip or scents from perfumeries that are specific to the area. Display them on a pretty vanity tray and every time you use one, you'll be reminded of your special trip.