DIY Vacation Keepsake Display: Easy Stemless-Glass Memory Jars

The last few weeks have been wonderfully random and surprisingly productive around here. We’ve hopped from room to room—painting a pink door, wrapping up a sunroom floor update, and even starting a few kitchen fixes. Between projects I finally tackled a mini craft idea I’d been meaning to do for a couple of years: an attractive, easy-to-see way to display vacation keepsakes.

The result is a mash-up of a memory jar and a cloche: a clear, stemless glass sealed to a small wooden base so sand, shells, ticket stubs and other small souvenirs are visible from above and the side. Each finished piece cost about $2.79 to make, and the process was simple.

Back in 2008 I made six vacation time capsules, but in recent years I stopped displaying them because I no longer liked the containers even though I loved the keepsakes. The old canning jars are charming, but when they sit on consoles or desks the lid dominates the view. When viewed head-on, the wavy jar glass also distorted the items inside. The scotch-tape labels I’d used years ago were often hard to read depending on the background.

I set three goals for the new design:

• Label each keepsake display clearly and legibly.
• Use non-wavy glass so the contents remain crisp and visible.
• Make the keepsakes viewable both from above and from the side.

After some inspiration browsing I realized stemless wine glasses or small vases paired with thin wood rounds could solve all three issues. I couldn’t find suitable natural wood slices at home or online at a reasonable price, but I did find small 4×4″ round wood plaques for 79 cents each and inexpensive stemless glasses for $1.99 while shopping. Having both pieces at the same store made it easy to test fit a glass over a wood round in the aisle—luckily they matched well.

At home I painted the wood plaques a neutral taupey color so the keepsakes would remain the focal point. I used leftover paint (two coats) and didn’t need primer—the finish covered nicely. Once dry, I labeled each wood base with the destination and year in permanent marker; the handwriting is far clearer than the old tape labels.

To attach the glass to the wood I chose clear silicone caulk. It creates a solid, slightly flexible seal that is thicker than runnier adhesives, so it holds well and helps contain sand and other fine materials. Another advantage: silicone can be sliced with an X-Acto knife and peeled back when I want to open a jar again, so I don’t have to smash anything to retrieve a keepsake.

I applied a thin bead of clear silicone (GE Premium Waterproof Silicone II in clear) around the rim of the inverted glass, keeping the caulk tube opening small so the bead stayed tidy. Then I pressed the wood round onto the glass while it remained upright (so nothing spilled inside). After centering and wiping any excess caulk with a paper towel, I left the pieces to set.

Note: I worked in a well-ventilated area and took precautions because some caulks can be fume-y. This particular product is categorized as a safer option once cured.

Drying took only a few hours. When the caulk had set the junction looked neat and secure—the clear bead is visible if you look closely, but it’s unobtrusive and does its job of keeping sand and small items contained. I shook one like a snow globe and there was no leakage.

For now the memory jars are scattered across our office and living room. Ultimately I’d like to display them together on a bedroom shelf or in a built-in to create a small travel-wall vignette. The consistent wood bases and clear glass make the collection cohesive while keeping attention on the souvenirs themselves.

I plan to make more as we travel so the collection grows. I’m tempted to pick up extra wood rounds and glasses now so future keepsakes match the set—small prep that feels worth it if you want a uniform display.

How do you preserve and display vacation mementos? Shadow boxes, scrapbooks, framed photos, or little jars like these can all keep memories visible and meaningful. There’s real value in memorializing travel and creating a daily visual reminder of places you’ve been and experiences you’ve had.