The last few weeks have been delightfully random and extremely productive for us. I kind of love bouncing from one room to another like this — at least until we start a major renovation that requires our full attention. This week we painted raindrops and a pink door in Clara’s room, helped brainstorm Shannon’s design dilemma, finally completed our big sunroom floor project, and even started a small kitchen update for Monday. That room definitely needs more help than I did in Calculus class.
One crafty project this week went surprisingly well, which felt like a relief after a few nervous moments. I finally tackled something I’d been meaning to do for about two years: create a charming, easy-to-see display for our vacation keepsakes. Here’s what I made.
Think of these as vacation-memory jars that lean more toward a snowglobe or cloche aesthetic. Each one cost just $2.79 to make and they were surprisingly simple to assemble.
Back in 2008 I made six vacation time capsules, but I stopped displaying them because I didn’t love the containers anymore. I still adore the keepsakes, I just didn’t like how the jars looked when they sat on console tables, desks, or dressers — from above you mostly saw the lid rather than the treasures inside. When viewed head-on the jars’ wavy glass distorted the contents, too, so I wanted a clearer, cleaner solution.
I also disliked the old scotch tape labels I used — they were hard to read depending on what was behind them. My goals were simple:
- label the contents of each display clearly,
- use non-wavy glass so the keepsakes are sharp,
- make them visible from above and from the side.
At first that sounded ambitious, but inspiration struck when I spotted a project that suggested using inexpensive stemless wine glasses or vases with small wood rounds and a sealing adhesive or caulk. I couldn’t find the right branches to slice myself and the pre-made wood slices I found online were pricey, so I was thrilled to discover 4 x 4″ round wood plaques at JoAnn for 79 cents each and stemless wine glasses for $1.99. Finding both items in one store let me test the fit right there — they lined up so well it felt like a small miracle.
Back home, I painted the wood plaques. I debated bright colors, white, charcoal, or a whitewash, but settled on a timeless neutral—Revere Pewter—so the contents would remain the focal point. Two coats covered nicely without primer.
After the paint dried I wrote each destination and year on the side with a Sharpie. It’s much clearer than tape on wavy glass.
I chose clear silicone caulk to seal the glass to the wood for two reasons: the thicker bead creates a tight seal that’s less likely to leak, and silicone can be scored and peeled away later, allowing me to open the display without breaking it. I ran a thin line of GE Premium Waterproof Silicone II (clear) around the rim of the inverted glass. Tip: don’t make the caulk tube opening too wide or you’ll dispense too much and end up with a messy bead.
I’m pregnant and a little cautious, so I wore a respirator while working with the caulk, but I later confirmed this product is on the green list. With the caulk applied, I pressed the wood round to the glass while keeping the glass upright so nothing spilled. Once joined, I carefully flipped the piece over, centered the dome, held it in place and wiped away any excess caulk with a paper towel.
They dried in about three hours and the seal looked neat and secure. The sand and other tiny items stayed contained even after I shook one like a snow globe—no sand explosion, thankfully.
For now the displays live on shelves and tables in the office and living room, but my goal is to line them up on a built-in shelf in our bedroom someday. I can picture a whole row of them creating a cozy, tucked-in nook above the bed. I’d also like to make more as we travel so the collection matches — I’m tempted to buy extra wood plaques and glasses to have on hand.
How do you display vacation keepsakes? Shadow boxes, scrapbooks, framed photos—there are so many ways. I’ve read that experiential purchases like travel tend to bring more lasting happiness than material upgrades, which makes me even more motivated to memorialize our trips, even if they’re often road trips rather than exotic getaways. Maybe one day I’ll collect a jar from Morocco or Australia. A girl can dream.
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