Vacation Keepsake: Framed Nature Art

My stepmom came up with a great idea for a vacation memento: Make your own framed nature art.

The concept is pretty simple – gather up some bits of nature during a vacation (in our case, our recent stay in Yosemite), then use said items to create an original piece of artwork. Add a $1 frame to the mix and voila – a truly unique (and priceless) reminder of your experience.

What you’ll need to make your own framed nature art:

• An array of objects collected from nature (the more texture & color, the better)
• Other inspiring items such as pamphlets, photos & maps of your destination
• Paper, pens, crayons & glue
• Picture frames (we grabbed ours at a dollar store)

Of course, what wound up happening once we got started was even better than we’d envisioned.

While we adults stuck (mostly) to the plan, the kids took the idea in another direction. Both of The Explorers opted to forgo using the natural items and instead drew their own pictures of Yosemite.

Best part? Hearing The Big Explorer describe all the special places he featured in his picture.

The end result is an array of art inspired by nature – all currently on display in our cabin. We’re so pleased with the results that we’re thinking our framed nature art project should be an annual event.

Here are two more ideas for capturing memories of your nature travels:

• Make a vacation jar
• Create a travel-style nature journal

What’s your favorite way to capture memories of your nature travels?