Easy Craft: Seashell Vacation Memory Jars

Family vacations seem to go by so fast, but I found a way to capture our memories and enjoy them for years to come.  It all started when we went to Ft. Meyers Beach, FL.

While we were in Ft. Meyers, Sanibel and Captiva, we found some amazing shells, a dried up starfish and even the shell of a mini sea urchin. They were so beautiful, I wanted a simple way to display them and remember our special moments. So, on a visit to IKEA, I bought a glass jar and carefully placed all of our treasures inside.

Then, on a family vacation to Cape Cod, we collected the smoothest rocks and some sand from the beach. I got a smaller glass (also from IKEA) and placed the rocks in the jar along with a little bit of sand from our trip.

When we recently went to Naples, FL and collected shells and a sea sponge that washed up on the beach, you know what I did with them, right?  Yep, I got another glass jar and gently placed our new treasures into the jar.  

There are moments when we look at the jars or open them up and re-inspect our collections. The kids and I  like to see and feel our trinkets and reminisce about our special moments on our family vacations. These memory jars are so easy to make and, in my opinion, are a million times better than anything from a souvenir shop.

Here's another one of my favorite crafts to use those little seashells from vacation:

Sand & Shell Ornament Craft for Kids

If you don't have any shells, here's an easy seashell crafts for kids using a paper plate:

Easy Preschool Paper Plate Seashell Craft

Do you do anything special to capture your special vacation memories?