Summer Memories: Vacation Memorabilia Organizer

What do you do with all the ”œstuff” you collect from a vacation? You know the maps, the tour tickets, Broadway Playbills, metro card, etc? If your anything like me you save your vacation memorabilia”¦ because you are adamant upon arriving home from vacation that you are going to incorporate it into the scrapbook pages that never get created or a project that just never happens. Over the past few years I’ve worked hard on not saving every brochure and ticket I collect during my vacations. I had a stack of the most important memories from my most recent trip to New York City sitting in a pile in my craft room. I decided I wanted to make a mini memorabilia scrapbook on a ribbon showcasing the highlights from our trip, and including a few of my favorite photos. Since we traveled over the 4th of July I knew I wanted my ribbon to patriotic. The Spiky Bow reminded me of the fireworks we saw on the Hudson River, and thus the vacation memorabilia organizer on ribbon was born!

Materials Needed:
Maps, brochures, tickets, pictures, and other memorabilia from vacation
Mini Bowdabra
Bowdabra Bow Wire
Hair Bow Tool & Ruler
5 pieces per color (3 colors in all) of 3/8” wide 4” strands, diagonal cut
3/8” wide piece of coordinating ribbon cut 8-12” long
3/8” wide piece of additional ribbon to finish the center, cut 6” long
Clear Nail Polish
Ruler
Scissors
Hole Punch

Instructions:

1. Line all of your items for your vacation scrapbook together. Punch a hole in the corner of each item you’d like included.

2. To make the bow for your vacation memorabilia scrapbook: Place the Hair Bow Tool & Ruler top of the Mini Bowdabra. Cut an 18” piece of Bowdabra Bow Wire and fold it in half.

3. Gather the strands of different ribbon. Prior to making your bow make sure each strand has a diagonal cut at each end, and that the ends of the ribbon have been sealed with clear nail polish. Place the ribbon strands into the center of the Mini Bowdabra. Arrange the strands at various angles. Use the Hair Bow Tool & Ruler as your guide to keep all the strands at even lengths.

4. Continue adding ribbon lengths one on top of each other.

5. Scrunch down the ribbon with the Mini Bowdabra Wand.

6. While the bow is still in the Mini Bowdabra, thread the two loose ends of the Mini Bowdabra Bow Wire through the loop at the other end. Pull the Bowdabra Bow Wire tightly while the bow is still in the Mini Bowdabra.

7. Gently pull the bow out of the Mini Bowdabra. Separate the two loose ends of the Bowdabra Bow Wire and bring them around to the back of the bow.

8. Fluff the Spiky Bow and add an additional piece of 8-inch long finishing ribbon to hide the Bowdabra Bow Wire.

9. Thread a coordinating piece of ribbon through the punched holes of the memorabilia to create a loop.

10. Attach the finished bow onto a ribbon loop using the Bowdabra Bow Wire. Once the bow is attached, cut the Bowdabra Bow Wire. *Cut the additional ribbon on a loop at a diagonal to blend into the rest of the bow, and fluff.

11. Your vacation memorabilia scrapbook organizer is complete and makes a wonderful summer memories keepsake!