Turn your favorite travel memories into unique Vacation Photo Ornaments with this simple DIY idea — a creative, budget-friendly way to make meaningful keepsakes for your tree or gifts.
How to make DIY vacation photo ornaments.
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Why I love this craft
Instead of spending a fortune on souvenir ornaments at gift shops, you can create beautiful, meaningful decorations that remind you of your favorite trips. Whether it’s a beach vacation, a camping adventure, or a city getaway, these ornaments preserve your memories in a way that’s uniquely you.
Benefits of Using Mod Podge for Crafting
This all-in-one glue, sealer, and finish is a total game-changer for DIY projects. Whether you’re decoupaging photos, making custom home décor, or sealing a handmade gift, Mod Podge makes it easy to get a smooth, lasting finish without a lot of fuss.
It dries clear, works on tons of surfaces, and lets you create professional-looking projects with that personal, handmade touch.
The inspiration for this craft:
Turn leftover calendar art into one-of-a-kind Decoupage Calendar Page Ornaments by applying Mod Podge to wood rounds, sealing the design with a mini heat press instead of another topcoat for a flawless finish.
Video Tutorial: DIY Vacation Photo Ornaments
Watch this quick video to see how this craft came together:
DIY Vacation Photo Ornaments
Looking for a creative way to preserve your favorite vacation memories? Instead of splurging on expensive souvenirs, why not turn your travel photos into one-of-a-kind DIY photo ornaments?
Materials
- Mod Podge (matte finish recommended)
- Wood rounds (4-inch diameter, preferably pre-drilled) *
- Vacation photos printed in circular format
- Parchment paper
- Fine glitter (silver works beautifully)
- Baker’s twine or ribbon (about 10 inches per ornament)
Tools
- Scissors or a circle cutter
- Mini heat press or an iron (no steam)
- Paintbrush (¼ inch)
- Pen blade, skewer, or toothpick
Instructions
- Watch the video. Follow along with the video tutorial for a step by step walkthrough.
- Prep the wood rounds. Start by giving each wood round a coat of matte Mod Podge. This will help your photo adhere better and ensures a smooth finish. Let it dry completely.
- Design your photo circles. Using Canva or another design tool, upload your vacation photos and size them to slightly larger than your wood rounds (about 4.1 inches to account for trimming). Add fun elements like circular frames and text to label the location and year (e.g., "Mexico 2019"). To enhance readability: use curved text to match the photo's shape; add outlines or adjust font colors for contrast; brighten the image if needed.
- Print and cut out your photos. Print your designs on a regular inkjet printer.Carefully cut out your photo circles with scissors, trimming close to the edge to remove any white paper.
- Attach your photos. Center the image onto your dried Mod Podge wood round. To seal it perfectly, place parchment paper over the photo. Then, use a mini heat press or iron (no steam) to activate the Mod Podge and eliminate bubbles
- Add a glittery border. With a small paintbrush, apply Mod Podge around the edge of the photo and a little onto the face of the ornament’s perimeter. Then, roll the edge in fine silver glitter.
- Add final touches. Re-poke the pre-drilled hole using a pen blade, skewer, or toothpick. Thread through a 10-inch piece of baker’s twine or ribbon and tie a double knot at the top.
Notes
* Tip: You can choose rustic wood slices with bark for a more natural look, or go with clean-edged rounds—it’s all up to your style!
The Finished Craft
Don’t forget to PIN this craft for later:
