Creating a Travel Christmas Tree: A Holiday Tradition to Relive Your Adventures
Dec 8, 2024
As a travel agent and enthusiast, I always buy an ornament when we travel to new places. This has been a great way to relive the memories each holiday season when decorating the Christmas tree. This year, we needed a new “second tree” - which was always a smaller one to begin with, and I had a light bulb moment - “Let’s make it a travel focused Christmas tree!!” 😀
We have so many years full of travel ornaments. I thought that this was a beautiful idea to highlight a collection that will and can grow over the years, turning your tree into an amazing visual storybook of your experiences.
We got the tree (thanks #homedepot). The only thing I needed was a cool tree topper! I found only a few ideas on Pinterest, but none that looked like what I imagined. I saw the new passport ornament floating around on socials, and knew I wanted to make something with that as the centerpiece.
Making Your Travel Tree Topper
Materials Needed:
Take a trip to a hobby lobby or your local craft store and have some fun exploring! I knew I wanted to have the passport ornament as the center piece, and then have some sprigs coming out of the top, but had to see what options were available. I went with three of the moveable white curly qs, a solid snowflake as the base and one silver sprig. We also bought a new glue gun bc I do not craft that often, and we couldn’t find ours. 😂 (and the E6000 is in the photo, but I did not end up using it as we needed MUCH more glue. And as I said... it's been a while since I crafted anything, lol. I also saved the airplane for the tree as it was too heavy).
Step-by-Step Instructions:
Step 1: We connected the silver sprigs to the snowflake base with hot glue and let it sit. Meanwhile, we started to glue the three white sprigs together and used a small piece of cardboard (or white paper plate) to help secure them together.
Step 2: After allowing this to dry, it was ready to be connected. We ended up using twist ties to secure them together and it worked out great.
Step 3: Finally, we glued the passport photo to the snowflake center and TA-DA! It looks great!
Step 4: I ordered some mini spotlights on Amazon that allowed me to shine a light on the passport and topper at night! Super cheap and easy to install with a twist tie to a tree sprig. Here is what I ordered: https://a.co/d/a4FSyyP
#TravelMore Tip: Get creative with the materials you choose! If you have a collection of mini souvenirs or keychains from different places, they could make great additions to the topper or as ornaments on the tree.
Showcasing Your Travel Ornaments
After you travel enough places, you realize that you do not need anymore t-shirts, sweatshirts or souvenir cups.😉 Something small will allow you to reminisce intentionally whether that be a piece of art (the other purchase we always make for our “travel wall” - there will be a future post on that one!) or a Christmas ornament. A few of my favorites are highlighted here, but include the following:
Our first travel ornament together - from a 2006 Carnival Cruise we took with Will’s parents to Mexico. Will’s mom passed away in 2008, so we both feel very blessed to have been together as long as we have so I could meet and essentially be introduced to international travel by Will’s mama! ♥️
A Virgin Voyage ornament I made to remember one of our many trips with the Valiant Lady! PS - I am a first mate, so if you are interested in traveling with Virgin, I'm your girl.
A moped from Amalfi, Italy - this was not an “ornament” but we made it into one. The Italian coasts, with their winding, small roads, are filled with motorbikes and this is something we will never forget - aside from the Lemon Gelato.
A beautifully painted ball from Curacao featuring a turtle - we snorkeled with Turtles when we went to Curacao and this helps to spark those memories!
A St Kitts and Nevis painted sand dollar. We went back to there this year for a full week after experiencing the island on a cruise. This is a must see island in the Caribbean where the people are so friendly and welcoming, plus the ambiance you cannot beat.
And lastly, this fun Starfish from Honduras, which was a cruise we took with RC to the Caribbean that my Mimi helped us all take after losing our granddaddy.
The Full Travel Tree
And here she is in all her glory. 😉
If you love to travel like we do, then I encourage you to start your own this year or next! It doesn’t have to be full size - start with a small countertop tree and grow it from there.
It will also be top of mind when you visit new places so you will be sure to purchase an ornament that will add to your memories each Christmas season and allow you to grow that tree over time.
Do you have your own Travel Christmas Tree or have a creative topper idea?
Share it with me! Let’s celebrate our adventures together—comment below or tag me on social media with your festive tree ideas.
Thank you for reading and joining in the holiday fun. Be sure to follow us on socials for more travel tips and experiences from our adventures! If you are ready for that next vacation, message us today to start the planning process for free!
