Upon returning from a trip, a tourist will have a lot of impressions with him, a bunch of booklets, a whole bunch of business cards and tickets, and, of course, countless delightful memorable photos about the trip. And also souvenirs, cones with sand, shells, pebbles from the beach and many other pleasant things. But after returning, they suddenly lose their significance and at best lie in a separate box. But all these memories can be systematized by making a traveler’s diary with their own hands. This is an exciting activity that will revive pleasant memories. It can subsequently be shown to friends and family.
The foundation
Before you make a diary of a traveler with your own hands, you need to determine the basis. You can buy a ready-made hardcover notebook. It is advisable that the pages are fastened with a spring or ribbon. This will allow you to draw sheets without fear of warping the binding. Notepad doesn't have to be big. A5 format is quite suitable.
If you could not find a suitable notebook, you can do it yourself. To do this, fasten a pack of foxes of thick paper (Whatman paper, thin cardboard or kraft paper). The easiest option is to punch the blocks with a hole punch and insert the tape. Do not forget about the cover, which should be made of a denser material.
Cover art
If in the finished notebook, which will serve as the traveler’s diary, the cover corresponds to the theme, then you can leave everything as it is. And you can arrange it at your discretion - stick a print with an inscription that will reflect the essence of the trip.
Important and decorative elements that complement the cover and give it personality. Such elements are selected depending on the general style of the diary.
Outline and Sketches
Before you start making a traveler’s diary with your own hands, you need to think through the contents of each page. You need to choose a background: for this, you can paint the sheet with pencils or paints or paste beautiful paper that will support the general idea. And you can leave the sheets white and decorate them with decorative stamps, curly slots, contrasting substrates under the pictures or draw frames with pencils / felt-tip pens. Design is a flight of imagination that does not need to be restrained.
First, you need to decompose the prepared materials in chronological order or at the places of stay. Sort photos and memorabilia. You can sketch each page in a draft or distribute everything on a sheet. Only when everything falls into place can we start fixing. For paper, it is better to use glue stick - it does not deform even thin sheets.
Page Design
Each page of the diary of a traveler, made by yourself, is a report on a specific stage of the trip. If there were several points during the tour, then it is appropriate to attach or paste a map with the marked cities and towns. It can be noted on the scheme of movement and other details.
It is best to arrange pages in chronological order. So the journey will be perceived more holistically and in detail. On the first sheet, you can stick tickets or write down the start and end dates of the trip.
You can paste business cards from hotels where you stayed during the trip, wrappers from eaten local delicacies, tickets from visiting zoos, cinemas, theaters, museums, and exhibitions into the traveler’s diary. Under photographs and commemorative stickers you can make inscriptions, under a photo with a point of interest you can enter a brief reference and describe your emotions.
The album will be supplemented by photos with new friends. You can ask each of them to write a small autograph for memory and stick it under the picture.
Functional filling
It’s a good idea to stick small paper or plastic envelopes on the pages where you can put sand brought from the beach, a dried flower or other fragile items that will remind you of a vacation. In this form, they are better preserved. You can also put in the diary brought booklets that are handed out in museums.
You can buy a notebook before traveling, make a trip plan indicating the places that you plan to visit. During the tour, make notes and make notes, and upon returning finish the design.
How to make a diary of a traveler with your own hands depends on your capabilities and wishes. It can be made in the form of a ship's magazine or a comic book. Or maybe it will be a vintage album. It is important that it reflects the spirit of travel and brings joy when viewing.