September 7th, 2009 by Jordan
Okay, so this wasn’t my idea. It was taken from DesignSpongeOnline.com. However, outside from just being a fun project, I thought travelers would appreciate a post on Terrariums. A Terrarium is a simple self contained eco-system that you create and just let sit….no watering long lasting if done properly. So you can be on the road, country-hopping, and still have plants that are watering themselves back home that will not be dead upon your return. That’s what makes them so perfect for travelers.
Inspired by the post from Design Sponge, I set out to make my own. I’ve attached more pictures after the jump to sort of show you the tools and nature elements you might want to use. Originally, I was thinking there was no way these are going to work, but after just 4 hours, the moisture is still forming on the inside, so I have hope!
Read more and View more pics after the jump
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June 28th, 2009 by Jordan
Most travelers and backpackers I know aren’t into collecting souvenirs. Face it, there comes a time in everyone’s life when they take down their collection of shot glasses. Also, as a backpacker carrying home breakables and added weight is a burden especially on a month or longer trip. During a bar visit, I noticed some well designed coasters that were being used. Most beer companies and restaurants use a coaster that has a front and back, and more often than not, the two sides correlate with each other. This gives us a perfect opportunity to use a free souvenir to decorate the pad back home.
Step #1: Collect 3 coasters from wherever you may travel. Make sure they have different front and backs.
Step #2: Go to your local art & craft store and pick up a cheap framing mat board. They usually don’t cost more than a couple of bucks. (And they are big so you can often reuse them). Using black or white mat board creates a little better contrast to most coasters I find.
Step #3: Line up three (art lesson 101 – odd numbers usually work better than even numbers) of the coasters and space them about how you want it to appear. Then…cut the mat board with a utility knife so that the three coasters fill most the space.
Step #4: Glue the coasters to the mat and hang in desired location.
So there we have an idea that is cheap, reminds you of that special place you visited, and adds decor to the apartment walls when you’re not travelling. Cheers.
