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How many times have you complained about the price of admission to various attractions or events in the places you visit? Have you thought about saving all the ticket stubs and making a collage? Mala Ashok gives tips on ways to make souvenirs from your travel a part of your decor.

We all love to get away from home and spend days planning that perfect vacation. And then, when the holiday is over, we often look back and relive all those fun moments.

Interior designer Kyle Schuneman suggests ways to keep the memories alive.  One way is to pick up similar items from different places to create a collection that matches the theme of each vacation.

How many times have you complained about the price of admission to various attractions or events in a city? Have you thought about saving all the ticket stubs and making a collage?

“I think creating a collection in your home from your travels is such an important part of design; I actually have a chapter in my book called ‘The Collector’ as I think these collections are what are so important to making a house a home,” says Schuneman.

Even not so nice souvenirs at famous world sites are an important part of home decor and can become interesting conversation pieces or a decor statement.

Making travel a part of your decor can go beyond the obvious. For example, a friend brings one decorative piece home from each trip – like a door handle from London! A cousin collects placemats from every holiday.

Then when he invites guests over, he cooks foods from that part of the world and has a themed dinner. People line up to be invited to his parties.

Even photographs can hold pride of place with the digital photo frames, but you can opt for the exotic by mounting scenes from your vacation on large wooden slabs. What you have achieved is a wonderful piece of art which also serves as a memory of your precious holiday.

Interior designer Brian Patrick Flynn urges travellers to buy original, local art whenever possible.

This will not only be lighter on your purse but will have the flavour of your trip captured beautifully for you.  It is as though you are filling your wall with the story of your vacation.

What you collect need not necessarily be man-made or artificial. Don’t forget to look for plants and flowers that you see during your trips. You might be able to grow the same in your garden or in a pot which you can display in your balcony.
All of these keep your vacation alive for you at little extra cost.