27 Brilliant Ways to Actually Use Your Travel Photos

Getty Images/iStockphoto [Edited]

If you travel and own a camera or smartphone, it’s safe to say you return home from vacation with hundreds of snapshots. Or thousands. Some destinations are just really, really ridiculously good-looking.

As for the fate of these travel photos? You’ll probably continue to Instagram them for the next couple of days while you can still get away with pretending your trip isn’t over. Maybe you’ll set aside a few for #tbt posts on particularly dreary future Thursdays. Maybe, if you have a penchant for evoking envy in friends and acquaintances, you’ll make a Facebook album, too.

But after that, all of those precious pixelated moments from family vacations, weekend getaways, and epic adventures will sit, forgotten, in a digital folder or on a hard drive. No longer.

When it comes to travel photo projects, the Internet is full of smart ideas — like paper lanterns or a photo-wrapped pencil set — and these kinds of things are lovely for when you’re feeling (very, very ambitiously) inspired. For the knowingly craft-challenged set, simple prints are the way to go.

Parabo Press is a good site for beginner photo printers as it’s super easy-to-use — though it’s actually the sister site to both of those not-as-easy DIY tutorials. They have simple and affordable printing options and some more unique styles like black and white engineer prints or framed canvas ones.

There’s also a world of options dotting the middle of the creative enthusiasm spectrum, and you’ll find my favorites below. (P.S. a lot of them make great gift ideas for jet-setting friends and family.)

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Turn your Instagram feed into an actual book

Courtesy of Chatbooks

Photo books can be a lot of work, but Chatbooks makes it simple. It syncs with your Instagram or Facebook account for an effortless import. I just loaded in 138 photos in about three seconds, and they automatically arranged chronologically — one per page — with the ability to add captions and locations if I want.

To buy: chatbooks.com, from $10

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Print photos directly from your smartphone

Courtesy of Amazon

Traveling with an instant film camera is fun, but I too often found myself retaking the exact same photo on my phone because I am a visual hoarder. Enter the Polaroid ZIP Wireless Mobile Photo Printer, a device that wirelessly connects to your smartphone to print photos instantly, or you know, after a few edits and the 13 test shots it might take to find just the right angle.

To buy: amazon.com, $90 (originally $100)

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Hang them on a cute clothespin display

Courtesy of Bed Bath & Beyond

So now you’ve got a stack of three-dimensional travel memories and an empty wall. Pinterest would tell you the only logical next step involves a spool of string, clothespins, and if you’re very motivated, some twinkle lights. On the other hand, this five-tiered frame is $14 on Amazon. It’s not cheating, I promise.

To buy: amazon.com, $20

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Pin them to a cork map bulletin board

Courtesy of Amazon

For travel memories, a basic, quadrilateral bulletin board simply will not do. Pin your road-trip photos — and any visually appealing tickets, postcards, and such you acquired along the way — to this cork wall map. And don’t forget these tiny push-pins!

To buy: amazon.com, $38

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Fill in a map-shaped photo frame

Courtesy of Etsy

If you’d prefer to hang something a little more polished, try a pre-cut matboard photo frame. It also comes with state-shaped cutouts you can use as a template when sizing your photos to fit.

To buy: etsy.com, from $69

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Or have someone artsy do it for you

Courtesy of Minted

May I remind you, this is definitely not cheating. Minted is a marketplace that connects the less DIY-inclined with super talented independent artists, and they’ve got a full travel-inspired art category.

To buy: minted.com, from $29

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Make a new luggage tag

Courtesy of Shutterfly

Because nothing says family vacation quite like matching photo luggage tags.

To buy: shutterfly.com, from $5

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Or a passport holder

Courtesy of Zazzle

Keep your most important travel document safe from harm by wrapping it with a photographic masterpiece.

To buy: zazzle.com, $20

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Turn your photos into a puzzle

Courtesy of Target

Target makes custom 252-piece puzzles with designs like the above or with full-bleed versions of your photo.

To buy: target.com, $23

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Create your very own stamps

Courtesy of Stamps.com

No, custom stamps are not just for wedding invitations.

To buy: stamps.com, $26 per sheet of 20 stamps

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Create your own custom greeting cards

Courtesy of Artifact Uprising

Artifact Uprising has a ton of cool photo products, including customizable greeting cards where you can share your favorite vacation photos in a neat collage.

To buy: artifactuprising.com, from $2 per card

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Use them to protect your tech

Courtesy of Shutterfly

A custom phone case with a photo of your choosing will bring back vacation memories every time you pick up your phone. Shutterfly makes the process easy and gives you plenty of options so you can find the perfect case.

To buy: shutterfly.com, from $23

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Eat them

Courtesy of Boomf

After printing them atop sugary delights, of course, like these marshmallows from Boomf.

To buy: boomf.com, $22

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Make your own personalized stickers

Courtesy of Moo

Business cards are the bread and butter of Moo.com, but if you have no plans to monetize your travels, they also offer these cute, pocket-sized sticker books.

To buy: moo.com, from $10

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Paint them! Or again, maybe hire someone to do a better job

Courtesy of CarlinArtWatercolor

For the less artistically inclined, there’s always Etsy. The CarlinArtWatercolor shop creates beautiful custom watercolors from your photos. If you’re more of an acrylic person, the lindywhittonstudio shop offers custom work from $64.

To buy: etsy.com, from $64

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Print your own ceramic tiles

Courtesy of ImageSnap

Even if you’re not currently renovating your bathroom or kitchen backsplash, the custom photo ceramic tiles from ImageSnap make for cool shelf decor, magnets, or wall art.

To buy: imagesnap.com, from $5 each

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Make your desk less sad with a daily travel photo calendar

Courtesy of Social Print Studio

Start every day at work with a little reminder of what you’re really earning that paycheck for: more incredible travel experiences.

To buy: socialprintstudio.com, $45

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Upgrade your dopp kit

Courtesy of Bags of Love

What use would you even have for a travel accessory or toiletry bag without one of your beautiful photos on it?

To buy: bagsoflove.com, $43

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And your go-to tote bag

Courtesy of Zazzle

Can’t find the perfect tote for the beach? Print one with your favorite seaside snapshots.

To buy: zazzle.com, $20 for a medium-sized bag

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Get nostalgic with a Retroviewer

Courtesy of Image3D

Ever find yourself wishing you could be visually transported back to both your vacation and the ’90s simultaneously? Image3D.com lets you make a custom seven-photo reel to use with your dusty, old stereoscope goggles — or you can buy a new pair. There’s also an option to add 3D captions to your photos.

To buy: image3d.com, from $30

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Get futuristic with tech wraps

Courtesy of SkinIt

You’ll never have to second-guess which phone charger — or tablet, or Amazon Echo tower — is yours again.

To buy: skinit.com, from $7

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Pair your memories with a scent

Courtesy of Yankee Candle

With fragrances like Beach Walk and Balsam & Cedar, Yankee Candles can often bring the scent of your favorite place home with you. The custom label just takes it up another notch, and makes for a thoughtful gift.

To buy: yankeecandle.com, from $22

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Customize a pair of classic kicks

Courtesy of Vans.com

Not only do Vans make great shoes for travel, they also make a great canvas for your travel photos. An “Add Your Own Photo” feature is available for an extra $15 on men’s, women’s, and kid’s Vans in several styles, including the Classic Slip-On and the Authentic style sneaker.

To buy: vans.com, from $90

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Or a T-shirt

Courtesy of Jakprints

You’ll be so excited when someone asks you where you got such a cool-looking travel T-shirt.

To buy: jakprints.com, from $14

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Or a pair of leggings

Courtesy of Zazzle

At this point, you could potentially wear a head-to-toe outfit designed by your photographic eye. I just want to be sure that possibility is very clear.

To buy: zazzle.com, $60

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Or an entire wall

Courtesy of Murals Your Way

If the views out your windows are lackluster, turn to the walls. The tool that Murals Your Way uses to help you create custom wall images checks the resolution, and they have an easy one-sheet for other photo requirements to ensure your new living room scenery comes out the way you intend it to.

To buy: muralsyourway.com, $140

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Or, my personal favorite, a shower curtain

Courtesy of Zazzle

Bet you wouldn’t have thought of this one.

To buy: zazzle.com, $60

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27 Brilliant Ways to Actually Use Your Travel Photos

1 of 27

Turn your Instagram feed into an actual book

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2 of 27

Print photos directly from your smartphone

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Hang them on a cute clothespin display

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Pin them to a cork map bulletin board

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Fill in a map-shaped photo frame

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Or have someone artsy do it for you

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Make a new luggage tag

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Or a passport holder

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Turn your photos into a puzzle

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Create your very own stamps

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Create your own custom greeting cards

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Use them to protect your tech

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Eat them

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Make your own personalized stickers

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Paint them! Or again, maybe hire someone to do a better job

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Print your own ceramic tiles

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Make your desk less sad with a daily travel photo calendar

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Upgrade your dopp kit

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And your go-to tote bag

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Get nostalgic with a Retroviewer

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Get futuristic with tech wraps

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Pair your memories with a scent

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Customize a pair of classic kicks

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Or a T-shirt

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Or a pair of leggings

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Or an entire wall

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