This is 30 Days of Blogging: Day 18
It’s always a struggle to come up with good gift ideas for anyone who 1) already has everything 2) doesn’t want anything 3) wants something but doesn’t know what. We’re also not huge fans of gifting random items that no one really needs.
A few years ago we were really wracking our brains to find something meaningful to give to Michael’s dad for his birthday. While we were brainstorming, we remembered how he’s always really wanted to go on a Canadian railway trip but never got the opportunity. So we came up with the idea of a personalized Travel Bank – something to keep his dream alive and to help with the practical side as well. So we made him a travel bank and for every holiday or occasion when a gift was in order, we’d contribute to his travel fund.
This was so much more meaningful and took the guesswork out of gift giving, too. We love how this turned out, even though it was a last minute project using supplies we already had at home.
How to make your own travel fund bank!
1. Build or buy your box
Michael used some scraps he had in the garage to build the box himself, but a top loading shadow box also works great if you don’t want to build. We painted ours using some leftover paint from another project, and even if you’re purchasing a box, you can always add paint if you’re going for a particular look. And don’t forget the slot in the top!
2. Add a background
The most fun part was adding a themed background! Since the box was intended to collect funds for a trip through the Canadian mountains, we found a beautiful image that looked similar so what he would experience on the trip. We printed it on our home printer and glued it to the back of the inside of the box. It took a bland looking box to a pretty impressive looking fund bank!
You can find some beautiful images that are free to use at Unsplash.com.
3. Make sure the intention for the fund is clear
For a more personal touch, I hand-lettered “Railway Expedition Fund” so the intention of the box was clear. And it looks so fun!
I used a white paint marker and it worked great! Using some painters tape to keep the text aligned was really helpful, and I used a glove to keep from smudging the glass.
4. Add final touches
We had a left over cabinet handle that we added to the top to look more like a “suitcase” but it works just as well without. You can also attach mounting hardware to hang on the wall, or if you’ve purchased a shadow box, it most likely already has it.
We also made a log for keeping track of funds that were added so we knew how much money was in there! Since we already spend the time creating this log, feel free to use it for yourself! You can download it here: Printable Travel Bank Fund Log
5. Gift!
Now that you have a beautiful travel fund bank, help contribute towards an adventure! We like coming up with funny ways to gift money (think taping together single dollar bills and folding them into a tissue box!), but a fun envelope will do the trick too!
6. Use for other savings!
Maybe you or a loved one doesn’t have a big trip in mind, but some savings are needed for a fun new toy, a day at the spa, or that gorgeous piece of furniture you’ve been eyeing. Create a fund bank for specifically for that item and watch it grow, little by little. It makes saving a little more fun and definitely more intentional.
Happy Saving.