As a mom of two young girls, I find myself constantly trying to find a way to freeze time and slow the rapid pace in which they are growing up. Traveling to the Disneyland Resort is one of the rare opportunities that we have to fully embrace and celebrate what it is like to be a child. I try to capture some of these moments with keepsakes and homemade creations that go beyond a framed image or store bought memento. While I know that crafting is not for everyone, I hope these ideas, some simple and some more complex, will spur a little creativity and allow you to create something as special as the trip itself.
Let’s start with something easy and inexpensive. Disneyland Resort maps are a terrific craft on their own and can be easily put into a poster frame, and used as a fun home-décor item. If you are looking for something smaller, consider using the resort map as backing for photos, saving money on pricey scrapbook paper, and adding some extra personalization to your vacation photos.
If you have been to The Disneyland Resort as often as our family has, you will soon learn that acquiring an unintended collection of items is a pretty easy task to do. For our family, buttons has taken on this role, and we are rolling in gobs of buttons from birthdays to buffet breakfasts to holiday celebrations. When confronted with the idea of what to do with these, I found an easy solution that only requires a canvas and a little paint. Select a painter’s canvas from a local craft store (these come in a variety of shapes and sizes), and some acrylic paint. Paint the canvas with the color(s) of your choice and let dry. While the canvas is drying, select the buttons you would like to use and the design or shape you would like them in. After the canvas is dry simply use the pins on the buttons to puncture and secure each button to the canvas.
A canvas, some paint, and thats it! Photo by Jenna Kahl
If you are looking for something even less complex, you can make a great button display craft simply by purchasing some wider ribbon (2 inches is best), cutting the ribbon to your desired length and attaching the buttons. Hang this simple display in a kid’s room or playroom with a small hook, and you are done in under 10 minutes.
Pin collecting is nothing new for those of you that visit the parks often, and even if you don’t “collect,” I am sure you have been tempted by a special pin featuring your favorite character or attraction. Adding these to a lanyard or pin collector’s binder might not be the kind of commitment you wish to make, but you don’t want to hide them away to be forgotten about either. So, now what? This all started for me when my husband and I participated in the Walk in Walt’s Footsteps Tour—which I highly recommend—that happened to come with a collector pin the size of my palm. This is where the shadow box comes into play. Shadow boxes are a great way to display items that you cherish that might be too small or cumbersome to display in more traditional ways. Combine this with a picture or clipping from a resort map, and you have a special and unique keepsake.
If you are looking to document your trips to the Disneyland Resort in a wider context, such as keeping a count on the number of your visits and special firsts, a shadow box is another great way to memorialize these moments. Purchase a shadow box that fits your taste and style. Back the shadow box with photos or a simple saying such as “See the Magic” and add a small item, such as a bell, Mickey Mouse bead, or even an antenna topper to mark each of your trips. You can also add perhaps something extra special for baby’s first trip, holiday in the park, etc. At the end, you will be left with a something tangible to remember the role Disneyland Resort plays in your life.
I think most parents who have visited the Disneyland Resort with little ones have an iconic picture of an exhausted little one draped over Mom or Dad’s back, or precariously hanging off the side of the stroller. Why not remember it all? A before, during, and after photo collection is a fun way to not only document a full day at the park, but catch some of the moments you don’t want to forget. Take a photo at the beginning of the day when everyone is nice, awake and clean, grab a photo mid-day, and then don’t forget to get the exhausted shot and display all of them together in a three-photo picture collage frame. This is also I fun way to show off the smallest of memories, such as a little one enjoying a Mickey Bar—from clean face to chocolate-coated face.
This would be that chocolate coated moment. Photo by Jenna Kahl.
I hope these ideas and their simple execution give you some insight into a few things that you can do to create fun, personalized memories that will last a lifetime.
