No matter where I travel, I usually come home with postcards. I buy them with the best intentions: sending them to loved ones with a quick note saying how much I miss them and wishing they were here, yada, yada. Of course, reality is, I never send them out and they end up taking up space in what soon became known as my “postcard drawer.” But, one day enough was enough. It was time to reclaim the drawer. So, I came up with some clever ideas on how to make use of postcards, well after your trip is over.
Use them as a part of your travel journal. Readers who are familiar with my blog know that I keep a travel journal detailing events that take place on each of my trips. I use the back of postcards to jot down a special memory from a specific place. For example, on a postcard featuring a shot of Squaw Valley, I write the date of my visit, a few lines about the skiing conditions and a short anecdote, like: “Remember when Steve lost his right contact on one of the runs and had to wear his glasses for the rest of the trip.”
Use them as thank you notes. For example, say your young cousin’s neighbor learned that he was going to Disneyland for his birthday. They give him a card with money in it and tell him to buy something nice for himself there. He in turn can use part of the money to buy them a postcard, write a nice thank you on the back, and mail it off to them.
Use them as Invitations. This is great if you are having a theme party. For example, a Hawaiian-theme or luau type party is a great way to use up postcards from Hawaii. Just write the party information on the back of the card. Plus, you save money on postage. It is cheaper to send a dozen postcards than a dozen traditional invitations.
Use them as Gift Certificates. For example, I once sent a postcard I got from the Jersey Shore to a cousin I visited there. On the back I wrote: “This card entitles you to a hot dog and cotton candy… just like the ones we had at the shore.” She could “redeem” it on my next trip out there. Or, I once gave my husband a postcard featuring a San Diego sunset. I wrote: “This card entitles you to a dinner like the one we shared at the Hotel del Coronado.”
There are of course many other great ways to put your postcards to good use. Consider these an alternative to wallpapering a room with them.