Give foreign-language kids' toys and books. For the little ones, look no farther than a local bookshop or toy store for affordable gifts. Picture books, alphabet blocks, flash cards and puzzles are all more charming and add to education when printed in another language.
Take home versatile textiles. Fabrics are a wonderful way to bring home a bit of the spirit of a place, and they don't up too much room in a suitcase. If you sew or know a good seamstress, you can save money by purchasing fabric and having pieces made — as Houzz contributor Samantha Schoech did with the beautiful pillows made from a piece of Mexican Otomi embroidery shown here.
Scoop up local specialties at the source. Whether you are shopping for market totes and vintage grain-sack pillows in France or embroidery in Mexico, try to source your finds from a market or local haunt for the best price. It pays to do a little research before you leave home so you'll feel comfortable straying from the tourist-filled areas.
Start a low-maintenance collection. When choosing an item to collect, think small, portable and easy to find. Maps — whether antique or current — matchbooks and even humble postcards can make fine collectibles. Seek the same thing in every place you travel, and you can soon have a unique collection.
Cindy Simpson Very inspirational article. I collect linen tea towels that I use every day in the kitchen and the powder room. I am going to start looking for pillow covers and poufs from now on. Textiles are so easy to pack and they last for a very long time. 1 Like July 3, 2013 at 4:55AM ljm1950 I'm a confessed Francophile, and collect kitchen towels and linens on each trip. Also, small wooden utensils from wherever I travel, and pottery from Italy, Mexico and France. Makes me happy to use it all! 1 Like July 4, 2013 at 10:58AM PRO Bowden Carroll Design Like a number of others, I am a fiend for tea towels - easy to pack, relatively inexpensive, make great gifts and they're so useful! This is one of my favorites from South Africa, designed and made by www.polynation.co.za
ody Thompson I bought an entire set of Russian china when I went to St. Petersburg in1998. I replaced it into the original box and then bought a huge backpack for it. I took it as carry on and miraculously nothing broke!!! :) I have added from my trips to Europe and Southeast Asia. One thing I've done is write up documentation on where, when and the provenance of items I purchase. I keep a copy at home and a copy in my safety deposit box. This will help my four boys, who care less about this stuff right now, be able to pass on stories about where things were purchased and the vale of them.
Althea McMurrian To create space in my suitcase for gifts & things, I tend to pack clothes I am willing to throw away. I tend to go on long trips so those clothes that are mariginal are easy to discard or donate, and it frees up alot of space in my luggage. I refuse to buy another bag just for my shopped items.
Get to the root of what you want to bring home. Is it the object — or the lifestyle? It's easy to slip into the trap of thinking that the more things you bring home, the more of that vacation feeling you will bring home, too. Instead of overloading your suitcases and stretching your wallet, note the things you have made a habit of doing on vacation that you don't usually make time for — and commit to doing them more often when you get home.
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