Learning to pay cash for everything to prevent going into debt takes practice. Sometimes leaving that money in savings makes it too easy to spend on other things. When you want to splurge on a family vacation you need to protect that savings. A DIY travel fund savings jar is the perfect solution.
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Turn your spare change into vacation savings with a DIY Travel Fund jar! Click To Tweet
Before we get onto the tutorial I have some bad news. I lost the entire folder of photos for this project. After a day of fruitlessly trying to retrieve it from some unknown depth of my computer and a night of tears over the loss, I had decided not to share it.
However, this beauty sits on our mantle every day and I absolutely love it. It is such a fun piece of decor and is helping us stay on track with our vacation savings. I have decided that I’m going to share it with you anyway.
Eventually I will get around to finding another jar to remake the project. Then you can see photos of the creation process. Until then, you can use the easy directions below to create your own. Don’t worry. It’s incredibly easy to make.
Materials
- Giant Glass Jar (mine is a pickle jar)
- Travel Themed Scrapbook Paper
- Letter Stickers
- Mod Podge
- 1 inch Foam Brush
- Spray Acrylic Sealant
- Tan Cording
- Hot Glue Gun and Glue Sticks
Step 1
First, make sure that your jar is thoroughly cleaned. This will help the paper and stickers adhere better to the jar.
Step 2
Next, cut out a sheet of travel themed scrapbook to create a fun scene. I decided to keep the plane and the clouds from mine. The rest, I removed from the page.
Step 3
Paint Mod Podge directly onto your jar with your 1 inch foam brush.
Step 4
Then place your paper cut out to your jar over the Mod Podge.
Step 5
Add more Mod Podge to the top of the paper to help it mold to the jar.
Step 6
Next, add your letter stickers to the jar to spell out “Travel Fund”.
Step 7
Immediately cover your stickers with additional Mod Podge.
Step 8
Continue covering the rest of your jar with Mod Podge up to the lip of the jar.
Tips:
- You want to cover the back of your jar as well as the decorated part so that all of the glass has the same milky look.
- Pay extra attention to the edges of the paper and the letters.
Stop blowing your vacation money online with a DIY travel fund savings jar! Click To Tweet
Step 9
Allow your Mod Podge to dry completely before moving on.
Step 10
After your Mod Podge has dried, seal your jar with acrylic sealant and allow it to dry. This makes it a durable and long-lasting piece for your home.
Step 11
Once your sealant has dried, glue your cording around the lip of your jar with hot glue.
Step 12 (Optional)
If you have some cording left over, braid it into a faux handle for your job and knot each end.
Step 13 (Optional)
Lastly, glue your “handle” to the lip of the jar with hot glue.
You can see why I decided to share this DIY travel fund savings jar with you despite the lack of photos. It is such a cool piece and will help you on your frugal journey. Now you can toss extra change into it to save up cash for vacation. You can also do what I do, which is take any leftover allowance I have at the end of 2 weeks and toss it in.
Your travel fund will be growing in no time. Seeing it displayed beautifully in your home every day will help you keep your eyes on the prize, too. Where will you go with your new travel fund?
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I’m a nerdy, crafty mom of three adorable little kids. I love writing and creating, but in my non-existent free time I also love karaoke, taking my kids to the zoo, and reading. I got my degree in Science (no idea how that happened) but I took every English class I could get my hands on because, yeah, I’m that girl.
