Five Star Gift Ideas

For your grandma who loves exploring abandoned places, I have a unique and thoughtful gift idea that will surely enhance her adventurous spirit and passion for exploration: a vintage-inspired scrapbook.

This personalized scrapbook will serve as a treasure trove for her to document her explorations, memories, and findings from the abandoned places she loves to visit. Here's how you can create a meaningful and personal gift for your grandma:

1. Choose a vintage-style scrapbook: Opt for a sturdy and aesthetically pleasing scrapbook that has an old-world charm to it. Look for one with a leather or rugged cover, reminiscent of the nostalgia she might associate with the abandoned places she explores. Select a size that will allow her to add photos, clippings, and other mementos.

2. Include a heartfelt letter: Start the scrapbook with a heartfelt letter expressing your love and appreciation for your grandma, acknowledging her adventurous spirit and her enthusiasm for exploring abandoned places. Share how her passion has inspired you and how proud you are of her.

3. Decorate the scrapbook: Use vintage-themed decorative elements like old maps, compasses, and ephemera related to abandoned places to adorn the pages. Add some distressed edges to give it an aged appearance. You can also include quotes or poems that resonate with exploration and discovery.

4. Personalize with photographs: If you have any pictures of your grandma exploring abandoned places, print and include them in the scrapbook. Alternatively, you can leave some designated pages blank for her to add photos herself. Encourage her to write captions, memories, and stories alongside the photographs.

5. Add journaling and observations: Dedicate sections of the scrapbook for her to journal about her experiences and observations from each exploring trip. Prompt her to write about what she discovered, how it made her feel, and any interesting stories or anecdotes she wants to preserve.

6. Map out her explorations: Include a section in the scrapbook specifically for her to mark and annotate maps of the locations she has explored. This will allow her to revisit these places in her memories and create a visual representation of her adventures.

7. Encourage creativity: Instead of just photos, let her explore her creativity by including sketches, paintings, or collages inspired by the abandoned places she has visited. Provide her with drawing pencils, watercolors, or any other art supplies she may need.

8. Add pockets and folders: Attach envelopes or pocket pages to hold small keepsakes or found objects that she may want to preserve from her explorations. These could include handwritten notes, interesting artifacts, or pressed flowers that she discovers in abandoned places.

This gift idea is not just a beautiful scrapbook; it's a way for your grandma to relive her explorations, share her stories, and continue her passion for abandoned places. It celebrates her spirit of adventure and creates a lasting keepsake that she can pass down through generations, preserving her love for exploration.

Or you can get her a star map with the date when she was born.

Bridget Shields says about Under Lucky Stars star maps:

“I wanted a keepsake to give to my father for his birthday as he has terminal cancer. He was delighted by his gift. The process of ordering was easy and delivery was prompt. A great gift idea.”