Gift Guide: Get Out There and Fall in Love With Austin Again

It’s easy for Austinites to become jaded, always looking back at what we’ve lost and worrying the Violet Crown will lose its charm. Good news: It hasn’t! Give the gift of a tourist’s eyes on our little gem of a city with items that’ll help locals fall back in love with it like a total newbie dork (or help total newbie dorks get acquainted).

1) “My Beautiful Earth” tote bag (purchase benefits Keep Austin Beautiful) ($25, www.parkerandscott.com)

2) Capital Metro 7-day pass ($11.25, local; $27.50, commuter; buy.capmetro.org)

3) ResortPass gift card to use for the pool at Austin Motel (or another hotel) ($30, www.resortpass.com)

4) Koko’s Guide to Austin by Jane Ko ($19.99, www.atasteofkoko.com)

5) Watercolor ATX postcard ($2.50, www.watercoloratx.com)

6) “I’d Rather Be in Austin” tie-dye shirt ($34, www.fsgprints.com)

7) Gift membership to Texas Science & Natural History Museum ($40, sciencemuseum.utexas.edu)

8) Austin Like a Local by Kenza Marland, Michael Clark, Stuart Kenny, and Zandra Robinson-Burns ($18.99, www.bookpeople.com)

Make Your Own Travel Journal/Scrapbook

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Where else are you going to keep all these new memories?

Supplies:

- Cardstock, manila folder, or any heavy paper or textile that works for the cover

- Several sheets of thinner paper for the inside

- Yarn, string, shoelace, ribbon etc. (3x the length of the spine should be plenty)

- Awl, icepick, pen, or similar tool with a sharp point

- Large needle (optional if you can push your string/ribbon through the holes)

Instructions:

1) Fold all the paper and cardstock in half, like a book.

2) Poke three holes along the spine: one in the middle and then two more equidistant from each other, however far from the top and bottom of the book you want the binding to be.

3) Thread ribbon or string through the middle hole, starting from the outside if you’d like to make a bow on the outer spine or starting from the inside if you want a clean look. If you’re doing a bow, leave enough hanging out to tie a nice bow with.

4) Make a figure 8 with the ribbon using a technique called the pamphlet stitch: Thread it through either of the outer holes, then back around and through the middle hole, then to the other outer hole, and then tie a knot near the middle hole. You can make a nice bow or cut off the string near the knot.

5) Decorate however you like, and use it to collect stickers or mementos from your journey, draw what you see, take notes, or whatever!