Pressed penny machines are available at tourist destinations all over the world. These souvenir tokens use one of your pennies and 50 cents to $1 to create a flattened token that bears a stamp about the location you are visiting. Be aware that "mutilating" coins is illegal in some countries, such as Canada, and you will need to use a slug instead of a coin. The slugs will be available for purchase near the machine. However, regular coins can be flattened throughout the United States.
Buttons with pins on the back are an inexpensive souvenir you can purchase at most souvenir shops or personalize and order them online. These can be pinned to a jacket, tote bag or added to a length of ribbon which girls can hang off their dresser mirror or on a wall. If purchasing a souvenir as a vacation memento, look for buttons with the name of the location you've visited or a famous landmark. If giving the buttons as a commemorative of a special event, such as winning a scholastic competition, design the button and add the words to recognize the girls' accomplishment.
You can often purchase local trinkets very inexpensively. In the Caribbean, purchase small sea shells or handmade beaded necklaces and bracelets at open air markets. In New Orleans, purchase praline candy to take back to the kids. In Ohio, buy buckeyes in bulk and take them back along with information about why people from Ohio are called buckeyes. Any location you visit should have something unique to that location. Find out which ones you can purchase inexpensively or in bulk to gift to the girls in your life.
Patches can usually be found for around a dollar. If they are a bit more and you are buying a large quantity, ask for a discount to bring them down to the price you need. Patches can be collected from each location you visit and sewed to a jean jacket, vest or tote bag.
