DIY Road Trip Hacks for the Holidays

By LeeAnna Linton

With Thanksgiving and Winter Break right around the corner, many people are going out of town for the holidays. Whether you are going to the next county over or another state, these 25 car hacks will help make your car ride fun and more enjoyable.

1. Help entertain your kids with a DIY travel book. You can create pages of activities for your kids to do independently in their carseats.
   
2. Send yourself a message in the bottle to remind yourself of all the fun you are having on your outing together.
   
3. Create a bucket pulley system. This is great to get things to the back of the car without stopping on long trips.
   
4. Create a temporary tattoo of your phone number and put it on your child’s hand when you are traveling or attending a big event, so then if they get lost someone can contact you.
   
5. Use silicone cupcake liners as inserts for your cup holders. They can hold loose coins and are a quick and easy clean.
   
   
6. Purchase a truck organizer to hold groceries and a middle cooler.
   
7. Hang shelves in the trunk to open up floor room for any essentials.
   
8. Have a single serving tableware ready for unexpected meals on the road.
   
9. Use easter eggs as snack packs, they are easy to pass out and perfect for portion control.
   
10. Cover the seats with a fitted crib mattress sheet, you will protect and keep your seats clean.
    
11. Create a mini emergency kit of things you may need throughout the trip: extra cash, nail clippers, medicine, band-aids, ponytails, etc.
    
12. Put jumper cables in your car incase you or someone else needs them along the way.
    
13. If you use reusable tote grocery bags, fill a bin and store them all in your trunk.
    
14. Keep an inflatable bed, blankets, and pillows for extra comfort and relaxation.
    
15. Poke a hole into the lid of a water bottle and add a straw for an instant “sippy cup”.
    
16. Use a tension rod, to avoid jackets and bags from piling up on the floor.
    
17. Make a seat belt cover out of a small plastic cup to avoid your child unbuckling themselves.
    
18. Use a sponge as a back-up ice pack, soak it in cold water and put it in a ziploc bag.
    
19. Organize essentials using an old magazine rack.
    
20. Make sure you bring all charging devices for your electronics.
    
21. Drop a pin on your iPhone if you leave your vehicle, so then later you can find your car easily when you're in an unknown place.
    
    
22. Use a binder clip to make your own DIY phone mount.
    
23. Use a cereal container as your own mini car trash can.
    
24. Use dryer sheets as air fresheners.
    
25. Use shoe organizers as cubbies for the children’s activities.
    
    

Hopefully you try some of these out for yourself and enjoy them! Happy Road Tripping!

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