This “Coffee Passport” Craft Is So Cute (and a Great Budgeting Trick!)
I am a severe creature of habit, meaning I like to eat the same thing for breakfast most mornings and end most nights on my blue couch (a prized Facebook Marketplace find!) squished between my roommates. It also means that I rarely stray from my favorite coffee shop downtown.
But, since I’m in my last semester of my senior year, I want to explore the downtown area near my school and savor my college town before I move away. When I came across this TikTok video by Carlyn Bower (@carlynbower), I knew making a coffee “passport” was the perfect way to make sure I stick to my goal of getting out more.
What Is a Coffee “Passport”?
If you’re familiar with the 2026 punch card trend, the idea behind the coffee “passport” is similar. It’s a booklet filled with the names of cafés in your area to inspire you to venture out and sample them all, the way an actual passport allows you to explore new countries. Each page in your self-created coffee “passport” is dedicated to a coffee shop and includes a line where you can write down what you ordered, what date you went, and how you’d rate the experience.
It both helps you try new places around town and creates a keepsake once it’s filled out of all the places you’ve gone. I want to make one for myself, but I also think this would be an adorable gift for a friend.
How to Make a Coffee “Passport”
The first step is identifying what new coffee shops you want to try. Depending on if you have a car or not, you could stick to places within walking distance of your home or make it a goal to explore more places around your city.
Next, get out some paper, scissors, a hole punch and some ribbon, which you’ll use to bind the booklet together, and then some markers, stickers, and any other craft supplies you may need to decorate the pages. Exactly how you customize the “passport” is up to you: What do you want to make note of at each café? Some ideas of things to track include what you ordered, your rating overall, if you got food, how long you were there, etc.
In her video, Carlyn also adds the address of each spot and a mini paper pocket with some cash, which is such a smart way to set aside your coffee budget up front and ensure you don’t overspend while out trying every café in the area.
Where to Buy a Coffee “Passport”
If you love the idea of doing work at new coffee shops around town but aren’t into making your own, skip the craft and get right to the good part! The Cafe Passport has premade books you can buy, and chances are they have one preloaded with cafés in your city, since they offer versions for over 100 cities in the U.S. and Canada.
If you’re okay filling out the names of the cafés yourself, note that Etsy also has some cute options, like this Coffee Journal or this Coffee Passport PDF that you can keep on your phone or print out to use.
