Thursday, January 04, 2007

Another List but this one needs Your Help

My question is

What do you do with old Christmas cards? I hate throwing them out but I have a whole stack here that need to have something done with them.

Post your answers in the comments and I'll keep updating this list.


  1. Leave them in a pile by your computer until you get tired of looking at them.
  2. Bonnie says: Hey Juanita, I haven't done it for the past few years (those ones I still have all in a pile packed away with my Christmas stuff) but for the first few years of our marriage I would cut the picture part into strips and used them to make a paper chain that I use to decorate with at Christmas time.
  3. and Rebecca suggests:

When my kids were younger they used to have a lot of fun making gift tags out
of the previous year's cards. They cut the pictures on the cards into shapes
with pinking sheers or scissors and used a hole punch to make a hole for
string or ribbon. Sometimes they'd use glitter to decorate around the edges
or make the stars or tree decorations, etc. sparkly.

4. Amanda wrote with three great suggestions:

1. Make a Christmas Card Star. I saw this first at "Mrs. Happy Housewife's" flickr page: http://www.flickr.com/photos/mrshappyhousewife/309498916/

but the pattern is here: http://www.jennyharada.com/fun-diy-christmas_card_star.html

2. When I was little, I used them to make Christmas tree ornaments. Cut to fit the inside of a plastic lid (like a pringles lid), attach with glue and then add glitter, and punch a hole near the top and use yarn to hang from tree.

3. I read this online and don't remember where, but use the fronts as postcards for "thank you" cards after Christmas.

5. And Kim from Hiraeth says, "I use the fronts of them for gift labels the next year."

6. Deputy Headmistress gives some good suggestions:

I pack them away with the Christmas decorations. Then the next year we use them to make different crafts. My favorite is tiny packages or gift boxes, tied with shiny ribbon and hung from the tree, but there are others. We listed some here: http://heartkeepercommonroom.blogspot.com/2005/12/easy-christmas-craft-using-old-cards.html

Small tots like this one: http://heartkeepercommonroom.blogspot.com/2005/12/ridiculously-easy-christmas-craft.html

This link is to another blog and they make a pretty ball using photographs and a brad. We made several of these using old Christmas cards, and they were really very pretty: http://www.photojojo.com/content/diy/photo-christmas-tree-ornaments/

Want another hint? Print out your post, complete with URL and keep it with the old Christmas cards when you pack them up with the Christmas decorations (or sometimes Thanksgiving decorations so you can get a head start on Christmas crafting)!

Thanks for the idea about putting all these suggestions with the Christmas cards! Now there's a good way to keep me organized.

BTW, I didn't mean to imply in my earlier update that only ladies could comment. I would take suggestions from any men who happen to read this.

I'll take any other suggestions too but thanks to those who already commented - it helped to encourage me to find a spot for them where we can do something with them next year. I tend to pack them away and then not know where they are.

6 comments:

Rebecca Stark said...

When my kids were younger they used to have a lot of fun making gift tags out of the previous year's cards. They cut the pictures on the cards into shapes with pinking sheers or scissors and used a hole punch to make a hole for string or ribbon. Sometimes they'd use glitter to decorate around the edges or make the stars or tree decorations, etc. sparkly.

Bonnie said...

Hey Juanita,
I haven't done it for the past few years (those ones I still have all in a pile packed away with my Christmas stuff) but for the first few years of our marriage I would cut the picture part into strips and used them to make a paper chain that I use to decorate with at Christmas time.

Anonymous said...

I use the fronts of them for gift labels the next year.

Anonymous said...

1. Make a Christmas Card Star.

I saw this first at "Mrs. Happy Housewife's" flickr page: http://www.flickr.com/photos/mrshappyhousewife/309498916/

but the pattern is here: http://www.jennyharada.com/fun-diy-christmas_card_star.html

2. When I was little, I used them to make Christmas tree ornaments. Cut to fit the inside of a plastic lid (like a pringles lid), attach with glue and then add glitter, and punch a hole near the top and use yarn to hang from tree.

3. I read this online and don't remember where, but use the fronts as postcards for "thank you" cards after Christmas.

Headmistress, zookeeper said...

I pack them away with the Christmas decorations. Then the next year we use them to make different crafts.
My favorite is tiny packages or gift boxes, tied with shiny ribbon and hung from the tree, but there are others. We listed some here:
http://heartkeepercommonroom.blogspot.com/2005/12/easy-christmas-craft-using-old-cards.html

Small tots like this one:
http://heartkeepercommonroom.blogspot.com/2005/12/ridiculously-easy-christmas-craft.html

This link is to another blog and they make a pretty ball using photographs and a brad. We made several of these using old Christmas cards, and they were really very pretty:
http://www.photojojo.com/content/diy/photo-christmas-tree-ornaments/

Want another hint? Print out your post, complete with URL and keep it with the old Christmas cards when you pack them up with the Christmas decorations (or sometimes Thanksgiving decorations so you can get a head start on Christmas crafting)!

Kathy said...

Well, my solution is really simple! I throw them into the recycling bin and put them out by the trash on the next trash day after Christmas. Not very creative, I know, but it works!