Recycling Christmas Cards

No one wants to throw away Christmas cards after Christmas. It
seems like such a waste! I have a few creative ideas for
recycling Christmas cards from visitors to my web site, as well
as a few crafty ideas of my own:

If there was no writing or printing on the reverse side of the
front of the card, use the picture portion of the card as a post
card type Christmas card. On the blank side draw a dividing line;
write a message on one side, and on the other side write the
recipient's address and place the postage stamp. Not only does
this recycle old cards, it saves money on postage because it is
cheaper to mail postcards than letters.

Use pinking shears to cut designs in the front of an old
Christmas card. Glue each design to a small folded construction
paper card to make simple gift tags. Then you can write the
"From:" and "To:" names on the inside of the gift tag.

Cut out pictures you like and glue them to construction paper and
laminate it. You will have pretty placemats for Christmas dinner.

One year I used my Christmas cards to create a keepsake album for
family Christmas letters. I cut the cards into different shapes
and decoupaged them to cardstock I had cut to 8 1/2 x 11 size. I
bound the album together by punching three holes in the cover as
well as in the Christmas letters. I tied the album together with
holiday ribbons. You could also slip the cardstock into the
cover of a three-ring binder. I used an antique colored
decoupage to give the album an aged look.

This year I am using my Christmas cards (plus a few cards saved
from previous years) to create a keepsake ornament container for
my college aged daughter. I was watching television, eating
popcorn from my holiday popcorn tin, and all the sudden it hit me
that the tin container would make a perfect storage container for
Christmas ornaments. I will decoupage the Christmas cards to the
tin container, and use the container to store ornaments we have
been buying for my daughter every year for her to have when she
gets married. She will also have a beautiful keepsake ornament
container.

Using old Christmas cards can be very sentimental. In just a few
short years you may be holding on to Christmas cards from
relatives who aren't around any more. What better way to
remember them than preserving their handwriting in creative ways
that your family will enjoy for generations to come.

Article by:

Rachel Paxton is a freelance writer and mom who is the author of What's for Dinner?, an e-cookbook containing more than 250 quick easy dinner ideas. For more recipes, organizing tips, home decorating, crafts, holiday hints, and more, visit Creative Homemaking at www.creativehomemaking.com

This article is available for reprint with author's resource box intact and all links live and clickable. Copyright is reserved by author.

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