Being sentimental is, more often than not, a common, understandable emotion. But sometimes that also means you wind up with a lot of stuff you simply don’t know what to do with. Throw it away? Never!
When it comes to all of those Christmas cards you’ve collected from loved ones over the years, you don’t have to toss them away. By recycling them into something useful and decorative, they can stay with you, guilt free. Not only are you cleaning out a box—for which you definitely get a pat on the back—but you’re also putting those cherished sentiments out in the open for all to see and enjoy.
Here are a few ways to recycle those Christmas cards so your old stuff brings you nothing but joy—and that’s what you want during the holiday season, right?
- Bunting
You can easily transform your cards into a decoration that screams celebration by creating some simple bunting. Get ready to say goodbye to those sentiments in their true form, and start cutting out triangles. Connect each new triangle by placing them face down, then tape or glue the twine across the backs. When you’re done, place your Christmas card pennant banner across the top of a basic bookshelf, above a door, across a plain wall or on your mantle. It’s easy, breezy and beautiful!
- Garland
Applying the same general technique of connecting paper with twine and glue, you could also turn old cards into Christmas tree decor. Cut out desired shapes—like a circle, square or star—using the holiday cards, and connect with twine or string, or simply punch holes in each shape and hang on the tree as ornaments.
- Wine Charms
Hosting a holiday party? Why not turn those holiday cards into super bespoke wine charms? No one piece is alike, so it’s your guests’ perfect solution to marking their own wine glass. I created holiday wine charms by cutting some cards into small circles, covering each one—front and back—with transparent tape, then trimming the tape off the edges. The tape ensures no spill will harm the charm, plus the charms themselves will double as adorable holiday party decor.
- Framed
For particularly pretty Christmas cards, try framing one or two. Being a vintage obsessive, I actually ordered vintage Christmas cards online for the express purpose of converting them into decorative holiday art for my home.
- Jar Tops
Filling mason jars with Christmas-y things is the perfect decoration for kitchen shelves, dining-room table centerpieces and bedside table accents for guest rooms. But you can add a little extra something by using old Christmas cards to decorate the tops of each jar. Simply trace the jar top on the card, cut out and affix with glue. Fill the glass jars with Christmas candies, like peppermint bark, red-and-green jelly beans, homemade fudge, holiday M&Ms or mini gingerbread cookies.
What Else? 4 Ways to Recycle Paper Scraps from Christmas Crafts
Got a lot of scraps from all that crafting? Here are a few easy-peasy ways to keep recycling those cards. Psst: These are perfect projects for the kiddos.
- Tags
Use the scraps from your Christmas card crafts to create gift tags for all of your presents, including perhaps one of those jars full of holiday treats!
- Magnets
Those scraps will also make great holiday magnets. All you have to do is get some magnet sheets that you can cut, or pre-shaped magnets (like circles) from a craft store, and glue your cute scraps on top of each magnet. Use the new magnets to hang up this year’s Christmas cards, or give away sets of four as Christmas gifts.
- Postcards
So you’ve used the picturesque sides of each card, but what about the bottom half that usually bears a warm holiday greeting? Turn that leftover card half into a postcard your loved ones near and far will adore.
- Clothespins
Instead of throwing out the skinny, long scraps, why not glue them atop wooden clothespins? Once the glue has dried, the holiday clothespins will be just the things you need to hang up all of your new holiday cards, postcards and photos.
This is a guest post brought to you by Kelly Rae Smith.
Based in Charleston, South Carolina, Kelly Rae Smith is a DIY and home design blogger for Shutterfly. For more DIY crafts or creative tips on how to decorate for the holidays, follow Kelly on Twitter.
Thanks Kelly for all the great ideas. I can’t wait to try them.
