Fun Ways to Recycle Christmas Cards!

How do you recycle Christmas cards?

What can you make with old Christmas cards?

There are tons of ways to use Christmas cards instead of just storing them forever or tossing them when the new year rolls around.

Recycled Christmas Card Tree

Christmas card usually come with adorable cute or classic pictures and embellishments. If you would like to make an art project to recycle Christmas cards, then consider making a Christmas card tree.

A paper recycled Christmas cards tree can be set up on a blank wall and can be as big or as small as you'd like. For the tree use green felt or green construction paper to create an outline of the tree. This can be three triangles stacked and slightly overlapping of felt or construction paper - this gives the illusion of downward facing tree branches - this does not have to be perfect as you will be decorating the tree with embellishments.

Now go through your collection to recycle Christmas cards and cut out all the cute snowmen, reindeer, Santas, snowflakes -- and all the other cool pictures and tack them onto your Christmas tree!

This can also be a classroom project where kids can bring in a Christmas card to be used for a recycled Christmas tree decoration.

Make Your Own Christmas Card Embellishments

Snip off those cute ribbons and little reindeer and recycle the images onto new cards! This can be fun activity for kids, let them cut out their favorite parts of old Christmas cards to make a new one.

You can even attempt to create fun Christmas collages. For example, cut out different snowmen from your cards to make a collage of different looking snowmen -- or choose some other Christmas icon to collect and collage.

Holiday Decor

If you have received some really beautiful holiday cards, then consider making them holiday displays that you can use year after year.

Frames are a great way to display some beautiful holiday cards. When the holidays roll around next year, then replace some of your everyday frames with the holiday frames -- an instant and easy way to decorate for Christmas.

Christmas Wrapping Embellishments

If you want to add a little more umph to your Christmas gifts, then consider using parts of your cards to recycle Christmas cards and add some more festive cheer to your gifts! Punch a hole through some images and string them through your ribbon.

Or use double sided foam tape to add some dimensional design to your gift wrap. Also, instead of buying holiday bags, purchase cheaper blank paper bags and embellish to create your own holiday bags!

Christmas Scrapbooking Material

Buying embellishments for scrapbooking can be expensive! Consider using pieces of recycled Christmas cards as embellishments instead of buying new ones. Ribbons, iconic images, holiday phrases can easily be found on Christmas cards and can help to pull your holiday scrapbook pages together!

Decorate Christmas Gift Bags

Old Christmas cards can be used as gift tags very easily! Cut out a picture or small detail of the front of the card. Attach the picture to a larger piece of matching cardstock and write "To/From" on the piece of cardstock. Use double sided tape to attach the gift tag to the present.

For a gift bag, follow the same steps except, punch a hole on the new recycled gift tag, then string a piece of ribbon through it and attach to the handle of the gift bag - in this case, you could probably just write the "To/From" information on the back of the tag.

Next Year's Christmas Cards

What can you make with old Christmas cards? How about new Christmas cards - an easy and fun way to recycle Christmas cards and save money! Blank cards and matching envelopes can be purchased in bulk and then you can simple cut your favorite sayings and images from your old cards to create new cards!

Christmas bookmarkers

Christmas bookmarkers are a fun and easy way to recycle Christmas cards and use them over and over again. Cut a thick strip of cardstock to use as your base bookmark and decorate it with different pictures from your old Christmas Cards, then punch a hole at the top and tie some festive ribbon to it! Or slice your Christmas cards in a way that will capture the essence of it's design and use that as your bookmark!

Christmas Name Cards

Are you planning a nice Christmas dinner with a large guest list? Consider making name cards for table settings from your recycled Christmas cards!

Cut out evenly sized rectangles from your different cards, then using a solid colored cardstock, type or print the names of the guests, trim and glue onto the front of your old Christmas cards.

Holiday Magnets

Holiday magnets can easily be attached to Christmas cards and thrown on the refrigerator for some added Christmas decor.

Christmas Card Books

If you have an impressive collection of Christmas cards that you cannot dare part with, then consider getting them bound into books! Or bind them yourself! You can also create a nice cover for the bound book that displays the year that those cards arrived.

You can also turn the Christmas card into a scrapbook with updates on each individual card of what the year was like for that person, include any pictures or other memorabilia inside of their card -- so each year becomes a end of year account of fun memories of each of your friends and family members.

Paper Ornaments

Paper ornaments are super easy to make and can be a fun project to do with kids. Gather your Christmas cards and cut out pictures and embellishments that strike you fancy. Use cardstock to strengthen the picture, punch a hole at the top and string a ribbon through, tie the ribbon in a bow and Voila! a pretty Christmas ornament! If you want to add more dimension to your Christmas cards ornament, then get a few similar sized pictures and attached them side by side to create a trio of Christmas displays.

Christmas Gift Tags

Why spend money each season on new gift tags? Recycle Christmas cards to create fun and unique Christmas tags. Cut out a piece of the card in a fun shape. Glue a piece of colored cardstock to write your "To" and "From". Then attach to your gift! Or alternatively, punch a small hole where you can slip a ribbon through and attach that way!

Creative Card Sketches

Thank you for visiting my website, I hope you are able to find some great card making ideas. I also wanted to share with you an awesome resource that I've put together just for card makers: 101 Creative Card Sketches.

If you've been searching for a quick and easy way to find card layouts, then this is the perfect solution for you! This book includes 101 card sketches, over 25 card samples + instructions, tips and techniques for using card sketches, handy sketch summary sheets, and lots more, you'll never run out of card layout ideas again!

Thank you again for visiting my website and I hope you continue to find card making a joyful and inspiring hobby for many years to come!

This is a downloadable ebook that you can order from anywhere and have instant access to.

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