Make Memories - Not Waste
When they start to pile up, it can be a bit of a dilemma, deciding what to do with all these keepsakes. If you feel like lightening your load of cards, don't send them to the recycling bin right away! There are many ways that you can reuse your cards to make easy, beautiful crafts and decorations.
With Recycle It!, you can clear out some clutter, help the environment, and create something new and interesting, all in the same day! Try some of these craft ideas with the kids for a fun family afternoon.
Contents at a Glance
Quick Crafts
- Cut the front of a card into six smaller squares to use as gift tags. Attach them to gifts with tape, or punch a hole in one corner and tie them with ribbon.
- Remove the front of the card, and draw a line down the back, width-wise. Send it as a postcard to a friend who's far away.
- Cut cards into smallish pieces to create mini jigsaw puzzles. Put them into homemade Christmas crackers or goodie bags for the kids.
Handmade Gift Boxes
Miniature Recycled Gift Boxes
These cute boxes use the entire card and leave no waste. They are so easy and fun to make, you'll be searching for gifts to fill them all! The tiny size is perfect for stocking stuffers and gift baskets.You Will Need:
One Christmas or greeting card
Ruler
Pen or pencil
Scissors
Tape or glue
Decoration (optional)
1) Separate the back and front of your card by cutting along the crease.
2) Place the front of the card face down. Using the ruler, draw a line from the top left corner of the card to the bottom right. Repeat from top right to bottom left. Your card will now have a large X.
3) Fold the bottom of the card so that the edge meets the centre of the X. Press down the fold to crease. Repeat for the top edge of the card.
4) Unfold the card. Fold the left side so that the edge meets the centre of the X. Press the fold to crease. Repeat for the right side.
5) Unfold the card. Starting at the bottom right corner, cut along the crease from the bottom edge, to where it meets the X. Repeat for the other 3 corners. This will make 3 tabs on either end of the card.
6) Fold in the two smaller tabs at one end of the card. Fold the large tab over both small tabs. Repeat for the other end of the card.
7) Secure the tabs with tape or glue. If you use glue, hold the tabs together with a paper clip or clothespin until they are dry.
8) Repeat the above steps for the back of the greeting card. In step 5, make your cuts 2mm longer so that the box will fit together.
9) Decorate your box as desired, or leave it as is.
Ways to Use Tiny Gift Boxes:
- Fill it with a tiny gift for someone special.
- Decorate a tree with them, or fill a bowl with them to decorate a vanity or shelf.
- Fill one with potpourri or bath salts to keep drawers smelling fresh.
Origami Gift Box
This quick video features a step-by-step tutorial on folding a small gift box using origami. You can adapt this technique for left over wrapping paper or gift cards.
For a beginner friendly project, try an easy origami box.
This video also features a great holiday soundtrack, which you can listen to as you read on about ways to recycle your Christmas cards!
Fridge Magnet Clip
Use your old cards to create stylish magnets for your refridgerator. By adding a paper clip, you can use these magents to easily hold and display bills, telephone messages, or shopping lists.For One Magnet You Will Need:
Greeting card
Large paper clip
Magnetic tape
Scissors
Hot glue gun
Pen or pencil
Assembly:
1) Cut out a design from the front of the card that you would like for your magnet.
2) Use your cut out to trace the same shape on the back of the greeting card. Cut out the second shape.
3) Line up the cut outs side by side, and place the top of the paperclip at the bottom of the plain cut out. Make sure that the cut outs will not cover the opening of the paper clip.
4) Place a dime sized drop of hot glue over the top of the paper clip. Place the front cut out over top and press down gently.
5) Allow the glue time to dry. Cut a small piece of magnetic tape and remove the backing. Press the magnet to the plain side of your clip. You now have your own custom fridge magnet!
Tip: If you don't have any magnetic tape around, you can also tape your card clips to the fridge, or any surface that you would like to hang messages from.
You can make a whole set and give them as a gift, or put them in a "Home Office" gift basket.
Poetry Tag
This project uses three different cut outs from a greeting card. You can use a ruler to create square or rectangle tags. For round tags, you can use different sized measuring cups as stencils.For one tag you will need:
1 greeting card
scissors
box cutter or precision knife
ruler or stencil
white or clear craft glue
hole punch
string or twine
1) Cut out a shape around the poem on the inside of your greeting card. Leave a border of 1 cm.
2) Centre the cut out over the portion of the card that would would like pictured on the front of your tag. Draw a similar shape around the cut out that is 1 cm wider on all sides.
3) Use your second cut out as a stencil, and cut a third shape from the front of the card for the back of the tag.
4) On the back of your second cut out, centre the first shape and trace around it. Using a ruler or stencil as a guide, draw the same shape again within your tracing, leaving a 3mm border.
5) Using the box cutter, cut out the shape that you just made from the middle of your second cut out.
You should now have three cut outs like this:
6) Turn the window cut out over and spread a little glue evenly on the back. Centre the poem face down over the window, lining it up with your tracing from step 4.
7) Place your third cut out face up over the window, lining up the edges. Place the tag between two books to dry.
8) Once the glue has dried, you can decorate the window with glitter, or use it to cover up any writing that may show from the greeting card.
Ways To Use Poetry Tags:
- Hang your poetic ornament from the tree, or decorate your kitchen by dangling one on each handle on the cuboards.
- Use them as gift tags or placecards.
- Attach them to scrapbook pages, journals or photo albums.
Spring Garland
This easy technique is great for making holiday streamers. For long streamers, use large circles cut from greeting cards. Smaller circles are great for making tree-like ornaments.Cards with raised print are best, but you can use any colorful greeting cards to make these fun spiralling decorations.
Materials:
1 greeting card
green or red marker
scissors
round stencil
hole punch
string or ornament hook
Assembly:
1) Remove the front half of the card, and use a red or green marker to fill in the white area on the back.
2) Use a round stencil to draw a circle over the centre of the card, and cut out the circle.
3) Position your scissors on the edge of the circle, and begin cutting a spiral shape. Follow the edge of the circle, keeping a distance of about 1/4 inch between the scissors and the edge. As you turn the circle, a spiral will form.
4) Leave a small circle at the centre of the card.
5) Punch a small hole in the middle of the spiral. With the printed side of the card facing up, separate the spirals, and attach a string or ribbon through the hole in the centre.
6) Hang several spring garlands together for maximum effect.
Accordion Balls
Memorable Dangles
For one ornament you will need:
6 greeting cards
Drinking glass or round stencil
Pen or pencil
Scissors
Sting or yarn
Masking tape
Craft glue
Clothes pins or paper clips
1) Using the glass or stencil, cut out 6 circles from the greeting cards. Fold each circle in half, picture side in, creasing them gently.
2) Apply some glue to one half of a circle, on the plain side. Press it to another plain circle half, lining up the edges evenly. Hold the cards together with a clothes pin and allow to dry.
3) Cut an 8 inch length of string. Line up the ends, and place them in the crease between the two card circles, on the exposed plain side. Attach the string ends (about 1 inch) to the card with a bit of tape.
4) Apply some glue to one of the plain circle halves, and press a third circle to it. Hold it in place with a clothespin to dry.
5) Continue adding card circles by gluing the halves together. The final circle will need to be glued on both sides.
You can decorate the ornaments further with glitter, or use even more circles for a different look. If you apply this technique to shapes such as squares or stars, you can also make free-standing decorations. For a tutorial and template, try the Stand Up Stars.
Greeting Banners
Create your own decorative greeting
To make a banner, punch holes in the tops of the letters and weave a bit of string or twine through them, or use ornament hooks or staples to hang them from a length of ribbon. Hang your banner over the fireplace or in the window!
You can make banners saying "Happy Birthday" or "Congratulations". Try some of these merry phrases for the holidays:
Happy Holidays
Happy Hanukkah
Joyeux Noel
Seasons Greetings
Merry Christmas
Happy New Year
Feliz Navidad
Good Tidings
Crafts with Style
Stamps, stencils, glitter and glue...the possibilities are endless. Try some of these popular craft supplies to take your projects from ordinary to extraordinary!
To learn more about these great craft products, just click on the picture.
Paper Shapers With Oak Stand 12/Set
Create interesting edges on your cut-outs with these nifty scissors!
Amazon Price: $39.99 (as of 07/06/2009) 
Color Splash 4-Oz. ! Glitter Glue/Paint Set (Pk/4)
Put glitter exactly where you want it with easy to squeeze glitter glue bottles! Glitter glue is great for adding text.
Amazon Price: $7.96 (as of 07/06/2009)
Mod Podge 16 oz gloss
The ultimate puzzle and craft sealer! Mod Podge is easy to brush on for collage style projects.
Amazon Price: $6.99 (as of 07/06/2009)
Merry Christmas Foil Confetti
Shimmery, beautiful and fun confetti is great for decorating or scrapbooking! Glue these foil shapes on to all of your Christmas crafts.
Amazon Price: $0.99 (as of 07/06/2009)
Tupperware Holiday Stencil Set & Packable Container
Never be without a shape again with a great set of stencils! They are great for cut outs, or draw them on and fill them with glitter!
Amazon Price: $11.99 (as of 07/06/2009)
Handmade Placemats
Create you own custom table settings
For one placemat you will need:
Roll of self adhesive shelf paper or contact paper in a festive color or pattern
Roll of clear self adhesive shelf paper
Drinking glass or other round stencil
Pen or pencil
Scissors
Ruler
20 greeting cards
1) Center the glass or stencil over a greeting card. If the picture is a festive scene, capture the main focus within the glass. Patterned cards can be stenciled more than once. Trace around the glass with a pen. Cut out the circle and set aside. Make 5 circles to start.
2) Place 5 circles in a row, overlapping slightly (about ΒΌ inch). Measure the length of the row of card circles. Cut a sheet from each roll of shelf paper that is the same length, plus 2 inches.
3) Cut 15 more card circles. Arrange all 20 in a rectangle, 4 rows high and 5 rows long. Overlap the circles slightly, and make sure that all the pictures are straight.
4) Carefully peel the backing from the sheet of colored shelf paper that you cut in Step 2. Place the card circles down, one at a time on the sticky side, leaving a 1 inch border around all sides. Carefully press all the cards down to smooth them as you work.
5) Carefully peel the backing from the clear sheet of shelf paper. Line up the corners, and lay the clear paper down over the cards, sticky side down. Working from the middle and moving outward, smooth the shelf paper down with your hands, and remove any air pockets.
6) Cut around the edges of the cards with scissors or crimping shears, leaving a border of about 1/8 inch of shelf paper. You now have one custom placemat! Make 3 more for a set, and add coasters by using just single card circles and cutting them out.
What About the Scraps?
Don't throw away the leftover bits of card after you've cut out circles for placemats and ornaments. You can cut out shapes by hand, or with specialty hole punches. Use them to decorate a wreath (see below), or try some of these ideas:
- String small card shapes together for a garland. Use circles, stars, teddy bears, candy canes - any shape you want! Just punch a small hole on either side, and weave a string through each shape, or attach them together with wire rings.
- Decorate your table with holiday 'confetti'.
- Use them in a scrapbook.
- Make festive candles. Attach shapes to the base of a large candle with a few drops of wax from a taper candle. Dip the entire candle in melted wax to seal it. (Don't let the candle burn down to the card shapes).
Festive Wreath
A fun craft for kids
These all-recycled wreaths are great for hanging on the door to greet your visitors.For one wreath you will need:
Cardboard (pizza box tops work great)
A dinner plate and a slightly smaller round stencil
Pen or pencil
Box cutter
Mod Podge or other craft glue
Decorative paper scraps (leftover wrapping paper, tissue paper or florist paper)
Paintbrush
Assorted greeting cards
1) Use the plate to stencil a circle onto the cardboard. Center a smaller stencil inside the first circle, and trace around it with a pen or pencil. Cut out the circles with a box cutter to make a cardboard ring.
2) Cut the scrap paper into 1 inch squares. Using the paintbrush, spread a bit of mod podge onto the cardboard ring. Place a square of paper over the glue, then brush with a thin layer of mod podge to smooth.
3) Continue adding squares of paper until the entire ring is covered, over lapping each square slightly. Add 2 or more layers until the cardboard no longer shows through. Allow each layer to dry before adding the next one.
4) Cut assorted festive shapes from the greeting cards. Arrange the pieces on the wreath until you are satisfied with the design. Apply the card shapes to the wreath with mod podge, and allow to dry.
5) Decorate the wreath with glitter if you wish, and hang from a door or window with a push pin.
You can also attach a string to the wreath for easy hanging. Simply staple a length of string to the back of the cardboard ring before adding the paper squares. Cover the staples with paper as you work to secure them.
What About the Card Backs?
Green Scrapbook Ideas
Once you've transformed the front half of your favorite cards, save the back to create a scrapbook. On each page, feature the card with a photo of the person who sent it.
Add your own embellishments, such as poems, keepsakes, and left over card shapes from your other projects. You'll have a wonderful collection of sentiments to cherish forever!
Crafts for Recyclers
There are hundreds of ways that anyone can help prevent everyday materials from ending up in a landfill. For the crafty and creative crowd, the possiblities for rainy day fun are endless!
To learn more about these popular titles, simply click on the picture.
Gorgeous Gifts: Use recycled materials to make cool crafts (Ecocrafts)
Make gifts for everyone without breaking the bank.
Avg. Customer Rating: 
Amazon Price: $7.95 (as of 07/06/2009)
Nature's Art Box: From t-shirts to twig baskets, 65 cool projects for crafty kids to make with natural materials you can find anywhere
How to make wonderful crafts from nature's gifts.
Avg. Customer Rating: 
Amazon Price: $11.53 (as of 07/06/2009)
Rubbish!: Reuse Your Refuse
It's only trash if you give up on it!
Avg. Customer Rating: 
Amazon Price: $13.59 (as of 07/06/2009)
ReMAKE ReSTYLE ReUSE: Easy Ways to Transform Everyday Basics into Inspired Design
Be green and stylish at the same time.
Avg. Customer Rating: 
Amazon Price: $14.96 (as of 07/06/2009)
Generation T: 108 Ways to Transform a T-Shirt
Everything old is new again. As long as it's a T-Shirt!
Avg. Customer Rating:
Amazon Price: $10.37 (as of 07/06/2009)
Create Your Own Greeting Cards
Think back to the last time you received a hand-written message from a friend or family member. The excitement of finding a special note in your mailbox is one that you can give to someone any time of the year.
No special occasion is necessary to send a greeting - after all, it's the thought that counts!
Don't wait for someone else to write the perfect card for you! Make your own and send a personalized greeting to the ones you love. With just a few simple supplies and the right attitude, anyone can create memorable cards that will be cherished.
Greeting Card Factory Deluxe 7.0
Includes 24,000 cards and projects, 90,000+ graphics, and 1000+ creative fonts and text effects for making your own cards. This CD-ROM also includes tools for making your own custom calendars.
Amazon Price: $49.99 (as of 07/06/2009)
The Big Book of Handmade Cards and Giftwrap: Over 50 Step-by-Step Projects
With straightforward instruction perfect for beginners, and a wealth of different techniques to appeal to crafters at an advanced level, this exciting guide will capture the attention of every reader who likes to create.
Amazon Price: $14.95 (as of 07/06/2009)
Making Handmade Greeting Cards
This step-by-step DVD will introduce you to the fun and rewarding art of handmade greeting cards. You'll learn a variety of craft techniques from which you can make hundreds of different greeting cards for any occasion, every recipient.
Amazon Price: $19.95 (as of 07/06/2009)
Hallmark Card Studio 2005 Deluxe
This CD-Rom includes more than 1,000 new designs and more than 10,000 exclusive clip art images for making your own custom greeting cards for all occasions.
Amazon Price: $12.61 (as of 07/06/2009)
Fun Card Crafts
These Projects are Highly Recommended
- Hole Punch Garland
Skill Level: Beginner
Use your old cards to make a colorful and beautiful Christmas garland.
Materials Needed:
Greeting Cards
Hole Punches- Button Cards
Skill Level: Beginner
Remove the front of your old cards and dress them up with buttons to make something new this year.
Materials Needed:
Greeting Cards, Paper, Buttons, Pipe Cleaner- Decorative Paper Balls
Skill Level: Beginner
Fill a bowl with these three-dimensional paper decorations, or hang them around the house!
Materials Needed: Greeting Cards, Glue, Beads optional- Collage Jewelry Set
Skill Level: Beginner
Use Christmas cards to make a necklace and earrings to wear during the holidays.
Materials Needed:
Greeting Cards
Glue
Beads
Jewelry Components- Snowstorm Window Curtain
Skill Level: Beginner
This easy to do project uses office labels to mimic snow. You can create the same effect with Christmas card cutouts and a gluestick.
Materials Needed:
Greeting Cards, Glue, Dental Floss- Custom Gift Tags
Skill Level: Beginner
Here are some great ideas for making your own gift tags from leftover cards. This project also includes a pattern for a folded gift box, and a paper bow.
Materials Needed: Greeting Cards, Paper- Square Gift Box
Skill Level: Intermediate
Make a perfect square box from your old greeting cards.
Materials Needed:
Greeting cards
Glue optional- Origami Card Box
Skill Level: Intermediate
Make a teeny tiny box from your Christmas cards using Origami style techniques.
Materials Needed:
Greetings Cards
Glue- Thank You Ornament
Skill Level: Intermediate
At the end of the holiday season, you can thank all of your generous friends and family for their gifts by returning their cards and wrapping paper to them!
Materials Needed:
Greeting Cards, Paper, Glue- Framed Collage
Skill Level: Advanced
This craft project is a bit ambitious, but well worth the effort. Use inexpensive wooden frames to create your own multi-photo frame, and save your most precious cards for years to come!
Materials Needed:
Greeting Cards, Photo frames, Wood glue, Clamps
A Handmade Gift
...is an Eco-friendlier Gift!
These great lenses can help you have a greener and more beautiful holiday, birthday, or any day!SheKnows has 12 quick ideas for reusing your old greeting cards. For five more projects check out What to Do After Christmas
-
Green Christmas Tips
-
With a little strategic tweaking in our Holiday traditions, we can help save the planet and go a bit more green this holiday season. Christmas is a joyous time when we all go out with home decorating, holiday gift-giving, and traveling to be with fri...
-
That's Creative: Unique Gift Baskets
-
Make your own personalized gifts for Easter or Mother's Day! When you need to find a gift for that 'impossible to buy for' someone, a handmade gift basket is a creative and thoughtful way to give. With a few hand-picked items, you can please anyone:...
-
Twelve Days of a Green & Ethical Christmas
-
The Twelve Days of Christmas to my family is simply a time of being together. When I was a child there was no such thing as "global warming" and vegetarians were very unusual. Naturally, as I have got older my awareness of the damage the human popula...
-
Beading Tutorials: Christmas Projects
-
If you enjoy creating your own custom holiday decorations, jewelry or accessories, then Christmas Beading is for you. Using beads in a few classic Holiday colors, anyone can create unique and beautiful items that will be the envy of everyone at the...
-
Recycle It! Household Projects and Crafts
-
Recycling by definition is the processing of used or waste material so that it can be used again, instead of being wasted.* The word recycling is used more casually to describe the process of keeping things from ending up in the trash. Whether this m...
Recycled Holiday Cards
One of the easiest ways to make sure that everyone on your list receives a cheerful greeting is to purchase boxed sets of cards.
The best kinds of greeting cards are made from recycled paper. You can save time and money by using these bulk style cards.
Reindeer Sips Eggnog (Holiday Boxed Cards - 100% Recycled Paper)
Amazon Price: $9.99 (as of 07/06/2009)
Usually ships in 24 hours
Holiday Giraffe (Holiday Boxed Cards - 100% Recycled Paper)
Amazon Price: (as of 07/06/2009)
Kissing Parkas (Holiday Boxed Cards - 100% Recycled Paper)
Amazon Price: $9.99 (as of 07/06/2009)
Usually ships in 24 hours
Angels in Blue (Holiday Boxed Cards - 100% Recycled Paper)
Amazon Price: $9.99 (as of 07/06/2009)
Usually ships in 24 hours
People of Earth Join in Peace (Boxed Cards - 100% Recycled Paper)
Amazon Price: $9.99 (as of 07/06/2009)
Usually ships in 24 hours
Fair Trade Cards
"Indego Africa Giving Tree" Recycled Greeting Card (RF11) Set of 5 - Rwanda
Amazon Price: $20.00 (as of 07/06/2009)
Usually ships in 24 hours
"For Better or Worse" Recycled Wedding Card (RF13) Set of 5 - Rwanda
Amazon Price: $20.00 (as of 07/06/2009)
Usually ships in 24 hours
Vintage Style Cards
Photographic Winter Holiday Cards
Amazon Price: (as of 07/06/2009)
Winter Log Cabin Holiday Cards
Amazon Price: (as of 07/06/2009)
Ornament Greetings Holiday Cards
Amazon Price: (as of 07/06/2009)
Sled Holiday Cards
Amazon Price: (as of 07/06/2009)
Comments
Membership not required
If you have a great idea for a greeting card project, share it here!
Please feel free to leave feedback about Recycle It!, and don't forget to rate Christmas Card Projects.
If you're not already a Squidoo member, join today! You can rate and review pages like this one, or create your own lens!
NatureMaven wrote...
Your lens is great, I wish I wrote it! Love the clear photos too. But then I always like your lenses ;) 5***** and lens rolling to my own greeting card lens. Happy creating! NM
Posted June 29, 2009
SemperFidelis wrote...
Blessed by a SquidAngel today!
www.squidoo.com/squid-angel
~ Colleen :o)
Posted June 19, 2009
TheGreenerMe wrote...
Great tips, thanks for these! I just featured it on my 50 lensmasters who are going green lens.
Posted June 03, 2009
HenryE wrote...
Great thoughts! My grandmother would always frame her favorite greeting cards and she has recently passed them on to me. I treasure them!
Henry
Posted May 19, 2009
Thank You for Visiting
Email It
Tweet It
Digg It
Stumble It
Related content is available from:
All of the graphics seen on Christmas Card Projects are available from:
Return to Projects:
- Quick Crafts
- Handmade Gift Boxes
- Origami Gift Box
- Fridge Magnet Clip
- Poetry Tag
- Spring Garland
- Accordion Balls
- Greeting Banners
- Crafts with Style
- Handmade Placemats
- What About the Scraps?
- Festive Wreath
- What About the Card Backs?
- Crafts for Recyclers
- Create Your Own Greeting Cards
- Fun Card Crafts
- A Handmade Gift
by Mortira
Contact Me
More Pages by Me
My Lensography
Become a Squid (more)
