How can I reuse or recycle greetings/Christmas cards?
Happy Birthday to me,
Happy Birthday to me,
Happy Birthday to me-eeeeee,
Happy Birthday to me.
For no particular reason, why not let’s think about how someone can reuse or recycle greetings cards, like, you know, Christmas cards or perhaps birthday cards? And while we’re thinking about it, I’ll eat this gigantic cake.
Hurrah for nothing whatsoever of note happening 27 years ago today : )
Best Suggestions
- Reuse: Greetings card are a good weight to use in paper crafts including scrapbooking. They can also be used as the basis of gift tags or repurposed as postcards.
- Recycle: Card can, thankfully, be widely recycled – most kerbside paper collection includes light card like this.
- See the comments below for more suggestions and ideas
(Photo by djj)
Usual stuff….cut pictures and use as gift tags…. use back of cards with blank bits as plant lables, shopping lists.
Make gift bags from strong paper and stick on the cut out pictures.
Make book marks… utilise the bought components to stick on your own home made cards.. they not difficult..
Rosie
p.s. I write my own verses too
My mum got into “the spirit of Recycle This” for my birthday and sent me the same birthday card she sent me 20 years ago, from “Daddy, Mummy and Marc” (Marc being my older brother).
It had a picture of a wide eyed kitten on the front and therefore closely resembled every card I’ve got every year since then.
This isn’t the first time she’s sent me the same card for two birthdays – but the last time it was two years running and it wasn’t the exact same card – she just bought the same design twice (I think it had kittens on it). She hates that I remember these things.
-louisa
My grandma is a bit like that. She will white things out and write over top, then give them to someone else. She is funny but she is also my inspiration for creative ways to reuse everyday items.
http://feliciafollum.blogspot.com/search/label/Upcycling – see how she inspired me. She stayed up late with me and helped my cut my plarn; it was great fun.
She also gave me my old/new sewing machine.
This is the best card stock for Srapbooking. The older, the better.
I have a huge pile of sample cards from a well-known card supplier all stamped SAMPLE. I’m not using them and I don’t want to have them go through the recycle loop and end up as something else when they are perfectly serviceable now. I’ve seen some stickers that you can use to cover over previous messages with a little recycle logo on them – sold in aid of one of the charities. Does anyone know where I can get them from?
Hello Katy
Try these:
http://www.foe.co.uk/shop/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=1&products_id=60
when i was in elementary school we made little gift boxes out of used x-mas cards. use the back of the card for the bottom of the box and the front for the top. just make cuts at the ends so you can fold them over and make a box, then make the top a little bigger so it will fit over
I glued the cards closed, punched holes around the edges and crocheted through the holes, making it look kinda lacy. You can add small trinkets (like bells) to each one. We hung them on the Christmas tree but they could be hung from the fireplace or from Christmas greenery.
When I was in grade school we made ornaments from old holiday cards. A nice little project for children during their holiday vacation. Here is link for instructions. http://www.deq.louisiana.gov/portal/tabid/2073/Default.aspx
dont know if this has been posted before but my mum uses cards by cutting them down the middle and using the reverse side of the front to write notes so she doesnt waste paper
another one my sister does is uses them to decoupage boxes or make collages
shes an arty person and can make something great out of rubbish sometimes literally!
You can always call local nursing homes and hospitals to see if they are interested in the cards for crafts. I have found that some of these places they have baskets of greeting cards and make really creative crafts out of them.
For several years now we have made our own Christmas Crackers. Christmas cards are great for cutting out little motifs to stick on the front of the cracker and for making Christmas hats. Cut regular pentagons out of card and fold in half lengthways, staple several together (about a dozen) and they make expandable crowns.
I haven’t tried this yet as my husband thinks it’s too cheapo. I have been thinking of using the front of the cards to make postcards. Size regulations are: minimum 3 1/2in.by 5in. up to 4 1/4in by 6in. Don’t know if they would survive long distance destinations (sorting machines) but I’m in a small town where local cards aren’t sent to any processing plant. Has anyone done this??
There is a really cool Christmas ornament you could make, but it works best with Christmas cards of snowflakes and stuff.
But some suggestions:
*If you want to to it quicker, staple. But glue looks better.
*I don’t take the time to trace a triangle on each one, it just fold the circle over the triangle.
When back side of the front of double card is plain, cut it out and use as open postal card. It will cost less to send too. :)
Especially pretty card can be blown in size and printed, framed and hanged on a wall as decoration. :)