Today, we’re talking about how to reuse greeting cards! Often, greeting cards are pretty and sometimes even handmade and they are just far too nice to drop in the recycling bin. Thanks to these top greeting card recycling tips, you can make the most of those gorgeous handmade cards you receive for any occasion this year. Here are several pretty art projects with old greeting cards whether they are birthday cards or holiday cards. These crafts are a great way to preserve your memories!
Are you ready for some fun craft projects with old holiday cards? You’ll love these unique ways to reuse special cards and give new life to those beautiful greeting cards. Whether you are looking for what to do with old birthday cards or other greeting cards, there are so many cool ideas. Upcycling is an easy way to make use of past years’ materials to decorate for this year’s holiday seasons.
What To Do With Old Greeting Cards
Cool Crafts From Old Greeting Cards- Make Bunting
You don’t need to be a dab hand on the sewing machine to make bunting. If you have some old greetings cards, or maybe even a sheet or two of pretty gift wrap, make some that way. Use some jagged-edged scissors to cut out your triangles, before punching holes in them with a trusty hole punch and looping a little bit of curling ribbon through each piece. You can then hang under a single shelf, or drape over a mirror for a party or ‘just because’. Why not hang onto Christmas cards this year, too, making a festive garland to use next Christmas? It may seem a long way off but there’s absolutely nothing wrong with being organized. Instead, buy a pack of cheap cards and make one ahead of Christmas this year? We know it isn’t quite recycling but ssssh, we won’t tell anyone.
How To Reuse Greeting Cards- Create Gift Tags
In the world of crafts, this is an oldie but a goodie. Surely everyone knows that by cutting out sections of your cards you can make cute gift tags. In much the same way as you made your bunting (above), grab a hole punch and punch out some holes, before threading through some rustic string and tying to a gift. You can also save old birthday cards for friends’ and family members’ upcoming birthdays, adding twine and string to them to create rustic gift tags.
Make a Wreath
We love this idea for repurposing Valentine’s Day cards– and it couldn’t be simpler. With a little bit of patience and plenty of red and pink colored Valentine cards, you can make a lovely decorative item for your home ahead of Valentine’s Day. February 14 will no doubt be here before you know it as well, so get creative as early as possible and see what you can come up with. Click the blogspot link above for the full tutorial.
Upcycle Christmas Cards- Create a Festive Centerpiece
Yep, we’re talking about Christmas again! But December 25 will be here in a blink, so get your creative thinking cap on now to beat the rush later. Get hold of some Mason jars or other glass decorative jars. Add festive old Christmas cards inside the jar, cutting to size and pressing up against the glass. You can then add the lids and tie a pretty ribbon around the top; these make gorgeous centerpieces for your dining table; add small baubles too, or artificial snow if you fancy something a little bit different.
Make Postcards
Want to send your friends and family a friendly note out of the blue? Hang onto your old birthday cards and magically transform them into quirky postcards. All you have to do is cut off the used 2nd page and then add a handwritten note to the back of the image and pop in the post! Here is a link if you want post card exact measurements.
Make Coasters Out of Used Greeting Cards
This is a great way to reuse cute greeting card art. Select a clean, large tin can that has a diameter that will be large enough to hold your cups comfortably. You will use this for tracing circles onto your greeting cards. Place the can over the portion(s) of the picture(s) that you want to use and trace around it. Cut out traced circles cutting on the inside of the circles. Now you have simple cardboard coasters!
You could stop here but they would be more casual and for use only 1 or 2 times because the condensation from your beverage would start to leak through after a few uses.
To make your DIY greeting card coasters last longer, use a foam brush to apply a thin, even coat of Modge Podge to the cardboard coaster. This will serve as a layer of sealant. It appears slightly opaque when wet but once it dries it is shiny and clear. After allowing your first layer of sealant to dry completely (about 20 minutes), you can brush on a second thin, even coat of Modge Podge to get a better seal and a nice thick glossy coat. Allow to dry again completely. Now your DIY coasters are ready to be used. Enjoy!
Christmas Card Ornaments
Another fun idea is to turn your favorite cards into Christmas card ornaments. This is so simple to do. You just trace a circle onto the card over your favorite scene or center the circle around the people if they are photo cards and then cut it out. Use a hole punch to create a small hole at the top of the circle. Slip some ribbon through and hang on the tree!
Make Gift Boxes
You can even use beautiful cards to make small gift boxes. Sum of Their Stories has a great tutorial where explains exactly how to cut and glue gift cards to create a gift box base and gift box lid.
Paper Chains
I usually use construction paper when making paper chains but used occasion cards work great as well. They are after all a piece of cardstock so they are thick and hold their shape well. You can put the front of the cards facing outward or the back of the card if you want a more plain chain.
Make Gift Card Holders
This is a genius reuse idea! You can make gift card holders out of cute cards and it is so easy and they look great! Organized31 has a great tutorial you can follow so that your DIY gift card holders will come out very professional looking.
10 More Ways to Repurpose Old Cards:
- Make Christmas decorations out of your favorite Christmas cards
- Name cards for the table (cut them down and use the blank sides for the place cards)
- Mini puzzles (just cut the front of the original card into pieces and try to reassemble)
- Make in little bins for your desk or drawers
- Create wine charms (cut out small circles and attach to glass stems with a rubber band or string for the night)
- Pretty mason jar toppers for your DIY gifts
- Homemade cards (reuse elements of several old cards to make new cards)
- DIY decorative matchboxes
- DIY Bookmarks like these by RedTedArt
- Incorporate elements from old cards into scrapbooks
Conclusion
Old greeting cards can be used in a variety of creative and practical ways. Reusing old greeting cards is an eco-friendly way to reduce waste and create something new and meaningful. I hope you enjoyed these great ideas for how to reuse your greeting cards. Do you enjoy eco-friendly crafts? Which of these art projects with old greeting cards will you try first? We’d love to hear some of your card reuse ideas too. Let us know how you get creative and reuse old cards! Share your pics @familyfocusblog!
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Amy Boyington says
The wreath idea is too cute! This would be a great idea for Christmas cards too, even the photo ones we get several of each holiday – what a great way to showcase everyone in the family!
LJCM says
Genius! Thank you, I have a stack of valentine’s day cards right now and I was just going to throw them in the recycling bin. This is a much better idea, especially the postcards as new quirky greeting cards! 🙂
Anne Campbell says
Now I know what to do with old birthday cards! These are beautiful ways to recycle and repurpose cards. As much as they cost, I always try to find some way to reuse them. We always save Christmas cards to make gift tags.
Donna Hup says
I’m all about reusing and recycling. These are fabulous ideas for ways to use old cards! Will share these greeting card craft ideas with my friends too.
Thanks!
blueBriX says
I know what to do with those outdated birthday cards now! These are lovely methods for repurposing and recycling cards. I always try to find a way to reuse them, no matter how much they cost. We always make gift tags out of Christmas cards that we collect.
GSPU says
Such a creative list! Repurposing old greeting cards into art projects is not only environmentally friendly but also a wonderful way to preserve memories in a new form. I particularly love the idea of turning them into bookmarks and gift tags. Great inspiration for DIY enthusiasts!