What to do with old Christmas cards
Reuse, recyle or upcycle your cardsAfter ringing in the New Year with family and friends, it is soon time to start packing away those festive decorations until the next winter is upon us. If you have been fortunate enough to receive gorgeous and thoughtful Christmas cards throughout the month of December, it can be tricky to know what to do with them when January swings around. Our team here at Rosemood have come up with some of their favourite ways to reuse, upcycle and recycle their old Christmas cards to give them a new lease of life.
Turn your cards into Christmas gift tags
Creating festive gift tags for next year is a great way to upcycle unwanted Christmas cards. We are all trying to be more environmentally conscious, and this quick and easy craft idea will help you save pennies as well as the planet. Simply cut around the central motifs or illustrations from the front of the cards, then write your message on the back. Struggling to cut straight? Use crimping scissors to give your gift tags a jagged edge instead! To attach your gift tags to your wrapped presents, punch a hole through the top of the tag, loop through a piece of ribbon or string and stick in place with charming Christmas stickers or tape.
From Christmas cards to candle covers
If your Christmas cards are too beautiful to cut up, make a few pinpricks along the card design or border and display them on your mantelpiece in front of battery-powered tea lights. By day, you can enjoy the card’s photo or illustration, and by night, you can marvel at the charming light display you have created! All you will need is a thick needle or pin and some electronic candles. This is a charming way of keeping and framing your photo Christmas cards from beloved family members, and we guarantee your friends will be asking how you did it before you can say “Happy Holidays”!
Christmas bookmarks
The beauty of bookmarks is that you can never have too many! To upcycle your Christmas cards into page holders, draw a rectangle of 5 x 16 cm over the festive design or pattern, then cut around it. You can then punch a hole in the centre at the top of the rectangle and tie a piece of ribbon or string through it. Et voila! If you have received any flat Christmas cards or postcards, why not skip the trim to preserve the lovely message they wrote on the back? We find that using traditional Christmas cards works best for this craft, but feel free to choose whichever you prefer!
Stylish bunting
We are delighted that garlands and bunting are back in fashion as they are an easy way to decorate a room ready for a Christmas Eve or New Year party. Begin by creating a triangle template of the desired size, then draw around it on the front of each Christmas card with the point facing down. Cut along the edge with straight-edge or crimping scissors, then punch a hole at the top left and at the top right of each triangle. Assemble your garland by threading ribbon or string through the holes! Make sure you use an assortment of designs including foil Christmas cards to catch and reflect the light.
Recycle your Christmas cards
Of course, the New Year is a time for new beginnings, so you may be keen to clear space for a fresh collection of Christmas cards next year. Since season’s greetings cards and envelopes are made from paper, they can easily be recycled in your household recycling collection or at local recycling centres. Many supermarkets also run paper collection banks, so if you find that your recycling box is overflowing with toy boxes and wrapping paper, you can drop off your cards while you shop!