How to Make a Glass Christmas Card Holder

As you are planning ahead for Christmas, you will need to put thought into not just the Christmas cards that you will be giving but also the cards that you will be receiving. It can be overwhelming when you don't have an organized system of arranging your cards. Some of the typical ways of displaying cards include the following: 1) propping up each card at a 45 degree angle, one behind the other on a coffee table or desk; and 2) hanging the cards on the wall or a bulletin board. The disadvantage of the first method is that the messages of the cards are difficult to view, and the cards can easily be knocked down when someone lifts up a card to read. The disadvantage of the second method is that bulletin boards are often used in workplaces such as doctors' offices; yet most households don't put bulletin boards in their living rooms or don't desire to pierce holes in their walls to hang up Christmas cards. That's where a Christmas card holder fits in. It serves the purpose of providing an organized display of a group of cards so that the photographed covers and the inside messages are easy to view. This guide explains my original idea of how to make a glass Christmas card holder as seen on the displayed image.

Materials:

∙ Rectangular glass coffee table (at least 2 ft. in length) with tight slits between the glass and the frame

∙ Clear scotch tape

Instructions:

1. Position the empty glass table in an area of your room where it (the table) can be walked around completely for viewing the cards.

2. Open a Christmas card so that it is flat.

3. If beginning at the lower left edge of the table, insert the lower half of the card containing the message into the slit of the table.

4. Apply tape to secure the lower half of the card against the bottom of the glass.

5. Press down the top half of the card so that it lies flat against the top of the glass.

6. Continue steps 1-5 for as many cards as possible that will fit into the left side of the table.

7. When working on the opposite side, you will need to move behind the table so that the opposite side is to your left, and follow steps 1-6.

8. When working at the bottom of the table, hold the card flat with the photographed cover positioned at the top and facing you. Insert the lower half of the card in the slit and follow steps 4-6.

9. To work on the top of the table, move to the opposite side, and repeat step 8.

Note: These instructions apply only to vertically folded cards. The steps will need to be altered if using horizontally folder cards.

Finally, the Christmas cards will be arranged in a counterclockwise direction, which requires the legwork of encircling the table to view the cards. The advantage of the glass Christmas card holder is that the cards will never get accidentally moved out of place; and the organized arrangement and ease of viewing will invite curious guests to admire the exposed photographed areas of the cards and to read the messages that become visible beneath the glass with a simple lift of the finger. As centerpieces for your glass Christmas card holder, table lamps, flowers, or miniature Christmas trees can be added. Guests who come into your living room will be fascinated.