Recycle or Upcycle Your Christmas and Other Greeting Cards

Christmas cards are a tradition that has been around for years. John Calcott Horsley a London artist designed the first commercially printed Christmas card in 1843. Prior to that, people made gave handwritten Christmas greetings and handmade cards. With scrapbooking and card making being such a trendy craft in the last 10 years, giving handmade or commercially printed greeting cards are still very popular even in these new digital days.

In the most recent years, there has been a major push for everyone to go green by trying to eliminate as much waist as possible. So e-cards have been the first option for those that are on the green bandwagon and that's wonderful but there is something to be said about a handwritten card. It seems to mean even more these days that someone actually took the time to handwrite something on a greeting card, rather than type something on a computer. It feels more personal and feels more personal as well.

I have personally noticed that we received a fewer Christmas cards this year. It may be partially from the green movement. Or maybe it's from the economy and people trying to save some money by not sending out Christmas cards. Some people just hate sending them because they know they will most likely end up in the trash. And then again, it could just be that we have been cut from some Christmas lists this year. LOL.

Whatever the reason, we really enjoy the cards we do get and cherish the thought that we were remembered during the holiday season or whatever the occasion that prompted the greeting card. The really question is what to do with the cards after you receive them. Of course, most of us during the holidays or during the week or your birthday or special occasion you will display them on a table or mantel. But then there comes a time to take them down. You might throw them in a box or just put them in the garbage after a while.

Before you throw your cards away or stuff them in a box never to be seen again then consider some alternatives. If you have a place in your town that recycles paper products then taking them to a recycling center is ideal. You can feel better about getting rid of them.

You could use punches or scissors and cut out nice aspects of the graphics on the Christmas card and use them in crafts. You can make ornaments out of them, decorate windows with them, make garland, or banners out of them.

Another idea is to tear off the front cover of the card with the graphic and reattach them to blank cards you buy at the craft store. You can buy a box of blank cards with envelopes and reuse the fronts of the greeting cards you received to make an upcycled card for you to use the next year. Then save the back half of the card that has the greetings and written messages on them if you would like to keep them as a keepsake or recycle those.

There are several charitable organizations that do this with greeting cards to raise money for their cause. If you don't plan on reusing the cards for yourself then donate them to a charity that can raise some money from them. St. Jude's Ranch for Children accepts greeting cards for all occasion to be recycled into new cards for fund raising. Visit their website for details. Please also visit their online store if you plan on purchasing greeting cards in the future. You will be helping fund this great charity. Search the internet for more great charities you can help.