Recycling Christmas Cards: Create Coasters, Place Mats, Bookmarks, More

Sometimes it is hard to let go of the beautiful treasures given to us by friends and family. Some Christmas cards are true artwork, and it may seem a shame to throw them away. For those who want to preserve the artwork or the memories, and those who want to keep the cards out of the landfill, there are multiple ways to 'upcycle' those Christmas cards into practical items.

Keep each year's Christmas card collection in an easily accessible place so you can begin making your projects at any time of year, and before you are caught up in the holiday rush. If you made a mistake in what you wrote on the inside of a Christmas card, there is no reason to throw it away. Just add it to your saved Christmas cards collection.

Framed Artwork and Collages. Some Christmas cards are so beautiful they may easily be framed as-is or put into a lovely collage that may then be framed. This artwork may be enjoyed year-round or brought out with the other holiday décor.

Place mats. Multiple Christmas cards may be used together to form a festive holiday placemat. Once assembled, be sure to laminate or cover with clear contact paper.

Coasters. Perfect for holiday parties, Christmas card coasters are a great way to reuse old Christmas cards. Use a drinking glass or cookie cutters to make fun shapes. Laminate the cutouts or cover them with clear contact paper.

Gift Boxes. The paper used with many Christmas cards is sturdy enough that it may be used to make a nice gift box. An alternative would be to glue multiple Christmas card covers onto an existing plain box.

Gift Bag Décor. Glue a Christmas card cover onto a solid-colored paper gift bag for a beautiful finishing touch. To add more flair, glue ribbon or glitter to the border around the card.

Gift Tags. Old Christmas cards can be transformed into lovely gift tags for the current year's gifts.

Bookmarks. Making bookmarks out of old Christmas cards is not only a great way to recycle, but it is the perfect addition to the gift of a book.

Flannel or Magnetic Board Story Figures. Those who use flannel boards for teaching and story telling may find many uses for the images on Christmas cards. The individual figures, scenes, words, and objects may be carefully cut out and glued onto Pellon. Alternatively, small thin magnetic strips may be glued onto the back of the cutouts. These pieces may be then used on magnetic boards or placed on the refrigerator. TIP: laminate the pieces before gluing onto Pellon or magnetic strips for longer use.

Photo Mugs. Make your own set of Christmas mugs by inserting trimmed Christmas card covers into the photo slots. These special do-it-yourself mug kits are available online and at various craft stores. One example of such a mug is the ColorMe Mug.

Alternatively, once made, give out these mugs filled with hot chocolate mix and chocolate-covered spoons for a fun holiday gift.

Postcards. Separate the cover of the card from the rest of it. Use the back of a clean Christmas card cover for a brief message, postage, and the addresses of yourself (the sender) and the recipient. If you are concerned about problems with mailing these, talk to your local postmaster beforehand. Another option is to glue Christmas card covers onto a piece of folded cardstock paper, thereby creating a new Christmas card.

Scrapbooking. Designs, figures, objects and words may be cut out of Christmas card covers and used to add attractiveness to scrapbook pages. Additionally, they may be arranged on a colorful piece of paper and copied with a color copier. This procedure will produce festive scrapbook pages for future use.

Resources:

About.com - Frugal Living.

How to Make Christmas Card Placemats. Erin Huffstetler.

http://frugalliving.about.com/od/craftsgifts/ht/Card_Placemats.htm

About.com - Frugal Living.

How to Make Christmas Card Coasters. Erin Huffstetler.

http://frugalliving.about.com/od/craftsgifts/ht/Card_Coasters.htm

Paper and More

Box Templates

http://www.paperandmore.com/articles/box_templates/index.html

About.com - Family Crafts

Recycled Gift Tags. Sherri Osborn.

http://familycrafts.about.com/cs/greetingcards/a/blgcardtags.htm

About.com - Family Crafts

Greeting Card Bookmark. Sherri Osborn.

http://familycrafts.about.com/cs/bookmarks/a/blgcardbookm.htm

Photo Mug Kits.

http://www.ssww.com/product/?sku=SE565&cm_mmc=Data%20Feeds-_-Commission%20Junction-_-REL-_-SE565&cid=978&aid=CMJ&CJAID=10439224&CJPID=681189&SID=

About.com - Candy

Peppermint Chocolate-covered spoons. Elizabeth LaBau.

http://candy.about.com/od/christmascandy/r/choc_spoons.htm