Reuse and Recycle Christmas Cards

Christmas cards are so colorful and festive it's a shame they end up in the recycling bin or worse, a landfill. For years, I held onto my favorite cards just because they were pretty. But last Christmas we were on a tight budget so I decided to make gifts from things we had around the house. I turned wine corks, pine-cones, Christmas cards and other objects into original holiday gifts. Friends and family seemed to genuinely appreciate the effort and the item.

Because they are printed on sturdy paper stock, holiday cards can be the foundation for many creative projects. As a bonus, these homemade treasures will save you money. Reusing and recycling old Christmas cards is good for the environment and good for your pocketbook. This holiday season, reduce waste and save money with these suggestions, or dream up a few of your own.

Bookmarks

Recycle your pretty holiday cards into colorful bookmarks. Cut the decorative sides of Christmas cards into 1.5" x 5" to 2" x 6" strips. A nice touch is to write a poem, inspirational quote or meaningful message on the blank side of the bookmark. When laminated, these personalized bookmarks make lovely, green holiday gifts for the book lovers on your list.

Magnets

Purchase stick-on magnets at a craft store and trace around the diameters of the magnets to make templates. Use the templates as guides and cut your most festive used Christmas cards into the shapes of the magnets. Glue the bright holiday graphics onto the magnets. Sets of holiday magnets are nice Christmas presents.

Ornaments

Another easy project from last year's card stash - recycle holiday cards into green Christmas ornaments. Cut the decorated side of the cards into circles, diamonds, stars, Christmas trees, ornaments or any shape that strikes your fancy. Glue matching shapes together so the Christmas ornaments are colorful on both sides. Embellish the ornaments with glitter, ribbons, sequins, paint, etc. If you want to really get fancy, fold the cards into 3D shapes. Punch a hole in the top and add string or yarn as a hanger. Make plenty of ornaments to use on your own tree and still have enough for gift giving.

Postcards

Save your best used Christmas cards to recycle into postcards. For this green project, choose the cards with no writing on the back of the decorative side. Simply cut the holiday card at the fold, write a message on the white back side and affix a postcard stamp. Check the U.S. Postal Service website (www.usps.gov) for size and postage requirements. To save extra money you can use these postcards to send holiday greetings to friends and family. You won't have to buy Christmas cards this year and you'll save on postage.

Gift Tags

Reuse your Christmas cards from the previous year by recycling them into holiday gift tags. Cut the cards into traditional holiday shapes like Christmas trees, ornaments and stars. Punch a hole in the upper corner and fasten the gift cards to Christmas gifts with colorful ribbons. Alternatively, the gift tag can be taped directly onto the present.

These handcrafted items serve as excellent hostess gifts when you're hitting the holiday party circuit. Use your imagination and creativity. Personalize the gift to match the recipient.

If you're interested in turning wine corks into holiday gifts, visit this article: Reuse and Recycle Wine Corks.