The holidays are upon us, which means many of us are in the process of dusting off boxes of holiday decor! While it’s easy enough to find a place for that decorative snowman you got for Christmas last year, you might be a little bit unsure about what to do with that box of beautiful Christmas cards from years gone by that you just can’t seem to part with. Rather than letting them collect dust, why not repurpose those old Christmas cards? These 10 DIY Christmas card project ideas are not only simple but an eco-friendly way to help you keep those holiday memories alive and well!
Rather than buying gift tags, why not use those cards from last year to make your own? It’s a super simple project that will put that Christmas card collection to good use and save you a couple of bucks. Simply create a tag ‘template’ that is a shape and size you enjoy, grab some scissors, your Christmas card collection, a hole punch, and you’re good to go. Cut out images from the front of the Christmas cards, cut them out according to your template, and then use a hole punch to thread some ribbon or twine through it to attach it to a gift. Voila!
There are literally endless ways to turn Christmas cards into ornaments that you can hang on your own tree or gift to friends and family. From geometric orbs to pine cones and canning lid ornaments, the sky is literally the limit if you’re in the market for a DIY Christmas gift idea.
This is one of those DIY Christmas card projects that you can keep adding to each year! Grab yourself a piece of string or twine, cut the front of your favourite Christmas cards into triangles (to look like a flag), and then either tape or staple them to the string. This is a pretty simple version of the Christmas card garland project, but there are plenty of different crafty ways to make it your own!
Like to gift little trinkets to friends and family? Skip the store-bought boxes this year and make your own! All it takes is a ruler, some glue, an Exacto knife, two Christmas cards, and some clothespins. If you have any cardboard gift boxes lying around, by quickly deconstructing them, you can replicate the places that you need to cut and fold your Christmas cards (one for the top, one for the bottom) to turn them into a one-of-a-kind holiday box.
Even if you’ve already got the real thing, a Christmas card tree is a great project to put together to dress up another room of your house while repurposing last year’s cards. The only materials you will need for this project are: your leftover Christmas cards (just the front will do, but if you want to save the messages and use the entire card, that works too!), some tape or mounting putty and a star cut out of construction paper or other similar material. Pick a bare wall and stick them to it in the shape of a Christmas tree! You can ‘decorate’ your card tree with a couple of strings of garland or cutout ‘ornaments,’ or just let the Christmas cards be the star of the show in this simple DIY project.
Have any bookworms in the family? Make them their own custom holiday bookmarks! Cut strips out of the front of your Christmas cards that are about 5 to 8 cm wide, using the entire length of the card. Hole punch a single hole in the middle of the top of the bookmark and then use either ribbon or twine to create a loop through the top. You can laminate them if you like and personalize the back of them with festive wishes for your special someone.
Rather than purchasing the same run-of-the-mill gift bags, consider dressing up some plain brown paper gift bags with your own personal touches. Cut out the entire front of a card or a particular image that you like and glue it to the front of the bag. Get a little extra crafty with fun additions like ribbon frames, glitter, or whatever you like.
These are just the beginning when it comes to fun ways to repurpose your old Christmas cards. All of them are extremely kid-friendly and will keep your holiday memories alive for years to come. If you are on the hunt for gift ideas or holiday decor in Guelph or the surrounding area, Royal City Nursery has Christmas decor, ornaments, winter greens and so much more.
