Wednesday 17 January 2018

Crafty Corner: What To Do With Your Christmas Cards?


I love receiving Christmas cards.  They are one of my favorite holiday traditions.  I line them all up on my mantel and also on my arts, crafts & cards wall.


 The trouble is, what to do with them after the season is over?


 I always felt uneasy recycling them, this also goes for birthday cards, birth announcements and so on, so they for years I ended-up piling them  away in a box.  Then last year  I came across this idea of a mini Christmas book on Pinterest by Dawn over at Rasberry Suite and I am so pleased with the results that I want to share how I created my own version using things I had at my fingertips.  




Materials needed:
  • Christmas cards
  • Cereal box/light weight cardboard
  • Scrapbooking paper
  • Scissors/paper cutter
  • Glue stick
  • Hole Puncher 
  • 2 binder rings
  • Number stencils and/or fun holiday embelishments
It took me less than half an hour to put this together and store it away until next year.  


Step #1 Use your largest Christmas card to determine the size you will need for your front & back cover.  Cut the cardboard to be just slightly bigger than the largest Christmas card.  




Step #2 Using your scrapbooking paper, I like using wintry or holiday season themed for fun, cut it to the size of the front and back covers.  Glue the paper down to cover the advertisement on the cereal box. 




Step #3  Using a 3-hole punch, begin punching the holes of the Christmas cards and the covers.  I generally place the card to the very top of the whole puncher and then I don't have to worry about the holes lining up.  For the most part, all of the cards end up having two holes, unless it's really small card.



Step #4  Put everything together using the binder rings and decorate the front cover using embellishments, stickers or go with simplicity like me and just add the year to the front cover so you know what year each of the books represents.  I also add a picture of my girls with Santa on the front and back covers.  Now  you are ready to store the booklet away and take out next year to display in your home during the holidays.  You can enjoy the pictures and special notes every year but they are compact in one little book.






 Quick.  Cheap.  Easy.  Done.


What do you do with all of your Christmas cards?  



4 comments:

  1. Awesome- yours is way prettier than mine! I do something similar..collecting all the photos, announcements, invites and such and putting them in my homemade book for that year. I love looking back on these!

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    1. I love the idea of a whole year worth, all in one book. That's a great idea. Right now, I still have all the birth announcements and birthday cards just randomly in drawers, boxes and over sized envelopes. What kind of a 'book' do you use or do you make one? Tell me more.

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  2. This is such a great idea, and I've never thought to do something like this. I feel guilty throwing mine away - definitely going to do this for this year!

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    1. Yipee. Let me know how it turns out Lana. Thanks for stopping by.

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