Isn’t it hard to throw away old Christmas cards? Some of them are so pretty and it’s a shame to just toss them. This year, I’ve decided to try utilizing some of the cards. You may have seen the shadow box and the Christmas ornament I made earlier.
How to Craft with Old Christmas Cards
Here are a few projects for you to make for Christmas this year!
How to Make Heart House Christmas Ornaments
Use recycled Christmas cards to create this ornament!
How to Make Christmas Shadow Boxes
Step-by-Step how to put together a Christmas Shadow Box.
How to Recycle Christmas Cards to Make Ornaments
How to Craft with Old Christmas Cards
Recycle Christmas Cards Easily – Ornament Frame Decor You’ll Love
How to Make Putz Houses from Christmas Cards
How to Make Bigger Putz Houses from Christmas Cards
Here are two more ideas for utilizing those old cards!
Gift Bags
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For this project, you’ll need plain gift bags, a paper cutter, and glue.
At Dollar Tree, you can pick up a set of two bags for @1.25 now. That means that each bag costs a mere 62.5 cents. (It’s no longer a dollar.) That’s still pretty cheap though.
Directions
Lay the Christmas cards out on your bags to see how they will look.
This is one of the simplest crafts! All you have to do is cut the back off of the card and glue it to the gift bag. You’ll want to measure the border on the right side and cut the left side the same width.
Then, just apply glue liberally to the backside and center on the bag. Be sure to firmly press the card onto the bag and place a heavy book on top for a few minutes to let the glue set.
Christmas Wooden Blocks
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Supplies
- Wooden blocks
- Acrylic Craft paint
- Brown paper bag
- Ruler
- Flat paintbrush
- Paper cutter
- Tacky glue
For this project, I used 6 wooden blocks from Dollar Tree. The blocks I bought are 2-1/4 – inches square.
The blocks will form a rectangle by butting them up together 2 deep and 3 wide. We don’t want the cards to go all the way to the edge. So, we will cut the 2-1/8 – inches square.
There are 6 sides on each of the blocks. You will need 6 cards at least 6-3/8 – inches x 4-1/4 – inches. Some of the cards I chose are vertical and some horizontal. You can use either or both. All of the cards have the color red as a common element. Even though a red cardinal is just a tiny element in one of the cards, the red ties them all together.
Paint the Blocks
Since red is a common thread in all of the cards, painting the blocks Alizarin Crimson seems the perfect plan. Whatever your common thread color is, using it as the color to paint the blocks is a good idea and will make a good background for all of the cards.
Use a flat paintbrush or a foam brush to paint acrylic craft paint onto the block. Paint 4 side edges, allow the paint to dry, then, paint the remaining tops and bottoms.
Next, use a small piece of a brown paper bag to lightly ‘sand’ the block sides and the edges. Then, apply a second coat of acrylic paint to the blocks. Once it’s dry, sand the last coat of paint again.
Cut the Christmas Cards into 2-1/8 – inch Squares
The first thing you need to do is decide where the center of your design is. Measure 2 times 2-1/8″, or 4-1/4″ and center the design or choose the portion of the design you want on the blocks.
You can see where I cut the penguin card. I wanted the little pom-pom on the penguin on the right to show. So, I measured to be sure and cut that end first.
Next, turn the card over, measure, and mark the center of the short end. This should measure 2-1/8 – inches from each edge. Then, cut down the center lengthwise.
Cut each of the strips 2-1/8 – inches from the top. If you have an element that you want to be included like the pom, be sure you start on that end. Then, measure and cut another square at 2-1/8 – inches and repeat for the last square.
Glue the Christmas Card Squares to the Blocks
My favorite glue is Tacky Glue and that is the glue I chose to adhere the card squares to the blocks.
Set the blocks out 2 by 3 with the cut card.
Squeeze a thin line of glue about an eighth of an inch from the outer edges of the squares. Apply some more glue inside the square to make sure the back will adhere to the block.
Center the card squares on a block edge and press. If any glue seeps around the edges, wipe it off with a slightly damp paper towel. Lay the block, with the card facing downward, on a hard surface. Then, lay a heavy book or stack of magazines on top of the glued blocks for a few minutes for the glue to set.
Repeat for each of the remaining five cards.
Six Designs from Christmas Cards
Check out the Santa Shadow Box and the Christmas Ornament made from recycled cards, too!
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