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ARTICLE OF THE WEEK:
Don't Throw Away Those
Old Christmas Cards
by Catherine Pulsifer
Each year we
get lots of Christmas cards from family and friends. And, each year, I
save them. But after a few years, the cards do become clutter!!
My nieces were visiting with us last weekend, and we dug out all the old
Christmas cards. We had a fun time going through them, and making
different crafts with them.
Below is a list of the crafts we made using old Christmas cards. They
are simple to make, and from my experience with my children and my
nieces, children love to make these!
- Bookmarks
The larger cards make great bookmarks. We cut the cards into strips of 6
- 7 inches long by 2 inches wide. We tried to get ones that included a
picture or scene on it. We then punched a hole at the top of the strip
and tied ribbon and/or string to the top. The girls made a couple for
their parents, and, on the back, they wrote a personal message.
-Gift Tags
Why pay for gift tags when you can make your own!! We cut some of the
cards in circles, and in squares, and with scalloped edges. Then on the
back of the card, we used a marker to write: "To:", and, "From:". We
also cut some larger ones, and folded them so they ended up being like a
small card. For all the tags, we hole punched and tied thread through
them. We ended up with enough tags to do all our gifts.
- Puzzles
We used two cards cut to the same size. Then, we glued them together so
there is a picture on each side. Once dried, we then cut the cards into
pieces and put in an envelope - an instant puzzle and a great stocking
stuffer!!
-Magnets
The girls found some picture cards that they loved. So, they cut out the
picture and we glued a magnet on the back. They were going to use them
to decorate their fridge once they got home!!
- Merry Christmas Sign
From the pictures on the card, the girls cut out the letters for "Merry
Christmas" (block size 2"). We then used thread and taped it on the back
of each letter to keep the words together. They ended up with a colorful
"Merry Christmas" sign.
- Ornaments
Using the picture from a card, and a piece of scrap material, they put
together Christmas ornaments. For the back of the ornament they cut old
material and glued it to the back of their Christmas picture. Before
gluing, we placed a piece of cord between the card and the material so
it formed a loop (cord was 8 inches long). This made the ornament ready
to hang. We made the picture approx. 4", and the material piece was 4
½". We ended up with some great ornaments for their tree.
- Recipe Card
I have a recipe that the girl's Mum loves, and every time I make it, she
says, "I must get that recipe from you". So, we took one of the cards
and cut the card the size of a recipe card (5 inches by 3 inches). On
the back of the card, one of my nieces wrote out the recipe. They will
use the card to put in their Mum's stocking.
- Gift Bags
While you can buy gift bags for $1.00 at the dollar store, to a child
those dollars add up. So we ended up using paper lunch bags and
decorating them with pictures and words from the cards. For the larger
gifts they had, we used a plastic grocery bag, turned it inside out and
decorated the bag. We then tied different colored yarn at the top of the
bag so once the gift was in the bag, they could tie the bag shut. The
girls were very pleased with their creative gift bags!!
- Make New Christmas Cards
This is one project that I think every parent has been involved in. Fold
a piece of construction paper in two. Cut out pictures and words, and
glue onto the construction paper. Kids love doing this; my nieces are no
exception!!
- Wrapping paper
For gifts that the girls did not want to put into bags, they made their
own wrapping paper. We used brown packing paper (much cheaper than
wrapping paper and a lot of fun to decorate). They then cut out pictures
and words, and glued them onto the brown paper. I must say, their paper
was just as nice and colorful as any that you would buy!!!
So, as you can see, we had a true craft weekend. But, more than that, we
now have a tradition! The girls will have memories years from now of
using old Christmas cards! As we made some of the crafts, we talked
about the importance of recycling, and how old things can be made new
again.
So, next time you want to throw out your old Christmas cards, please
don't! If you don't have children to do these crafts with, give your old
cards to a school or daycare to use!
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About the Author:
Catherine Pulsifer is one of the authors of Stress Less Country - a
lifestyle change! A journey to a simplified lifestyle - visit the site
for a collection of articles, thoughts, quotes, and stories on:
simplicity, stress, gardening, recycle & reuse, country crafts, saving
money tips, and Atlantic Canada.
http://www.stresslesscountry.com
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