7 Cute DIY Projects Using Old Christmas Cards

Getting a lot of Christmas cards during the holiday season is nice at the time. You can put them on display as a happy reminder of all of your beloved family and friends, and they can add to your festive decor. But once the holiday season is in full swing, those cards can really begin to pile up. You might not have space to display them all—but they’re too darn pretty to just toss in the recycling bin! If you’re trying to figure out what to do with all of those cards, consider some using them for DIY decor that you’ll definitely want to save.

Here are seven creative ways to up-cycle all of those Christmas cards that are currently taking over your home.

1. Ornaments

Kill two birds with one stone by turning your old Christmas cards into a festive gift that doesn’t cost a fortune. Use the images from your cards to make ornaments using wooden discs, a little bit of paint and glaze, and some twine. You can even make personalized ornaments using your friends’ and family’s photos on their cards. Here are easy-to-follow directions from blogger Ashley Hackshaw of Lil Blue Boo.

2. Wreath

Brighten up your door with a wreath collage using your favorite images from old greeting cards. According to Matt and Shari from HGTV’s “Room by Room,” all you need is some cardboard and ribbon, and you can make a unique wreath with pictures of Santa, reindeer and even mistletoe.

3. Advent Calendar

Get out your cards from last Christmas and make your own DIY advent calendar using these directions from Crafty Nest. Whether it’s for your own kids or as a gift, you’ll make excellent use of all of those extra greeting cards while also putting a smile on someone’s face.

4. Garland

Decorate your tree with this charming greeting card garland. As explained on Crafty Stylish, just cut out your prettiest-patterned cards into circles and attach them to a ribbon. String them onto your tree for an elegant garland that makes decorating easy—and inexpensive.

5. Gift Tags

No need to buy a bunch of cards and gift tags for your presents this year. Purchase a gift-tag puncher, or get crafty with those scissors, and make your own little gift tags using recycled christmas cards. You might even be able to make more than one per card! Get directions from My Untangled Life.

6. Canning Jar Toppers

Whether you’re making jam as gifts, putting together homemade hot cocoa mixes or mixing up your own minty bath scrub, you’ll want the presentation to be just as good as the product. Here’s a great idea from Hot Coupon World: Decorate the top of your canning jars with your favorite images from your old greeting cards.

7. Decorated Cookie Tins

You may have a number of tins that you’ve received as gifts, and, as My Untangled Life shares, you can turn them into gift boxes or use them to make your own homemade cookies. Just spray paint the outside, find your favorite greeting card, and use those images to personalize your tins.