Recycling Christmas Cards for Arts and Crafts

If you care about the environment, you have to continue recycling Christmas cards , Mother's Day, Valentine's Day and other greeting cards as well. These are the holidays when most greeting cards are purchased and exchanged. In spite of the popularity of the internet and electronic greeting cards, the vast majority of cards are still made of paper, which of course come from trees. Unfortunately, these paper cards are only enjoyed for a short period of time, and then they are thrown away! I'm not suggesting that you have to stop using paper cards, but I am suggesting that if you continue to use paper cards, why not buy cards made from recycled material (or recycled greeting cards), AND start recycling Christmas cards and to recycle greeting cards when you're done with them. This reuse can happen either by taking them to a recycling facility or buy reusing them for your own arts and crafts.


A little research on the web will provide you with a number of local and national paper recycling facilities and charities that will accept your used greeting cards. Here, however, I would like to share with you some of the projects and even gifts that can be created with your used cards. Rather than putting your holiday cards in the trash, than can be reused to bring joy to your family and others.



Here are some of the many projects you can undertake:

• Bookmarks: you can cut covers of greeting cards with interesting pictures to create your own personalized bookmarks, because buying them can be expensive...

• Concentration Game: Most of us have played this card matching game as a kid. Allow you kids to grow and learn with a custom set of cards!

• Greeting Cards!: This sounds difficult but it is not. Simply cut off the covers of cards, removing the page with the writing on it, and then attach the cover to a blank second page. These blanks can be picked up at most arts and crafts stores.

• Post Cards: Create holiday postcards by removing the back half of greeting cards (i.e., the page with no writing behind the cover). You can then write your personal message and mailing address on the blank side of the cover, and then affix postage. You even save additional money here, since postcard are cheaper to mail than letters!

These are just a few of the great ideas I've come across. Do you have any you can share?