What do you do with Christmas cards?

[wrldpossibility]

I was reading through the "when do you take down your tree" thread, and it reminded me that I have a stack of lovely Christmas cards (with photos and letters) from family and friends sitting on my counter. During the Christmas season we keep them all in a decorative letterbox on the table, but I am starting to take decorations down. A few years I have scrapped the pics from the cards (I'm a scrapbooker), but wanted to know if anyone has better ideas. I hate the thought of eventually throwing them all away, but I can't stand clutter, either. Ideas?

 

[emma'smom]

We always end up packing our cards up with the other x-mas stuff and pulling them out the next year to double check addresses for the next round of holiday cards. It is fun to look at all of the pictures one year later. Usually by then, I have come up with some kind of craft for the actual cards. Last year we used the cards to make advent calendars and this year we used them to make decoupage pictures at a preschool holiday craft party.

Save them....you'll find a use for them!

 

[Shells9]

This year I am saving them. I, too, am a scrapbooker. I am going to use the front of the cards to make tags when I get the urge. It's fun to just do one whenever you feel like it. When they are done they will either go on cards for next year, or I will punch a hole in them and use them as name tags for gifts next year.

 

[Temair]

I use to just throw them in the trash but my mom reminded me that if there is no writing on the inside cover you tear off the back part and you can use them as labels for presents. It makes good use of them.

 

[runwad]

I save mine and I have little kids, they use them for crafts, just this year we got the box of cards out and they cut pictures out on the cards and glued them on some construction paper and made their own scenes and hung up all the pictures down the basement and decorated the walls. We've also gotten out the cookie cutters and used them for a pattern and cut out tags for gifts...a nice project to keep them busy with the week school is out.

 

[minniebeth]

We separate the front of the cards and dontate them to our church. They collect them to donate to homes, etc. for craft projects.

 

[Echo queen]

The tree and decorations came down last night, the cards in the trash. Pam always says "don't let the new year catch you with your tree still up".

 

[Stephres]

I scrap the pictures too and then save the cards for the kids to do cut and paste projects with them. I got this idea from one of the kids' preschool.

 

[MSSANDRA]

We put all the cards in a pretty christmas basket as they come and then after Christmas we pull out one or more cards each day and pray for the person that sent it. After that they get put up with the other decorations. I keep the pictures and then use the cards next year for preschool crafts.

 

[Eeyore Mum]

I usually cut around the cute pics with craft scissors and use next year for labels/tags for our gifts when I dont have any to "match" the paper. With the rest, we recycle.

 

[hidmickey:myantidrug]

We cut off the fronts of them and give them to the local daycare center. My mom has a very good friend who works there and they will use them the next year for kids to give to their parents after they draw a picture on the back or write on it, etc.

 

[MAGGIED]

We remove the back page and make a post card out of the front page which my kids use for thank you notes to those who gave them a gift.

 

[PollyannaMom]

I like the thank-you postcard idea! as well as next-year's gift tags out of the card fronts - I think I will do that with DS for a craft project.

For the photo cards, I have been putting the ones from my neighbors in a collage frame each year, and hanging it on the playroom wall. Before I change it to the new pictures after Christmas, I take the whole mat to a copy shop, and have a color copy made - so some day I can bind them together and have a book of the whole neighborhood growing up.

 

[daisyduck123]

Threw them out in the trash today, pictures & all.

I hate clutter. If I don't need something...into the trash it goes.

 

[Dsnymouse]

Read in a magazine article you can donate (the fronts) to St. Jude's Ranch.
The children earn money by creating new holiday cards for the following year.
Said to check there website as they sometimes get overwhellmed with cards.

Mail to:
St. Jude's Card Recycling
100 St. Jude Street
PO Box 60100
Boulder City, NV 89006

 

[ksloane]

I do thank you cards too...We make foldable cards though..not post cards..

 

[Harvestmooner]

I am a sentimental fool. I keep all the cards and stack them, bigger in the back to smaller ones in the front and tie them with curling ribbon like a package. I put them under the tree each year. It is really nice to peak back at some cards sent by loved ones who have passed on and remember them at this time of year.

 

[ReneeQ]

1. The "Year in Review" letters get trashed.

2. I buy solid red and green paper, or paper with a non-busy pattern at the after Christmas sales. For gifts that have to be mailed or stacked and taken to Grandmas, etc., I glue the front of an old card onto the package, rather than using a bow, as the bow would get smashed in transit. (I do the same thing with birthday cards me and DH get, for BD gifts during the year.)

3. I have this neat Christmas photo thing that sits on the coffee table and is sort of a photo album (hard to describe). I put the picture Christmas cards in that and look at the kids growing up over the years.

4. I keep really special cards (handmade from nephew, personal note from elderly grandma, etc) in a special box and keep those forever. It's stored with the Christmas decorations.

 

[ThreeMusketeers]

We recycle ours, And the ones that we do keep we give to dd to make projects out of. But during the christmas season we hang them around the arch way in our house for all to see. Yet another tacky tradition from our house that we wouldn't forget for anything!! LOL

 

[ThreeMusketeers]

Whoops did it twice..sorry!