How to Recycle Old Christmas Cards

Fun and Practical Uses for Last Year’s Greeting Cards

Nov 7, 2008

Parents can turn old Christmas cards into decorative items or fun activity tools for children.

What does one do with last year’s Christmas cards? Throw them into the recycling bin? That’s a practical and environment-friendly idea. But there is more than one way to recycle old Christmas cards. Check out some cool and creative uses for those old greeting cards. They are easy to make and the kids can help out too.

Christmas Decoration

Christmas cards typically feature lots of shapes – hearts, squares, circles, bells and Christmas trees. Snip these shapes out of the cards in matching pairs. Then stick the pairs back to back and laminate them for protection. Next, punch a hole in the laminated pieces and string them all up to create a colorful cord that can be hung over a window, around a Christmas tree or from one end of the ceiling to another.

Christmas Candle Jars

Home-made candle holders and jars with Christmas motifs are fun to make too. The things needed are old baby food jars and of course, old Christmas cards. Look for cards with red, green, gold, silver and glittery patches. Cut them into little shapes of stars and circles and then stick the little shapes on to the outside of the jars. Alternatively, cut out long, colorful strips from the old Christmas cards and wrap them around the middle and outside of the jars. The candles will light up more brightly with these pretty Christmas candle jars.

Christmas Napkin Rings

There is no need to buy Christmas napkin rings. Just cut out brightly colored strips from old Christmas cards and staple them to make loops. Simple, easy, attractive and best of all, free!

Christmas Alphabets and Numbers

Parents often use thicker paper or cardboards to cut out large alphabets for children when they are starting to learn their ABCs or 123s. Well, old Christmas cards are just as good for that, if not better. After all, they are more colorful. Make letters or numbers out of them and use them as educational tools. Parents may want to use the letters to form their children’s names or funny signs and stick them on the children’s bedroom door.

Christmas Jigsaw Game

Get a few old Christmas cards and cut each one into four or five pieces. Cut them in straight lines to make it easier for the makers and players! Mix them all up in one pile and then set them flat on a table or on the floor (depending on how big the mess is!) and try to put the pieces back together. The whole family will enjoy this fun game on the days leading to Christmas.

Christmas Confetti

An ordinary hole puncher and a several colorful old Christmas cards are all one needs to make Christmas confetti. Kids love punching holes on paper. So keep them busy and amused by assigning them this important task. Leftover Christmas wrapping paper can be made into small strips or tiny bits for Christmas confetti as well.

Transforming old Christmas cards into new decorative items and activity tools such as Christmas decorative cords, candle jars, napkin rings, play alphabets and numbers, jigsaw games and confetti is something that the whole family can enjoy. The end results may not have the polished looks of the commercially available versions, but there sure is a whole lot of fun for parents and kids when making and using them.

The copyright of the article How to Recycle Old Christmas Cards in Parent-Child Activities is owned by Wei Yin Wong. Permission to republish How to Recycle Old Christmas Cards in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.