The occasion has come and gone and the sentiments have been expressed. Now you have a stack of cards, many of which can't easily be recycled because they include foil, plastic, or other non-paper materials. Instead of disposing of them or even recycling them, why not reuse or remake them?
Steps
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- Keep the cards in one easy-to-access box. A large shoe box is ideal, such as the types that hold hiking boots. Or, use any box that is no longer needed, provided it has a lid to keep off dust and to prevent the cards from slipping out. You'll be able to delve into this box every time you start a new project, and if you order the cards by color, texture, size, etc., this will make it easier to be inspired.
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- Read How to make a birthday card, How to make a Christmas star card, and How to make Christmas cards for more inspiration.
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- Another method is to add interesting features from the original card to small card stock tags that you've already made. Simply glue in place and write the "to" and "from" on the blank part (as shown in the image).
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- Read How to make a gift box out of a greeting card for more details on this project.
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- Read How to make a gift pouch from a greeting card for the instructions on making this project.
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- Read How to make a bookmark tassel for more details.
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- Use the cards for decoupage,
- Do a collage,
- Make scrapbooks.
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- See How to make placemats from greeting cards for further instructions.
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- Read Make place cards for more instructions.
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- Read How to make a greeting card envelope for the instructions.
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Tips
- Another idea is to make a room bin from cards; weave the edges together with plastic twine. It's a good idea to cover the cards in plastic to prevent staining from items thrown into the bin.
- Don't forget to reuse or recycle the envelope too, especially if you do any scrapbooking or collage. Often, greeting card envelopes have colorful paper and shiny liners. They may not be suitable for general paper recycling, but they can be cut up for backgrounds, borders or decorative motifs.
- If you are not using the front of a greeting card, and you live in the United States, you can donate cards to St. Jude Ranch for Children. They reuse them to make "new" greeting cards by pasting the front to a folded piece of card stock. Then they sell them as a fund-raiser for the kids.
Things You'll Need
- Old greeting cards
- Card stock
- Glue
- Scissors
- Markers
- Decorative elements