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41 Best Crafts to Upcycle and Reuse Old Christmas Cards

Have you ever found yourself with a pile of old Christmas cards you can’t bear throwing away? Those beautiful designs, heartfelt messages, and memories of past holidays can be challenging to part with.

But instead of letting them gather dust, why not give them a second life with some fun and creative crafts?

Why Repurpose Old Christmas Cards?

  1. Eco-friendly: In an age where we’re all trying to be a little kinder to our planet, repurposing old Christmas cards is a fantastic way to reduce waste and have a more sustainable Christmas. Every card you reuse is one less item in the landfill. Plus, it’s a great way to promote recycling and upcycling in a fun and creative manner.
  2. Affordability: Crafting can be an expensive hobby, especially when buying new materials. But by crafting with old Christmas cards, you’re saving money and making the most of what you already have. It’s a win-win!
  3. Sentimental Value: Those cards were given to you by loved ones. By transforming them into something new, you’re preserving those memories uniquely and specially.
Cutting out Christmas cards

 Christmas Card Craft Ideas

  1. Ornaments: Cut out your favourite designs or images from the cards. Glue them onto wooden or cardboard circles, add glitter or ribbon, and voilà! You have a new  Christmas tree ornaments.
  2. Gift Tags: This is a great idea for old greeting cards that my family uses. Instead of buying tags, use your old cards. Cut them into fun shapes; hole punch the top, thread a ribbon through, and write your message on the back of the gift tags.
  3. Bookmarks: For the bookworms out there, turn those cards into bookmarks. Add a tassel or a ribbon at the top for a personal touch.
  4. Collage Art: Get a canvas or a large piece of cardboard and create a festive collage using elements from your favourite Christmas cards. This can be a fun activity to do with kids, too!
  5. Jigsaw Puzzles: Glue a card onto a thicker piece of cardboard and then cut it into puzzle pieces. Store them in a cute bag, and you have a personalized jigsaw puzzle ready.
  6. Coasters: Cut out squares from last year’s Christmas cards and glue them onto cork or wooden bases. Seal with a clear varnish, and you’ve got some holiday-themed coasters.
  7. Greeting Card Garland: String together several cards using ribbon or twine and hanging them up as a festive garland. It’s a great way to display those beautiful cards!
  8. Christmas card wreath: Cut out circles from the front of various cards and arrange them in a circular pattern, overlapping slightly.
  9. Advent calendar: Choose the front of the card with the most appealing design. Arrange 24 crafted pieces in a fun pattern on a larger construction paper or board. Number them, and you can write a festive activity or message behind each number.
  10. Festive Placemats:  Decoupage and laminate cut-out festive images to make fun placemats for the table.
crafting with old christmas cards pin

Tutorials Using Old Christmas Cards: Eco-Friendly & Affordable Fun!

Beautiful Christmas ornaments and cute decorations made from old holiday cards.

Other Recycled Christmas Ideas

There’s no end to the fun way you can repurpose old Christmas cards for the holiday season. It’s eco-friendly, affordable, and a wonderful way to cherish memories. So the next time you’re about to toss out those old holiday cards, think twice and get crafting! And don’t forget to save all those beautiful Christmas cards for next year.

You might want to check out these ideas for cardboard Christmas decorations and paper Christmas crafts, many of which could be adapted to work with old Christmas cards.

Also, there are many more Adult Christmas crafts on the blogs and fun collections of crafts to sell or gift.

Jeanne

Sunday 22nd of October 2023

WOW, you must have quite the collection of Christmas cards! Beautiful! :)

Claire Armstrong

Monday 23rd of October 2023

Thank, yes I save them every year for crafting.

Michelle

Monday 16th of October 2023

Thanks for all the lovely ideas, Claire. I'll dig out all those Christmas cards I've been saving for years and play around.

Claire Armstrong

Tuesday 17th of October 2023

Thank you. I love all the beautiful and fun images you get on old Christmas cards, they are great free crafting resource.