The Christmas Card Dilemma Solved

I have a pile of Christmas cards that I simply can't bring myself to throw away. Being honest, I still have last years Christmas cards too, and all this years family birthday cards as well. Throwing them in the bin seems so wasteful.  So last week I gathered the family around and we read through all the cards again. Then I armed the children with glue and scissors and we began to cut out the images to make a big A2 collage. It all went quite well ie only a couple of items got glued to the floor and there was one minor flesh wound.  The resulting collage is hanging on their bedroom wall and it looks really fantastic. Its a great way to remember all the lovely cards we received and it invokes memories of all our friends who sent them. It justifies a little more all that paper we use sending cards only to be thrown away a couple of weeks later and its a great kids craft activity for a rainy day.

The blank backs of the cards have all been saved and threaded together to make a shopping list notebook. When the notebook has been used up it will then be re-reused as a fire lighter ... and then the ashes will go on the compost heap ... and then, well you get the idea.

There, now if I thought the receivers of my Christmas cards did the same, I might just actually send some next year! As it is my eco-conscience prevents me from sending any for a couple of years in a row, then my social conscience normally gets the better of me and I send out a batch in roughly three yearly cycles. I don't yet have the excuse my late Grandmother had ... she would say quite often in her final two decades 'Oh I didn't bother sending any cards this year, my friends will just think that I'm dead, and then when they do get one next year it will be such a lovely surprise'!

Comments

[the old schoolhouse]

What a wonderful idea i hate to throw away my old cards sometimes i reuse old cards to make new ones ,love your blog thank you angie

[Rebecca (author of Sallygardens)]

Gift tags and scrapbooking, those are great ideas too.

[Maddy]

Great use of your cards, love it.

I kept my favourite cards to put in the boys scrapbooks, I then cut the backs from the rest and put them in my recycling bin. The front of the cards are kept for the boys to use next year to make Christmas decorations at school.

[gayle]

I keep all the cards too and unleash the kids onto them some dank day. I am in Ireland too, in the North. I would be interested in any advice or support on my blog re growing things. I start my raised beds this spring. Love your blog.

[Moonwaves]

I always save cards (even the ones in work that my boss gets) but never do anything with them. This year, I went one step forward in work and tore/cut the front part off last year's cards and as soon as we came back in January did the same with the ones from this Christmas.

I have vague ideas that I might perhaps start scrap booking or making my own cards but mostly I just can't bear to throw something useful out. Last week a Dublin school posted on freecycle looking for old Christmas cards - they're going to use them to make new cards which will be sold to raise money for the school next Christmas. So, I've gathered up as many as I can find, spread the word among some of the other secretaries here and will be delivering a big envelope to them tomorrow.

And my sister in Sydney told me she's going to start scrapbooking so I might send a couple to her as well.

Love that line from your grandmother btw.

[French Knots]

I save the cards with the idea of the children making gift tags or new cards from them.....then forget where I've put them. So we have a couple of carrier bags full ready for Christmas this year!

[willowcaroline]

We recycle our cards by either cutting them out and making next years gift tags or cards - or we cut out the pretty images and glue them to clothespins to be hung on the tree as ornaments. Another blogger I enjoy reading does much the same: http://peasoupoftheday.blogspot.com/2008/01/organisation-is-my-middle-name.html