Every January, it happens: we're faced with collections of beautifully illustrated Christmas cards and have an internal struggle of tug-of-war. The majority of us probably share the same struggle that we'll feel guilty for chucking them into the garbage, but, on the other hand, whatever are we going to do with them all, and will we even remember to read them again?

Relieve yourself of that guilt by putting those thoughtful cards towards thoughtful reuse: upcycle them into gift tags for next Christmas.

Upcycled Christmas Card Tags

• Old Christmas cards
• Heavier stock scrapbook paper
• Scissors (or precision utility knife with cutting mat)
• Glue stick
• Hole punch
• ¼ inch wide (or smaller) ribbon
• White or lighter shade of paper for writing on inside (optional)

Begin by cutting a 3” x 6” piece of scrapbook paper. Fold the paper in half, creating a 3” x 3” card. Set aside. Cut out the design you want on the face of the Christmas card (making sure it’s roughly ¼ inch smaller than your 3” x 3” card). Paste that image onto your new folded card, leaving a border around the Christmas card image. Punch a hole through the upper left corner of your folded tag and loop the ribbon through the hole (to tie to gift). If you choose, you can paste a white piece of paper on the inside for writing the recipient’s name.

More ideas for recycling old cards

• Don’t limit your tags to the folded style. Christmas tags can be all shapes and sizes with a bit of creativity and an extra pair of inexpensive scrapbook scissors.
• Create new Christmas cards by cutting and pasting old card imagery onto folded pieces of cardstock. With the vast array of scrapbook paper and embellishments, creativity is unlimited!
• Use old Christmas cards for miscellaneous holiday arts and crafts for the kids.