Don’t Let Those Holiday Cards Go to Waste

From The State, Neighbors section, January 11:

Each Christmas card that arrived during the Yuletide season was treasured.

You opened each, eager to see pictures of children, get updates from friends faraway or just to see who remembered you.

During the past few weeks, they’ve been displayed on refrigerators, hung around doors or stuck in wreaths as a part of holiday decorations and tradition.

And now?

Don’t let them become landfill fodder.

How about keeping them — and using them for other things.

Mary Pat Baldauf, recycling coordinator for Lexington County Solid Waste Management, offers these suggestions:

Postcards and cards: Cut off the backs of holiday cards that do not have writing behind the front and use them as postcards. Write a message on the back and attach a postcard stamp. You can also cut images from old cards and paste them on new card stock to make beautiful handcrafted cards.

Gift tags: Cutouts from old holiday cards can be used to make delightful and creative gift tags. Leave some space around the picture when you cut it so that you can write messages there. Three or four gift tags can be created from a single card. The patterned front with a plain back makes an attractive and practical gift tag. Tip: If you are making more gift tags than you are likely to use, why not make up packs of gift tags and offer to a local church or charity to sell at bazaars and fundraising events.

Recipe cards: To share a favorite holiday recipe, use an old holiday card as a recipe card. Simply write the recipe on the back, or glue an image from the old card to a new recipe card.

Scrapbooking: Instead of spending for holiday scrapbook materials, cut out images from old holiday cards and use them to create your family's holiday scrapbook.