| Christmas Candy Holder - Take an old coffee can and use a primer grey paint on it then spray it with green or red paint. Then take the pictures off of the front of old x-mas cards and glue them around the sides of the can, to make it look even better get some thin x-mas
color ribbon and punch holes in the cards and wrap the ribbon through the holes and around the diameter of the can. It's a fun project and it's even nice to use as a gift holder instead of giving a gift bad put a small gift or even an article of clothing into the can and put a gift tag on the lid
to give it as a gift. (I like to use mine for candy canes.) Contributed by Nicholas Hellums. Make Placemats & Coasters - Cut out the best part of the picture (I use a sealer ring so that I can see what I am drawing my circle around to cut by) and put it on a colored "Mac Tak" or "Tie
Tac" (self adhesive shelf papers, a thin plastic sheet that you peal a paper backing off of) with the wrong side down and then cover the front with a clear piece of Mac Tak (make sure not to get the frosted kind, so the picture shows through). Then cut around the sealed edge leaving at least a
quarter of an inch. You can also make place mats this way with wrapping paper. If you don't leave the quarter inch around the outside, they won't seal and will fall apart after a few washings. My son is ten and he still has his that we made after his first Christmas, with a good seal they will
survive much washing. Contributed by Pat, crafty_pat@hotmail.com
Christmas Card Ball - Use the pictures from old christmas cards cut into pentagons and hexagons of the same sized side, and glue them together to make a hanging ball. Contributed by Daphne, lundal@infovia.com.ar
Scrapbooking! - A lot of people are now into scrapbooking, I use old cards to go along with the picures in my scrapbook. You can either cut out small portions and pictures from the cards or use the card in whole to go along with the pictures on your scrapbook page. Contributed by Nicholas
Hellums.
Make Postcards - Cut apart the front and back and keep the front (picture). Turn the card over so you're looking at the back of the picture. Using a ruler, draw a line dividing the back of the front card piece across the narrow side. On the left side write a message; on the side address it and
you have made a postcard (and cheaper to mail!) You could also use stamps for your message. I make a small note where the postage stamp goes telling me who sent it so I don't return it to the same person next year. Contributed by Maggie, maggimae@pacifier.com
Use as Gift Package Tags - I have always used my old cards as next years gift tags. Just cut out what looks like would make a pretty tag, punch a hole in the top with a paper-punch, and use a ribbon to attach to the gift. Sometimes you can get multiple tags from one card. Some are so pretty,
I use the whole front of the card as a tag for larger gifts. Hope this helps! I haven't bought gift tags for years now and always get compliments on the originality of my tags. Contributed by Betty, hatran@goldcity.net
Package Decoration - Recycle paper bags too! Use the brown paper bag or newspaper as your wrapping paper. Cut out pictures from old Christmas cards and glue onto packages. This is a great (and cheap) way to pretty up plain paper!
Make a Christmas Collage - Cut out pictures and glue onto construction paper or cardboard to make a Christmas collage (great activity for kids).
Use for Decoupage - Cut out pictures and use to decoupage onto small boxes, frames, tables, etc. I got some old wooden trays at yard sales, and took my favorite cards and decoupaged them to the trays. I have one for Christmas, Thanksgiving and one for a Birthday theme. Some of the trays have
sides and I can get glass cut to fit to place inside the tray which will protect the cards. If your trays dont have sides make sure you seal the cards with decoupage glue or polyurethane to protect them. Contributed by annieleah, jandana@rnet.net.
Make NEW Cards - You can use old cards for your cards for all your occasion. Just cut your card ( keep the picture) Take construction paper any color- fold in half. Paste your picture on your card on the paper. Then use writing paper or typing paper-cut to fit your card. In the crease of of
your white paper and the construction paper-make to slits, use any color of ribbon-pull throught-then tied it a bow. I always recycle my Xmas cards- just use red,gold,green ribbon. My cousin taught me how to make my Xmas cards. And she's 98yrs old. So get busy with making your Xmas Card for 1999!!!!!
Contributed by Teacup, pdemko@aol.com. |
