Does any one have creative ideas for what to do with all those Christmas cards and letters after the holidays? Seems like such a waste to just trash them. Same thing with the pictures people send. Creative thoughts?
My Mother sends all of ours every year to one of the following, where they are used by pediatric patients and/or special needs children for their projects: St. Jude's Ranch for Children, 100 St. Jude's, Boulder City, NV 89005 or........Ann Marie Romero, Seton Shoal Creek Hospital Children's Unit, 3501 Mills Ave., Austin, TX 78731 or........Judy Horton, Down Home Ranch, 20250 FM619, Elgin, TX 78621.
They prefer to have you send only the fronts of the cards to reduce your postage expense, but you can send them whole if you wish. You might also check with your local hospitals, etc.
Filed under: Christmas Cards
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I put them in a folder and keep them in a cabinet.
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Recycle them
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you can save them for next year and save the pics. for memories
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I teach preschool so I use them for art projects in the coming year.
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I used to just trash them.
Now I save every single one.
It’s nice to be creative; but the important people who sent you cards may not always be around and the cards can generate good memories.
When my son died 5 years ago, I searched and searched for "special memory reminders". I only found 2 Mother’s Day cards and one birthday card.
I so wish I’d saved everything.
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Be economical, white-out any writing on them and send them out next year. Don’t worry about anyone recognizing them, they didn’t pay any more attention to them than you did.
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good question!i keep them in a box,for memory.
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I’ve always saved the ones that had the nicest fronts IMO, then put them on the mantle along with some others received that year.
Nowadays I’ll also clip them to a cord and swag them from the mantle, over door frames, windows, etc., or stand them open even in the bathroom or anyplace they’ll fit, etc.
I used to do some crafts where I’d use some of the fronts too, but not so much anymore.
Another thing I suggested here the other day would be to sort them by size, trimming if necessary, then making Christmas houses with them (they could be like a "house of cards" or permanently affixed together or to a frame).
Another nice thing to do is recycle them by cutting off the fronts (or just part of the image/picture) and mounting on folded cardstock "cards," or even on construction paper cards, with glue, etc.. Then they could be taken to the local nursing home for the residents to send out, or for the staff to pass out to those who never get any. Homeless shelters, etc. might also like to have them that way, or just for cheerful decoration or hanging from an xmas tree… they could even be attached to a door or something in the shape of a tree or wreath, etc.
(I just file any photos and the xmas letters I want to keep… they don’t take up much room).
Diane B.
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I am a big fan of recycling. Sentimental things are hard (impossible for me) to part with so I take my cards and make little treasure boxes for small giftgiving or make into an envelope and enclose a gift card or certificate. Happy Holidays!
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I guiltily throw them out. I don’t have the space to keep them, nor do I have the time and patience to sort them or look through them again.
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I use the pictures and some of the phrases, etc. for my Scrap booking pages. Sometimes the cards make prettier backdrops than just plane paper or stickers.
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You could get a piece of poster board, cut out the pretty scenes, lay them out so that they look nice, and decoupage them onto a backing and frame it. Then, when Christmas comes around next year, you could take a framed print off the wall and hang up the one you made that shows the holiday. Another Christmas decoration.
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My Mother sends all of ours every year to one of the following, where they are used by pediatric patients and/or special needs children for their projects: St. Jude’s Ranch for Children, 100 St. Jude’s, Boulder City, NV 89005 or……..Ann Marie Romero, Seton Shoal Creek Hospital Children’s Unit, 3501 Mills Ave., Austin, TX 78731 or……..Judy Horton, Down Home Ranch, 20250 FM619, Elgin, TX 78621.
They prefer to have you send only the fronts of the cards to reduce your postage expense, but you can send them whole if you wish. You might also check with your local hospitals, etc.
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Cut off the fronts and run them through a paper shredder (seriously) , the kind that makes long strips. When you have lots of strips, mix them up and glue them to a piece of cardstock in a brick wall like pattern until you have formed an entirely new design. Use a glitter glue pen for mortar.Then you can use paper punches or scissors to cut some simple shapes like triangles( Christmas trees) or circles (tree ornaments ) hearts, gingerbreadmen, stars etc. to decorate the fronts of cards or gift tags for next year. As for the letters and photos, I would label them and put them in a small album….you or your children may be glad for the reference source someday.
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Christmas cards can be made into postcards if there’s no writing on the back of the main picture; or place cards for the table, or gift tags.
I save all the pictures people send me in an album. If you didn’t mean anything to them, they wouldn’t send you pictures.
Cards can also be made into ornaments, or a basket to hold cards.
If you truely don’t want the pictures, send them back to the giver. It’s better than throwing them away.
http://www.allfreecrafts.com/christmas/card-basket.shtml
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Please cut off the back and send the fronts St. Jude’s Ranch for Children’s recycled card program! 100 St. Judes St. Boulder City, NV 89006