Five Uses for Old Christmas Cards

If you are a packrat like me, you have many, many old Christmas cards stashed away in your closets and drawers. This is the year to get them out and make something of them! Here are five great craft and game ideas using old Christmas cards.

Holiday Ring Ornaments

Supplies:

• Canning jar ring and lid for each ornament
• Yarn
• Scissors
• Hot glue
• Rick-rack, lace or other thin trim
• Christmas cards

Method:

1. Choose two cards with favorite Christmas pictures on them.
2. Use the canning jar lid to trace a circle around the pictures.
3. Cut them out.
4. Glue one picture to each side of the canning jar lid.
5. Glue the lid into place in the canning jar ring.
6. Glue trim around the outside of the canning jar ring and attach a yarn hanger to make a pretty ornament.

Christmas Card Tree Decoration

Supplies

• Ten canning jar lids (the flat part)
• Ten to twenty Christmas card pictures
• Scissors
• Yarn
• Tin punch
• Plastic needle point needle
• Hot glue

Method

1. Choose ten Christmas card pictures and use a canning jar lid to trace circles around each one.
2. Cut the pictures out and glue onto the lids.
3. If desired, you can also glue Christmas pictures to the backs of the lids.
4. Use the tin punch to poke holes around the edges of the lids. (10 to 16 work well)
5. Be sure that there aren't sharp edges left on the lids.
6. Use the needle to whip stitch yarn around the edges of each lid.
7. Cover the edge of each lid with yarn.
8. Arrange the lids in a triangle shape and sew together to look like a Christmas tree.
9. Some people also like to sew a single decorated lid in the middle of the bottom to be the “trunk.”
10. Add a yarn loop as a hanger on top.

New Cards from Old

Supplies

• Christmas cards
• Scissors
• Stickers
• Markers
• Construction paper

Method

1. Make new Christmas cards by folding the paper into a card shape.
2. Cut out favorite Christmas card pictures and glue them onto the front of the new cards.
3. Write a holiday note inside, sign and deliver!

Christmas Bingo

Supplies

• Christmas cards
• Scissors
• Blank cardboard for each player
• Chips or other markers for playing Bingo

Method

1. Cut small pictures from Christmas cards and paste onto the cardboard pieces in a five by five grid.
2. Make sure each picture shows a different Christmas symbol or decoration on the card.
3. When all players have made a Bingo board, call out the Christmas figures.
4. Players cover the ones that are on their cards.
5. The first player to cover a horizontal, diagonal or vertical row wins the game!
6. Trade cards and play again.

Holiday Scavenger Hunt

Supplies

• Christmas cards
• Scissors for each player
• Large blank paper for each player
• Glue
• Scavenger Hunt lists

Method

1. Look through your card collection and make a list of Christmas symbols, decorations, words or other items to find in the old cards.
2. Duplicate the list for all players.
3. Set a time limit, and see which player can find, cut out and glue the most items onto their paper.