Old Christmas cards can be cut, punched, taped, and clipped into gift tags, garlands, ornaments, bookmarks, gift boxes, and wall displays, most in under an hour with basic household tools. These projects are low-supply and kid-friendly, and they offer a way to preserve the handwritten messages inside the cards. You do not need specialist craft equipment or advanced skills to turn a stack of saved cards into useful and decorative items for the holiday season.
Table of Contents
- What basic tools do I need to start crafting with old Christmas cards?
- How do I turn old Christmas cards into gift tags?
- How do I make a Christmas card garland?
- How do I make Christmas ornaments from old Christmas cards?
- How can I display old Christmas cards without crafting anything?
- What else can I make with old Christmas cards?
- How do I preserve the messages inside old Christmas cards?
- Key Takeaways
- References
What basic tools do I need to start crafting with old Christmas cards?
The short tool kit includes scissors, a hole punch, ribbon or twine, tape or mounting putty, a ruler, and clothespins. These basics cover most projects for reusing old Christmas cards, from gift tags to garlands and simple wall displays. Glue and a craft knife appear in some projects, but many ideas work with tape, staples, or clips instead. No specialist craft equipment is required for any project in this article. Before cutting anything, save the card backs and inside messages. Those sections hold handwriting, signatures, and personal notes that can be reused in other projects or kept as keepsakes. Royal City Nursery describes its listed card repurposing projects as extremely kid-friendly, which makes them practical for family craft time.
How do I turn old Christmas cards into gift tags?
Cut out images from card fronts using a template to create a consistent shape. A simple rectangle or circle template works well, and the image itself can guide the size. Punch a single hole at the top of each cutout and thread ribbon or twine through it. Keep the handwritten message from inside the card and glue or tape it to the back of the tag. That step turns a simple tag into a personal note for the gift recipient. This is one of the fastest projects and works with any card size, according to Royal City Nursery. Small cards make small tags, while larger cards can be trimmed down to fit the gift.
How do I make a Christmas card garland?
Cut card fronts into triangles, or use full fronts for a photo-style banner. Triangles give a classic bunting look, while full card fronts create a longer banner with larger images. Tape or staple each piece to a length of string or twine. Space the pieces evenly along the string and tie loops at both ends for hanging. For a two-sided garland, mix card fronts with the message halves. The handwritten sides add variety and show off the personal notes. Royal City Nursery recommends taping or stapling the card pieces to string or twine for this project. A garland can hang across a mantel, doorway, or window in under an hour.
How do I make Christmas ornaments from old Christmas cards?
Cut shapes or use a template, punch holes, and thread ribbon for hanging. Simple shapes like circles, stars, and trees work well for flat ornaments. For a three-dimensional option, downloadable small, medium, and large templates exist for a Christmas card ball ornament. The recycled Christmas card ornament video from Pillar Box Blue points to templates under the section titled "How To Make A Christmas Card Ball." A no-glue option uses punched holes and ribbon ties instead of adhesive. Punch holes along the edges of cut shapes and lace ribbon through the holes to hold pieces together. Magnetic tin ornaments are another variation for displaying cards on metal surfaces. The video "15 Creative DIY Ideas for Repurposing Old Christmas Cards" from Canterbury Cottage includes magnetic tin ornaments among its project ideas.
How can I display old Christmas cards without crafting anything?
Clip cards to a dressform with small clothespins and a ribbon tied around the waist. My 100 Year Old Home uses this method to display holiday cards in a simple, visible way. Use an old crib mattress frame and small red clothespins, since the crosswires hold any card size. The same source notes that the crosswires allow clipping any size of holiday card. Tape cards on both sides of a French door between rooms. My 100 Year Old Home has displayed Christmas cards on a French door between the entryway and family room, attached with tape on both sides of the door. Tape card fronts to a bare wall in the shape of a tree, with a star cut from construction paper. Royal City Nursery describes this wall tree as a project where card fronts are stuck to a bare wall using tape or mounting putty.
What else can I make with old Christmas cards?
Bookmarks are cut about 5 to 8 cm wide using the full length of the card, with a single hole punched at the top and a ribbon or twine loop added. Royal City Nursery lists bookmarks among its seven repurposing projects. Gift boxes are made from two cards, one for the top and one for the bottom, using a ruler, glue, an Exacto knife, and clothespins with an existing box as a template. Royal City Nursery explains that an existing cardboard gift box can be deconstructed to serve as the template. One-of-a-kind gift bags and small DIY notebooks are also options. The Canterbury Cottage video includes small DIY notebooks and festive matchbox decor among its 15 ideas. Place cards, picture frames, and shadow box art work for table settings and wall decor. The same video lists DIY funny place cards, DIY festive picture frames, and Christmas shadow box art as projects.
How do I preserve the messages inside old Christmas cards?
Read and photograph each card before cutting so the handwriting is saved. A phone photo takes seconds and creates a lasting record of the note. Trim around signatures and notes and attach them to the back of tags, ornaments, or bookmarks. That way the message travels with the new item. Reuse photo cards on the back of numbered advent calendar tags. My 100 Year Old Home made six advent calendars as family gifts using photos from old Christmas cards on the back of numbered tags. Set aside a small stack of cards too meaningful to cut and display them as-is. Some cards carry messages that deserve to stay whole, and a simple clip display preserves them without any cutting.
Key Takeaways
- Gift tags are made by cutting out card fronts with a template, punching a hole, and threading ribbon or twine.
- A card garland is made by cutting fronts into triangles and taping or stapling them to string.
- Bookmarks use the full length of the card at about 5 to 8 cm wide with a ribbon loop at the top.
- A wall tree is made by taping card fronts in a tree shape with a construction paper star on top.
- Cards can be displayed with no crafting at all using clothespins on a dressform or crib frame, or tape on a French door.
- Downloadable small, medium, and large templates exist for a Christmas card ball ornament.
- Photographing or trimming handwritten messages before cutting keeps the personal notes.
References
- 15 Creative DIY Ideas for Repurposing Old Christmas Cards — 2025-11-24
- 5 Ways to Display and Repurpose Christmas Cards — date unknown
- 7 Cute DIY Ways to Repurpose Your Old Christmas Cards — date unknown
- Recycled Christmas Card Ornament — 2025-12-12
