9 Ideas for Old Holiday Photo Greeting Cards

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110The holidays and cards go hand and hand. You send out greetings and receive warm wishing. Some present as folded artistic bulletins. However, most arrive to you in the form of smiling faces of people close to your heart on photo cards. There are big ones, small ones, card stock, or premium paper.  They adorn your walls, your coffee table, or lounge inside a basket for all to see.  But once the new year rolls around, it’s time to put away the decorations. Now what? What do you do with all those precious “old” holiday photo greeting cards? I am here to help.  Grab some tape, scissors, ribbon, and a glue gun and get in touch with your crafty side.

9 Ideas for Old Holiday Photo Greeting Cards:147

  1. Gift Tags: Say thanks to your neighbors because they just saved you money.  Simply cut out the fun graphics, sayings, or patterns from the used salutations and save them as gift tags for next year. There is no need to buy new ones now. Just remember to leave out the family’s name and this past year’s date. I made over 50 tags this time. Also, be careful not to cut the people pics. to use in the numbers below.

    Gift Tags
  2. Coasters: How fun would it be for dinner guests to see their picture at your dinning room table? Grab a coaster you already own. Then trace their holiday card picture and trim it out. You will probably want to laminate these. Maybe this is a good reason to buy that laminating machine you always wanted on Groupon?!? Or you can use your Amazon Prime membership and buy some self-stick laminating sheets with two-day delivery.

    Coasters
    Coasters
  3. Fridge Magnets: Do you love decorating your house walls with pictures? Then why stop there?! Glue a magnet to the pictures you did not cut through when making the gift tags and place them on fridges, dishwashers, or anything else metal you can think of around the house. I happen to save random bits of magnets that I get in the mail or collect through out the year. They are also inexpensive to buy at a craft store.

    Magnets
    Magnets
  4. Update Frames: If you are like me, then you rarely order prints. My viewing of recent pictures is usually digital and online. However, when a loved one sends me a holiday photo card, I jump at the opportunity to modernize the Family and Friend’s section of the bookshelves in our living room.
  5. Flip-Books: Pictures tell stories. Why not invite your kids or visitors to read the story of your family’s friendships? After you made the gift tags, take the  left over pictures, punch a hole in the corner, and attach a metal ring. W-la! You made an instant cute and fun story book for people to flip through. You might even want to glue the family’s names on the back and write the year. It is perfect for a coffee table or even for bedtime story reading with the littles. To add on, this could become a fun guessing game: Name the people? Who do you know?

    Flip Books
    Flip Books
  6. Games: Speaking of kids… this preschool teacher’s aide has one for you moms of young kids out there! Make flash cards out of the non-photo cards you collected by writing numbers on them. Next tape the numbers to bowls. Then place photos inside a brown paper bag. Tell your little one you want to play a game with them. Oh, the excitement!  Finally, take turns with your child pulling out a photo, counting the number of faces in the picture (there might be animals to count, too) and placing the card in the correct bowl. It’s fun for all! You could also cut pictures into different shapes and play a matching game, too. Think back to Kindergarten. The possibilities are endless.

    Counting Game
    Counting Game
  7. Puzzles: Another thought is to make a puzzle for your kids with their friend’s family card. I got a lot of “I know them” and “I did it, Mommy!”

    Puzzle
    Puzzle
  8. Cutting Practice: I gave my preschooler the warm-wishing advertisements from companies and some really old Christmas cards I pack-ratted. She spent the morning with her shears having a blast.
  9. Ornaments: Whether you are a Martha or not, there is an option for you out there.  You can take your family’s left over card and make an ornament.  Or, you can order one from over the internet at places like PersonalizationMall.com

    Card Ornament
    Card Ornament

Enjoy and have fun!

 

 

 

3 COMMENTS

    • You are so sweet, Laurie!! Thanks, friend. It was watching all you Girl Scouts as a child that inspired me. I always wanted to be one.

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