Holiday Cards: What The Heck Now?
I have a very serious question.
After a lovely December of a packed mailbox, I’m now left with a stack of pretty, festive greeting cards. And absolutely no idea what to do with them! For years, I have just saved them in a box or in a folder, and eventually would toss them out because, well, I never looked at them and they just took up space. I love receiving cards and it’s so nice to get something personal from good friends. Especially since all the words I see from my Internet buddies are text, it was so cool to see everyone’s handwriting. Ya’ll have some nice penmanship!
Struggling to come up with a better option, I queried my friends on Twitter and Facebook and heard a few suggestions.
- Use them in arts and crafts
- Frame the covers I like the most
- Save the ones I like the most and toss the rest
- Create a scrapbook (I’m loving the one I spotted from Erin!)
- Donate them to St. Jude’s Ranch for Children for re-use
I think the one I like the most is donating the cards to St. Jude’s Ranch for Children. St. Jude’s Ranch for Children is not affiliated with the St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital, although both are children’s organization. St. Jude’s Ranch for Children was founded by Father Jack Adam, an Episcopalian priest, and now has three campuses, one in Nevada (just outside Las Vegas) and two in Texas. The organization serves “all abused, abandoned and neglected children and families, creating new chances, new choices and new hope in a safe, homelike environment.”
So how does their program work? The website explains:
Operated by Kids’ Corp., a program for the children at St. Jude’s Ranch to learn entrepreneurship skills, the children participate in making the new cards by removing the front and attaching a new back. The result is a beautiful new card made by the children and volunteers. The benefits are two-fold: customers receive “green” holiday cards for use and the children receive payment for their work and learn the benefits and importance of “going green”.
The only downside to the program is they don’t accept Hallmark, Disney or American Greeting cards, likely because of copyright issues. You just neatly cut off the back flap of the card (where all the writing is) and send the cards off! ou can also purchase packs of 10 of these refurbished cards for $10. Even if you can’t support the organization by donating cards, it’s a great way to support the work the children are doing. I’m considering ordering a pack or two next Christmas!
What do you do with your Christmas cards? Any suggestions that I didn’t list?
the ones with super cool graphics i cut out to use as gift tags the following year. even if there’s not a neat small tag-sized image, but just a jumble of holiday colors or whatever, i will cut into the shape of a star or a tree or something and use for a tag. and thanks for the info on that program, i’ve never heard of it.
I know Lauren (@laurenfromtexas) cut up hers and made them into little magnets which I think is a really cute idea! I’m not crafty enough, nor do I have the patience!, for something like that. I keep mine but throw some of the less “special” ones away. I love the idea behind St. Jude’s Ranch for Children! I’ll have to keep that in mind for next year.
Oh, you got a bunch of nice cards… I usually just collect mine for sentimental reasons, but you’re right, when do you ever really look at them again?
I think I would keep the special ones and give away the others. I think the idea behind St. Jude’s Ranch for Children is really neat!
Haha I’m totally having the same problem right now! I loved getting greeting cards from bloggers around the world and I’m not ready to put them away just yet. They’re all still sitting on my desk next to me so I can look at them once in a while
i have used them to make little boxes of different sizes as christmas tree ornaments. the front of the card becomes the top of the box, and the back becomes the bottom. i then glue 3 different sizes atop each other and tie with some ribbon and fishing line for hanging from the tree! i have also used the boxes as present toppers as well.
i like the idea of sending them to St. Jude’s Ranch for Children though.