Reuse Christmas Greeting Cards / Reutiliza las tarjetas de felicitacion de Navidad

Probably doing the Spring cleaning, you've found the Christmas greeting cards you received. Instead of recycling them, you can give them a second life the next Christmas. When you send them to your friends and family, they will see the green you are.

It's quite simple. Just cut the old card and glue it in a new folded cardstock, choosing the suitable colour and size.

I give you some tricks for an optimal result... it will look better than you think!

Pictures of your own work or ideas reusing Christmas cards are welcome.

SAFETY ADVICE: This instructable use sharp tools. Be careful about it. If you are not sure how to use them, don't continue. For kids, it is MANDATORY adult supervision and help.

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Spanish version

Seguramente haciendo la limpieza primaveral te has encontrado tarjetas de Navidad que recibiste. En lugar de reciclarlas, puedes darles una segunda vida las proximas Navidades. Cuando las envies a tus amigos y familiares, veran lo ecologico que eres.

Es muy simple: solo recorta las viejas felicitaciones y pegalas en una cartulina doblada, escogiendo el color y tamanno adecuado.

Te doy algunos trucos para un acabado perfecto... !quedan mejor de lo que imaginas!

Envia fotos con tus propias creaciones o ideas reutilizando tarjetas de Navidad.

CONSEJO DE SEGURIDAD: Este instructable utiliza herramientas cortantes. Ten cuidado con ellas. Si no estas seguro de como se usan, por favor, no continues. Para ninnos, es OBLIGATORIA la supervision y ayuda de adultos.

Step 1: Cut the old cards / Recorta las tarjetas viejas

You need:

1 - Old Christmas cards.
2 - New coloured cardstock.
3 - Rule.
4 - Pencil.
5 - Cutter.
6 - Glue.
7 - Cutting mat.

Choose cards from organizations, shops or so on... If it's handwritten, be sure that the opposite side of the drawing is clean, because someone could read it holding against the light.

Cut it making smaller, attending to the drawing.

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Necesitas:

1 - Felicitaciones de Navidad viejas.
2 - Cartulina nueva de colores.
3 - Regla.
4 - Lapiz.
5 - Cutter.
6 - Cola.
7 - Superfice de corte.

Escoge las tarjetas de organizaciones, tiendas y similares... Si estuviera manuscrita, asegurate de que el lado contrario al dibujo esta vacio, porque se podria leer lo escrito al trasluz.

Cortala haciendola mas pequenna, teniendo en cuenta el dibujo.

Comments

[sunshiine]

I LOVE THIS CONCEPT! I will start making these soon!  Thanks!

[nancy Joyce]

Last year...I recycled used Christmas cards, I received over the years.........only the very pretty ones. Then used them as ...Christmas post cards....! Saved on envelopes.............plus postage..! This is for all you thrifty people , out t6here, Nancy joyce

[thoughtfulcardsender]

It’s such a pity! The majority of the 7 billion greeting cards purchased in the US each year are discarded. Despite the beauty of their design, the purpose of greeting cards is to provide your family and friends the feeling of importance, then be thrown away! The landfill is the final destination for all these beautiful cards…until NOW! By using Thoughtful Card Sender labels you can recycle and extend the life of your valued greeting cards. Impress your family and friends by using these money saving and environmentally conscious labels at http://www.thoughtfulcardsender.com!

[NEgal]

P.S. If you paste them onto construction paper to make new cards is it difficult to find envelopes the correct size?

[ansanma]

Of course, first meassure the envelope you want to use and then cut the new card of the correct size...

[NEgal]

Good idea. I often just take the front off of the cards and send them like postcards. The first year I did this I got some raised eyebrows but have since gotten several "post" Christmas cards back =)

[Mr. Rig It]

I think you may want to add a safety note somewhere about using sharp objects. I also like that you use a cutting board. This is a neat idea, if you haven't entered it into the Green contest I think you should. I like that you wrote it in two languages and you have provided a lot of pictures.

[ansanma]

Thanks of course: safety advice added! Would be a good idea if Instructables adds some predefined advices when publishing, the same way you choose category, difficulty or cost...

[Mr. Rig It]

Good idea, I will suggest it to them.