I don’t like cards. I’m sorry, but I really don’t. I understand the care and sentiment behind them but after that message is absorbed into my being, I am left with a piece of paper that I have absolutely no idea what to do with.

I’m not so cold-hearted that I throw them in the garbage but I’m not nostalgic and sentimental enough to keep them in a box somewhere. Besides, when would I have time to look at them?

A couple of years ago I had a brilliant idea to cut my Christmas cards into triangles, string them together and create a banner. Since then I proudly display cards of Christmas past as part of my holiday decor.

And when I add last year’s card to the banner, I get to reread the wonderful messages again.

So I thought: What else could I do with Christmas cards? Here are some amazing upcycling ideas I found that you can use to breathe new life into Christmas cards:

Christmas Card Wreath

If you are handy with a pair of scissors, or you have one those nifty circle-cutter things, you can cut your cards into circles and paste them around a foam circle.

Doing so creates a charming wreath you can then further embellish with tinsel and ribbon. Hang it on your door as reminder of those joyfully received Christmas cards.

Check out Better Homes & Gardens for instructions!

Gift Boxes

Christmas cards may very well be the gift that keeps on giving! With some clever folds and assembly, your collection of cards can become gift boxes to pass on to friends and family.

The boxes are small, but perfect for ornaments or trinkets. Or spare your recipients from dealing with their own pile of Christmas cards by including a heartfelt message inside.

Then the Christmas card box is the Christmas card…Whoa.

Get the folding instructions here.

Glue ‘Em Onto Gift Bags

Grab some of those plain brown gift bags from your local dollar store and adorn them with the fronts of those old Christmas cards. Much like the boxes above, you can then gift them away to friends and family who can then gift them again.

It’s the gift that keeps on giving.

It’s a simple concept with no real need for instructions, but check out these beautiful examples.

Gift Tags

Another bothersome Christmas necessity is gift tags. Just like the wrapping paper they adhere to, they are simple tossed away when the gift opening comes to an end.

To be honest, I usually write on the wrapping paper to avoid the hassle of buying tags.

But, with oodles of Christmas cards laying around, I can make beautiful and unique gift tags simply by cutting out a tag-shape, punching a hold in it and writing on the back.

Again, the concept is self-explanatory, but here a site with great examples (and some other handmade gift wrapping ideas as well).

Canning Jar Toppers

There are so many gifts you can give in a jar – preserves, cookie mixes, soup mixes, bath salts, face scrubs. That is just to name a few. Now, with the magic of old Christmas cards, you can spruce up that jar topper by adding a festive touch.

Simply trace your lid onto the Christmas card and place it between the top of your lid and under the jar rim. By not gluing the card down onto the lid, the jar becomes reusable for any occasion!

Visit this site for further instructions as well as photographic evidence that this is a really cool idea.