The Organised Housewife » Tips, ideas, inspiration and motivation to help keep you and your household clean and organised

Masthead header
May 19 2011

{Re-purposing} Creating gift tags from old greeting cards

Category: Organising • Paper

Part 1 – Gift Wrapping Station

I love birthday cards to send my thoughts, love and wishes through sentimental messages to my loved ones, family and friends.  Perfect to let them know you are thinking of them even though you may not have spoken for a little while, as we all realise life sometimes just get’s a little busy.

However, in saying that I select who I give cards to as I know not everybody enjoys the sentiments a card gives, some just enjoy the present that is attached (mostly kids) and some think they are a waste of money.  In this case I make tags to accomany the gifts.  I re-purpose the cards we receive by making them into tags.  I keep all the sentimental cards and cards that have a beautiful personal message inside, I can’t bring myself to throw these away.  But be honest if you keep onto all the cards you receive you will have a box full in no time.

When it comes to children’s birthday’s, ie the parties kids are invited to by their school friends, I would prefer to put a home-made tag on their present and add that money I saved into their gift as I know they would appreciate it more.

Here is how I make our birthday tags:

Find an old birthday card

Trim card to remove back, cut to smaller size

Punch hole in top corner

Now I have 2 tags!

I love using rafia to decorate wrapped gifts

Easy…and you have saved yourself a few pennies!

What do you do with the cards you receive??

 

Love these ideas? Sign up for updates....It's FREE!
Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...

  • Kristy

    Such a great idea!! Maybe my next project should be to sort through all my old cards into ‘keep’ and ‘re-purpose’ someday soon…. I actually have every card I’ve received since I was about 12 (I’m now 27) and yes…. there are about 5 shoeboxes and 2 coffee table drawers full of them… Oops!

  • June

    I love doing this at christmas time. With all the cards my family of five receive we also have an abundancy of cards and can’t bear to just throw them in the bin so why not re-use them!

  • Erin

    That’s a good idea :) I like the Christmas gift tag suggestion too – thanks June!

  • Teegan

    I re-use my cards in a similar way too! I cut the greeting message half of the card off the card (and if it’s a sentimental one I store it away) and use the picture side as a kind of postcard to write on the back! I then address it in the bottom right hand corner and stamp it (like you would a normal postcard) It’s a great way to send thank-you notes to people when you have attended their special occasion (like a dinner party or wedding) without spending too much on a new card and postage – and people appreciate the thought more than anything! I keep at least 10 on hand at a time and keep only my favorite patterns and designs when I get too many… :-)

  • http://blogg.amelia.se/zizzi Zizzi

    I save the cards I recieve in a “treasure”-box. Mostly the ones for my son. I made him a box, that I shall give him when he moves to his own place (he’s only 3 now). In that box is his birthdaycards, summer-cards, christmascards. And I also date them. It also contains his first birthday candle and other memories.

  • Jess R

    I have every card since my mum was pregnant with me! Growing up my sister and I would play games testing each other on who had given us the card!! We had hours of fun. i do admit that i am strating to not keep EVERY card i recieve as i am now 30!!!

    I have kept all cards for my 2 girls (2 1/2 and 8 months).
    I think cards are really special!
    My husband hates them lol…so i dont always recieve them!! Unless he is reminded…which kind of defetes the purpose! Oh Well

  • Julie

    Let me think… cards in our house.. I too like cards
    I havent kept every one – I started out just keeping the wedding & birthday ones of the kids, our first christmas, the kids ones from good friends & the really nice cards …I am getting better at being selective..
    I quickly lose the Planet Ark Recycle envelope my husband brings home (and the spare my mum also gets me LOL!)
    I mostly scrapbook them (but I dont put them too near my photos!!)
    Sometimes i make pocket pages to keep them in, other times I have used them to journal what that person did to help celebrate that particular occasion or why they are special to me
    Though the last lot of xmas cards were better value on recycling: Half went to kindy for a what-did-you-do-on-the-holidays collage Ms 4 cut the others to shreds for hours while i finished scrapbooking the last few pages of Christmas 2009.

  • Pingback: {Organising} Cards and wrapping + {Review} Phoenix Trading » The Organised Housewife

  • Alicia

    Got some great ideas from this post….love it!
    I must confess, Im a card keeper also. BUT, it is on my list of things I need to work on SOON!! =)

    Ill be doing same as Kristy suggested.

    Kat do you scrap the cards you keep or just box them? Would love to see.

    Julie are you scrapbooks lump or not too fat? I was considering pockets also but worried my books would warp with the extra content. Do you make pockets or buy them?

  • Bebright2

    What a GREAT idea! I will be using this one I can tell you!

    • http://www.theorganisedhousewife.com.au Katrina

      Love repurposing!

  • Pingback: {Printable} Birthday tags » The Organised Housewife

  • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=711739754 Chantelle McLeod

    wow great idea :)

  • Eunice

    If you want to keep the cards for sentimental value but aren’t particularly attached to the card itself you can scan the item, keep a copy electronically and then happily recycle or dispose of the actual card. That way you save on space but still have the card to refer to for sentiment.