Upcycling Greetings Cards 

My mom had an idea in using old Christmas cards and I still do it. Cut the fronts off and make a pile. After wrapping a present, she'd use ribbon either vertical or horizontal and tape it in the middle. Next she made 2 tape circles ( inside out to stick,) and put them on the back of the front Christmas card-- placing it on the ribbon! Beautiful instead of a bow.❤😢

Several of us in the USA save our Christmas cards and take them to senior centers for them to make their own cards to friends and family. They trim, cut and make some great looking cards. Love the way you recycle. Rosalee

I started crying when I saw the big F. My late mother’s name started with F. I’ve never seen a card with F on it. Loved this video ❤

Thank you for doing this video, my family think I'm weird because I save old cards and make gift tags from them. We always made them when we were kids, usually with mums pinking shears to give them a fancy edge. 😂😂 xxx

Love your idea to put the sheep card with a gift of a sweater. That’s clever! Love these tags!

I decided this year to make a bunch of "neutral" ephemera/tags/pockets, etc, as I have a bunch of journals that just need to be decorated. I save all cards, as does family and friends for me, so this is a great idea video to get things started. Thanks, love it!! 💜💜💜

A couple years ago, right after Christmas , I found a few hundred Christmas cards and envelopes nicely bagged up in the nearby card/ gift store dumpster. I took them home and organized them and then made mixed sets of 20 and gave them to friends. A shoe box full went to an inner city community center to be handed out and I kept some. Life got busy and they got stored out of sight and forgotten. I'm going to get them out and see what I can make!

It's amazing what can be done with old greeting cards! In my city we have a place called the ReUse Center where people can donate any sort of supply that can be used by crafters and it is free to go and take whatever you'd like. It's honestly a junk journaler's dream. There are always loads of boxes of old cards. I've used them to make journal cards, tuck spots, pockets, etc. Last year I made gift tags for my Christmas gifts and I was so happy with how they looked. It feels great to put something to good use that might otherwise end up in the trash or recycle bin.

I like to make bookmarks from old cards, and it's a great project to do with kids!

I love reusing greeting cards!!! For my glitter glue, I finally put a rubber band around the bottle, I slip the pin under it so I don't keep losing it.

Every year I make brown paper notebooks and my nieces and nephews decorate them with Christmas Card fronts from years past ( ages are 5 - 11) Ceri we have the most lovely time ❤

I’m almost 70 and use to sit with my Nanna and do this activity, cards and gift tags, the rest of the bits and bobs went into a scrapbook for the kids at the local hospital. Well that’s what I was told as obviously these scrap books ‘disappeared’ when they were full! Haha. Such a shame sending cards is not as popular as it once was. Thanks for the memories Ceri.

I’m so glad @Relax Cut Glue sent us to you! I bought a huge bundle of vintage Christmas cards. These were great ideas! Thank you ❤❤❤

The Special Friend gift tag would be perfect with a book!

Totally enjoyed my hour watching and listening. Thank you!!

You must be my brother from a different mother! (lucky you, as you'd hate my mother!) I work at a big company and we get 50-100 cards every year. Everyone in the office knows that I have first dibs on the cards after the holiday. I have hundreds saved and separated into "fancy" and "rustic" categories. I love going through them, cutting and sorting the pictures & words out. Thanks for letting me know that I'm not the only crazy one! Best wishes to you & yours for a prosperous New Year!

Lovely way to continue the cycle. Take time to breathe with your busy schedule. (ps... Doing a project you and your Mum did together brings up feelings. I miss my mom, too. 2 yrs this coming week. Hang in there). Sending hugs and much peace to you Kiddo. ❤

Sometimes u could use the long and slender pieces to insert into a card as a bookmark gift for someone who reads.

I love this, we used to do this my my Grandmother and Great Grandmother who were British. You brought back a great memory and you have excellent ideas. Thank you so much

Hi Ceri! Watching you in the middle of a sleepless night and now I am itching to dig out all the cards I have saved over the past couple of years and start cutting, creating and sorting. Thanks for the inspiration my new friend!!

I enjoyed seeing how you processed through the ‘bucket’ of cards. And you did at times admit that some things were just not going to be kept, that is hard to do. We all try to be frugal, but sometimes practicality needs to be acknowledged. Always enjoy your videos. Thanks again for an inspiring one.

So pleased to see someone else keeping things that might "come in handy" and actually using them. I thought it was because I was born in the war that I don't throw things out, I love your cards 😅

Thank you, Ceri! Very fun spending this creative time with you!

I really enjoyed this video. I have friends who give me their cards, most tear off the backs. I see from what you did that they are usable too, for collaged cards for example. I don't like throwing away craft supplies either. Thanks for sharing your great ideas.

Ceri: I do the same thing. It is so much fun to see new items come out of existing pieces. Recycling/up cycling,- whatever you want to call it. Love it! Carol from California

Thank you for the inspiration. I have used cards to make gift tags, but you have helped me see more possiblities. I enjoyed watching you and listening to the process.

Yep..my sister and i have done this for years..love the tradition and fun to see

Brilliant❣️ My favorite thing I learned was the downsizing the ribbon! I have mine in a bin that would hold a lot of 12 x 12 paper. Definitely going to be a “to do”;while sitting with my hubby.🤗💖🦋

I would love to see more of this. This is MY JAM

The BEST video! You are so fun to spend time with.

47:53 I actually do iron ribbons. I use a middle temperature (not the hottest) and put a cloth on top of it. That way the ribbon won't melt and mess up my iron. Loved watching you going through all these cards. I should tell people to keep their cards for me for crafting. Since I don't receive many cards. 🙋🏼‍♀️

Thanks for showing up this yearly crafting idea of yours. This makes me want to tackle my box of cards. I don't know how it is in Wales but in the US people are just not sending out cards like they did years back. I sent between 40-50 and every year I seem to receive less. You know I have always enjoyed the process of getting the card ready, stamping it and mailing. I usually do a photo I have printed into Christmas cards every year.

Hi There! new to your channel as of today and already subscribed. I too have been making labels out of Christmas cards since I was a child. Once I had children of my own, they too were brought up making them. I also save any nice fronted greetings cards and use them as post cards as well! My Nan would save Christmas paper, ribbons and bows and it is liike second nature for me to do the same. You have given me a few ideas I didn't even think about so thank you for that, and rounding off the edges too, I hadn't thought of before and I have recently aquired some punches with different shapes, so this years labels etc. will be taking on a whole new look thanks to you. Not really been into card making before but you have inspired me to have a go. Thank you for a new set of inspirational ideas!

Ceri, we are like minded! It was so fun hearing you share your memories (I have similar ones of times with my mother and also my father). I grew up in a home of ‘waste not, want not’ and it has been with me my entire life. Happy New Year !

lol, when you said "suck it up sister"...I turned the same this year, we are all just one year older than last year if we are lucky

Just caught your video for the first time and will definitely watch again, I love how organized you are. I use my cards for some of my scrapbook pages!

Ceri! Love this video. I've been recycling cards since I was little girl. Still do & I'm 60 now 😂. It was interesting to see how you harvest from your cards. I learned a lot from that & made notes. 😊 Looking forward to your next video.

Really enjoyed your creative spirit. It’s fun to recycle,

I enjoyed this video very much. I make and donate gift tags every year, out of last years Xmas cards. I liked seeing all of your ideas and your process. Thanks so much for sharing. ❤🎄

A man after my own heart! I made table decorations for a party from any cards that said "peace" and framing them in 3x5 frames.

I’ve just had a lovely hour with you making tags- thank you x

I think of lots of cards I've just recycled in the paper bin over the years, I always thought it was a shame, now I have a purpose to keep them!!!! Thanks for the ideas 😊 x

Such a clever idea! Thank you for sharing. I might even try using material also to glue on to the card. A recycle project that is cost effective and personal. Grandmothers are always so innovative. Merry Christmas and Happy New Years to you.

I really loved the #Christmacraftoff2023 but I’m happy to be back here! YES! I too am a perfectionist and just can’t let something go at times. I felt your pain, struggling with that darn fuzzy thread! I had to laugh when you said you were about to lose your temper! And then, I was saying, “Just cut around that beautiful Christmas Tree!” And You DID it! And FYI, that’s a “Bear Boss” Tag punch. They’re sold on Amazon. So anyway, thank you for the tutorial on poaching from an old Christmas Card! Enjoyed your thought process. You’re really good at sharing all of that even when you don’t realize you’re doing it! Have a WONDERFUL weekend, Ceri! ❤ Much love, Julia

I have no idea why I'm still here watching you cut up Christmas cards after 20 minutes. I'm enjoying it, that must be it. I don't confess this often, but I've saved every Christmas card I've received for the past 25 years. I should get to work!

Thanks for this Ceri. I've saved cards not knowing what i was going to do with them other than scrapbooking. Last Christmas i learned how to make gift boxes from them from (i think) the Posh Paper Lady. (I apologize if the reference isnt correct, i subscribe to a lot of crafters.)

I have a 4 foot tall rolling cart (plastic) with drawers and it’s full of spools of ribbon. You gave me the best idea of taking ribbon off the spools . It will free up so much space for other things, glitter, glue etc. Thank you🇺🇸

I just loved this so much. Thanks

I just got going cutting past cards to reuse for new holiday cards. I like your tips.

Awesome video and brought back lots of fond memories of precious crafting days with my late grandmother. She taught me so many things and is the reason I love so many types of crafting. I passed on my love of crafts to my daughter and we created special memories because of it too. Your reuse of the cards reminded me years back how she folded the cards into tiny tiny little gift box tops and bottoms and they were hung on the Christmas tree as decorations and they were gorgeous. All of your pieces recreated were amazing and so useful and beautiful. Thank you for sharing and for the memories too.

Here I am watching this on Jan 3...there's so much to watch and I can't begin to watch everything...but glad this showed up on my feed today. I love to upcycle/recycle Christmas cards, as those are the ones we get the most of, but really any kind is ok too. And while they're not as nice or well-made, some of the xmas cards that are sent to us asking for a donation have some nice art on them too. Thanks for sharing! And hoping you have a great 2024!

Nice job! I enjoyed watching your video and seeing all that you harvested off the cards!!

When we were children and went over to Gran's, we would always make gift tags with her Christmas cards using pinking shears, an old office hole punch and red wool. We were very industrious and would make them for hours whilst listening to their albums on vinyl. She would bag them up and sell them at her church Christmas fayre.1980s, happy days. I have the scissors and hole punch now.

I always recycle my cards. My sister and I are both passionate card makers and always give each other handmade cards. I loved this video Ceri, well done. 🇦🇺

This was great, thank you so much for the many ideas.

That was inspirational! Hoping to get my hands on old cards now

Great recycling video. You made nice tags. TFS.

I have been sitting here watching you cut up Christmas cards and it is the calmest I have been all day.

Great to see you Ceri! Thanks for sharing such a wonderful idea. Also thanks for the giggles. I knew that I was saving all those cards for a reason. Thanks again, and I hope you have a Happy New Year!

Another fun and informative lesson-perfect for the holidays! Thank You!

I use my recycled cards, in my planner. If it is big enough, I use it as separate between sections. Since I have started watching you, I am hoping to collage (hope that is the right word) a few out of this years.

I've been doing this for +70 years! It was her way of keeping me busy and creative. My daughters still do it!

First time coming across your channel. I love these ideas--thank you for sharing!

Enjoyed watching you!!! I do recycle my greeting cards as well....usually only to make more cards, love the tag idea too!!! Thanks for sharing!

Great video. I've recently started upcycling, so I was delighted to see this video and tips. Thanks for sharing

I’m so glad there are so many others like me!! I Greta lot of flak from my family for keeping so much stuff

Hello I enjoyed your video. Thank you for the share.

Great ideas, Ceri! Awesome projects!

Wonderful ideas and tutorial, I'm so glad I found your channel today!!! Thank you so much 🙂

Merry Christmas! Your videos are so helpful and I want to send a very grateful Thank You😊.

Fab idea.❤

You just popped up in my feed so watching you for first time. I enjoyed your video and love that you're from Wales. I'm half Welsh.

Ceri, the cut out ornament round could have been used as a photo frame...I loved the Mother and Child...I liked the blue mitts just like it was...thank you for sharing...love Christmas...

Hi I'm Frances, I love the " F " card!!! thanks for sharing your Ideas with us! I have saved so many cards for so many years, now I know what to do with them! I have a lot of work to do now :)

Amazing ideas thanks for sharing

Thank you so much for sharing this! I never know what to do with old cards! You have given so many great ideas! ❤

Great ideas Ceri!!!!

Just found you and am so very impressed! Felt like we were working together and that we agreed on everything 😊. Your style and humor are a great combination! Looking forward to checking out your other work!

Brilliant. My weekend project. Thanks Ceri.

I just met you, and I really enjoyed this video. My years long obsession with ephemera now is coming into focus, especially after seeing some of your other videos of cards and tags. You have inspired me. Thanks Ceri!

Great video. I also forward cycle greeting cards. I make use of the many die cuts I have and find the elements more interesting with a variety of shapes that suit the pictures or the sentiments.

This is something I try to do as well. Unique tags for sure!

Great video! I’ve always loved upcycling old Christmas cards. Some are just so darn pretty I can’t bear to part with them. My Mom made a book using old Christmas cards....each page has a poem going thru the alphabet and the cards match the letter (for example, “A” is for angel.....so that page had angel cards on it....etc). The cards are so unique from way back when (60s and 70s). Then at the end of the book she put in all the newsletters from each year that they sent out of the wrap-up of the year that was mailed out each Christmas so it’s fun to go back and read those. I started my own book and wrote my own poems to go with the cards. I have all my coworkers and family members “trained” to save their cards for me lol. TYFS!! 🎄❤️🦋💜🎄

For pulling fiber through the loop, try putting 2 fingers of your left hand through the loop and pulling them through.

Love that you do this too;

Love this !

The big “F” is for don’t say “fodder” 😂😂😂. Great video. Happy New Year from across the pond.

for the glue sticks I take a butter knife or letter opener to dig the glue out of the container. I put in a small jar. I use it up soon as possible. the longest it has been in a jar for a month, and it was just fine. I also, I should say lately, I have been digging out the glue and putting it in another glue stick container. it works for me.

Fabulous idea! I did laugh when you struggled with fibres (sorry). I have struggled with them myself. Good on you for persevering.

I really enjoyed this video. You’ve helped me see my hoard of saved greetings cards in a whole new light. Thanks Ceri.

love your videos, great ideas with cards thanks for sharing

love the new card you made. I have bundles of cards to recycle, thanks f the new idea how to use them.

Every one of your videos Ceri are like jewels in my day!🎉 i just love ❤️ 😍 reusing and remaking new! Tip, try using tweezers to pick up and place jewels down on cards. Alot easier than fingers. Have a wonderful Xmas and peace for the New Year, from Denmark 🇩🇰

Love your corner jig for cutting corners.

Mum used to use pinking shears to create gift tags for the following years presents.

Ooh, you've convinced me I need a punch for rounding corners when I cut up my cards. It has been a life long practice for me too.

During covid lockdowns, I had to get creative to make 7 cards for my husband's grandchildrens' birthdays....Thankfully, I had saved cards that we had accumulated over the years and was able to make those 7 cards for the kids' birthdays....I think I did an okay job but I am happy to have watched this video in case I decide to start making my own cards for all occasions...Thanks for sharing your great ideas... I loved your video ... :)

Just came across your channel, and very glad I did. I feel so guilty throwing out cards of any kind and you gave me so many ideas - Thank You and Happy New Year.

Love it. I do the same thing. So relaxing and fun.

New sub- I like your wit, ideas and the pace of the video. tyfs