Recycling Christmas
Cards
After Christmas, or any occasion,
what do you do with all the beautiful greeting cards you receive? Do you pack
them away? Do you throw them away?
Forget
those ideas and recycle those used greeting cards! Here are some ideas to get
you started. Can you think of others?
Games with Cards
Materials:
Instructions:
Cut a strip from the thin cardboard, about 8 inches x 2 inches.
Cut out the picture on the front
of a greeting card.
Glue the picture at the top of the
strip. Allow the glue to dry.
Write a message on the strip if
you want. If the bookmark is a gift, you can simply write "to:" and
"From:".
If your picture is a Christmasy
one, write a Christmas message on your strip.
To make your bookmark more
durable, cover it with clear contact paper or laminate it.
Materials:
Instructions:
Very Simple! Cut out the picture or scene on the front of a greeting card.
Pinking shears or other fancy
edged scissors work wonderfully!
Punch a hole in the top, left-hand
edge of the picture or scene.
String a 4 to 5-inch piece of
ribbon through the hole and tie it into a loop.
On the back of the picture or
scene, write "TO" and FROM".
Make sure you leave enough room to
write the giver and recipients's names.
Any shape or size picture will
work, just make sure you have enough room to punch a hole and write
"TO" and "FROM" on it.
Materials:
Instructions:
Fold a piece of thick paper in half to form your card.
Cut the picture or scene from a
used greeting card.
Glue the picture onto the front of
the folded piece of construction paper and write a verse inside.
Try a 3 D picture by using
double-sided sticky tabs.
Materials:
Instructions:
Cut out the picture or scene on the front of a greeting card.
Use a hole puncher and punch holes
around the outside of the picture you cut out.
Cut a piece of yarn or ribbon
about 2 feet long.
Tape one end of the yarn or ribbon
to the back of your picture.
String the other end of the yarn
or ribbon in and out of the holes you punched in the card. If you are using
yarn, you might want to wrap the end with tape to make it easier to thread
through the holes.
Materials:
Instructions:
Cut 2 circles from the pictures of 2 greeting cards. The circles should be the
same size.
Trace around the bottom of a glass
or other small, round object to help you cut your circles. The circles can be
any size, but 2 inches is usually about right
Cut a circle out of the felt or
craft foam about 1/2 to 1 inch wider than the greeting card circles. Cut a piece
of ribbon about 6 inches long. Fold the ribbon over and glue the ends to the top
side of the felt or craft foam circle to make the hanger for your ornament.
Glue the greeting card circles to
each side of your felt or craft foam circle. Let the glue dry.
For an added touch, trace around
the edge of the greeting card circle with glittery fabric paint or use glue and
sprinkle glitter on it.
Materials:
Instructions:
Cut out the picture or scene on the front of several greeting cards. You can
also cut out specific shapes such as all circles, stars, etc.
Arrange your cut-outs on the paper
in whatever arrangement you want, and glue them into place. Allow the glue to
dry.
Cover both sides of your placemat
with clear contact paper, or laminate it. Trim around your placemat and you are
all done!
Games with Cards
Cut a card into (say) 6 pieces)
have a relay to see which lodge can build the picture first.
Find that have the same or very
similar pictures (robins, penguins or the like)
Give each BS a card then let them
find their partner.
They then have to act out the card
to see if the others can guess what they are.
Let the BS build their own bingo
cards using the pictures from the old Christmas cards.
While they do this check what
pictures they are using
Then play bingo
Christmas islands
Scatter cards around the room
(face down - but make sure you know what they are!). The BS have to run around
and when the leader calls ‘islands’ they have to stand on a card. The leader
shouts out a Christmas item - if their card has this item in the picture they
are out.