New Gift Tags From Old Greeting Cards

Christmas is over, and the decorations are all down. The last thing to be taken off display for me are the Christmas cards from friends and family. Saving them takes up too much room, but it's such a shame to simply throw them away. That's why I like to use them to make gift tags to decorate my packages next year!

This is my all-time favorite paper punch. It's the large gift tag punch by Marvy Uchida. They make a couple different sizes, but I really like this big one. There are also different shapes of large punches (hearts, circles, etc) that you could use to make gift tags. Use the one you like best.

Once you've got your punch chosen, sort through your greeting cards and select some that have nice pictures without writing on the backside.

Separate the back of the card from the front. Trim the card if necessary to get your chosen image to fit into the punch properly. Check by looking through the window in the back of the punch to see if you like how it's positioned, and if so, punch it out. Use a regular hole punch (the kind you would use to punch papers to fit in a 3-ring binder) to make a hole for string or ribbon to go through.

Now you have a new assortment of gift tags for next year! You didn't waste your cards, and you've saved yourself money by not having to buy gift tags later.

Don't forget to check the sentiments INSIDE the cards, too. Those make lovely gift tags as well.

I make gift tags from all-occasion cards throughout the year. Recycle your used greeting cards, too, for a quick and fun way to save that pretty artwork from the trash pile!