The Complete Christmas
Collection Christmas Recipes, Crafts
and Kids Activities and xmas stories. Craft
Projects You Can Make Out Of Your Christmas Cards
It is always a fun part
of the holiday season giving and receiving Christmas cards. But what can you do
with them after the holidays? It is often a shame simply to throw them out - they
have beautiful holiday scenes and many of them now have sentimental value. Here
are some craft projects to give a new life to your Christmas cards.
Make
a Christmas Card Wreath - for this project you will need an embroidery hoop, a
glue gun with glue sticks and at least a dozen Christmas cards. Cut the backs
off the Christmas cards and lay out the cards on the embroidery hoop in a fan
pattern, circling all around the hoop. Once you have found a design that you like,
glue them to the embroidery hoop. Glue gun a small piece of ribbon on the back
of the hoop as a hook to hang the wreath.
Kids Placemats - these are fun
for the kids to make, and they can use them for next Christmas morning! You will
need inexpensive plastic or vinyl placemats, colored paper and Christmas cards,
scissors, glue and clear contact paper. Help your children (depending on age level)
to create a design they like with the Christmas cards, perhaps to write their
name making construction paper letters, or draw a picture. Once they have a design
they like, glue the design to the mat, using sparing amounts of glue. The glue
will help you hold the design in place for the next step, it is not the only step
you will use. Take clear contact paper and place it over the placemat and cut
it slightly larger than the placemat. Fold down the corners over the edges of
the placemat. Placemat will clean with a damp sponge and a little dishwashing
detergent.
Coasters - you will need some plain wooden coasters, decoupage
glue for outdoor projects and foam brushes. Cut your Christmas cards to show the
designs and patterns you like the best, measuring so they fit on the coasters.
Glue them down using the decoupage glue, with the foam brushes. The outdoor decoupage
glue is stronger and will help protect it from liquid.
Ornaments - this
is an easy ornament the kids can make with little supervision. You will need white
glue, scissors, hole punch and ribbon. Match Christmas cards up so you have pairs
of cards that you like. Decide on a shape to cut them in - stars, hearts or even
just leaving them as rectangles. Glue the cards together and allow the glue to
set. Once the glue has set, cut the desired shape. Punch a hole at the top of
the ornament and put a ribbon through to hang it on the tree.
Magnets -
this is a fun project the kids can make. You will need scissors and a sheet of
magnets. Decide on the shape to cut the Christmas cards. Then press down on the
sheet of magnets and then cut the Christmas card. The sheet of magnet has a stick
on side that will hold the Christmas card to it, and the other side is a magnet.
Serving
Tray - for this project you will need a wooden tray, at least six Christmas cards,
craft paint, paintbrush, decoupage glue and scissors. Paint the trim of the wooden
tray your desired color and allow it to dry. Then decide the layout of the Christmas
cards. Glue the cards down and apply several coats of decoupage glue on top to
seal it. Allow this to dry for at least twenty four hours before use. Makes a
nice hostess gift. Abigail
Beal © 2004 Abigail Beal a.k.a. the Gift-wrap Goddess is the author of GiftWrapGoddessWraps.
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