What to Do with Your Christmas Cards After Christmas

The holidays have come and gone, and the Magic, Memories, Mayhem crew has started packing away the sparkle and glitter of Christmas to make way for the shiny New Year! While we, of course, will pull the lights and ornaments and disco mirrored Christmas tree table toppers back out next year, there’s a big part of the holidays that doesn’t go back into my meticulously labeled totes…

The easiest option is just to toss them, but after all the money the senders probably spent and the fact that a lot of cards these days feature the year’s best pictures from your friends and family, here are a few other options for your Christmas Cards…

1. Save Them

Earlier this month, in a Pinterest-fueled craze, I posted this on Instagram…

Ahem…MagicMemoriesMayhem on Instagram. 😉

I gathered up all of the birthday cards, thank you cards and other stationaried odds and ends, hole-punched them and snapped them together in a few nice, neat little stacks. I’m a sentimental fool and love looking back at some of the more thoughtful notes I’ve received over the years. My organizista side does force me to get rid of anything that doesn’t include personal messages or is really hilarious. So, sorry, local government representative, your card didn’t make the cut.

Same goes for my Christmas cards. I take it an OCD step further and group family cards together. This is especially sweet to look at when new babies are born or kids hit a big growth spurt over the year. Neat to see the difference a year makes each Christmas.

If you’re feeling extra crafty, scrapbook ’em!! And you can start by entering our SMASH*Book giveaway right here on Magic, Memories, Mayhem!!

Another option for saving cards and really appeasing your clutter-free side is to scan them onto your computer. Not nearly as warm and fuzzy, but a nice way to keep all of the thoughts of the holidays on record. If you still want something tangible, consider adding the scanned images to your Christmas photo book.

2. Donate Them

For the last several years, we’ve sent our cards to St. Jude’s Recycled Card Program. They recycle the front of the cards to sell. They actually accept all types of cards, not just Christmas.

They do have a few guidelines. Disney, American Greetings and Hallmark cards cannot be recycled. Additionally, since the front of the cards are the recycled portion, they must be free of writing on the back side. Check out their web site for all donation information.

3. Go Green

If the back side of the front half of the cards are blank, chop it off and bam! Instant Christmas postcard!!

Not only did you go green by re-using your cards, you also saved a little green by not having to buy them and spending less to send them.

You can also choose to save the other half if it has a sweet note or is just something you’d like to hang on to for a while.

The fronts of the cards are also nice for the kids to use so they can send their own holiday cheer. I distinctly remember my third grade teacher bringing in used cards for us to recycle and take home to our parents.

What do YOU do with your Christmas cards after the holidays?