How To Upcycle Your Holiday Cards

Upcycle/Repurpose Your Holiday Cards

This year we are repurposing our holiday cards. I know that sending cards is a serious production–one that demands a great deal of time, energy, and money of our loved ones.

After the holiday season passes, I feel sad about throwing the cards away. Even though I stay in touch with distant friends and family through the phone and social media–there is something special about getting a card in the mail.

As a minimalist, we have gone paperless in our house. By that I mean we don’t keep paper copies of bills and records, but we also don’t use paper towels, paper bags, tissues, or napkins. We do however, use toilet paper. Just in case you were wondering.

I digress.

But these cards are pieces of paper that I want to treasure longer than the holiday season. Our family and friends are spread out across the world. Having holiday cards and special messages makes “our village” of people feel a little closer during the holidays. 

I desperately want to keep that feeling of closeness longer than just December.

As our children grow we want them to know our friends and extended family members. Therefore, this year we are upcycling our holiday cards. This simple plan will keep the holiday cards around a little longer and allow us to connect with our loved ones–in an mess-free way. It’s also a fun activity for kids to participate. You will need 3 things: A stack of holiday cards, a hole punch, and a metal ring.

I said this was simple, right? We made a book of our cards by simply punching a hole in each card and placing them on the ring. This book will live in a drawer next to our dinner table. At night when we are having dinner we will pick a single card. We will talk briefly about who sent it, tell a story about how they have have touched our lives, and then send some positive thoughts/vibes/prayers their way.

Upcycle/Repurpose Your Holiday Cards

Step 1: Punch holes.

Upcycle/Repurpose Your Holiday Cards

Step 2: Place on rings.

Upcycle/Repurpose Your Holiday Cards

Step 3: Admire the fruits of your labor.

Upcycle/Repurpose Your Holiday Cards

Step 4. Add a cover. (Want to use mine? Leave your email below and get the printable in your inbox.)

Then that’s that. What do you do with your holiday cards after the season?

Denaye Barahona

Denaye Barahona is a loving wife and mama of two. She's a therapist for moms, an author, and the host of the top-ranked Simple Families Podcast. Denaye holds a Ph.D. in Child Development and is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker. She has been featured on the likes of The Today Show, Netflix, The Wall Street Journal, Real Simple, Forbes, and numerous other media outlets.