by Rena Klingenberg.
In this easy project, we’re going to cut out pictures from Christmas cards, and turn them into little jewelry-size folded gift tags.
I’ll show you how I made little gift tags from three different Christmas cards.
Supplies:
- A variety of Christmas cards (preferably used ones – this is a great way to recycle the ones you receive!).
- A ruler for measuring and marking your cut-outs.
- A pencil.
- Scissors or a paper cutter.
Christmas Card #1:
I’m going to make two little jewelry gift tags from the front of this Christmas card:
. . . and one gift tag from the back of it:
Here you can see that from the front of this Christmas card, I’ve cut out a piece that’s about the size of a business card:
Now when I fold that cut-out piece in half, it makes a nice little gift tag that has the deer on the front and trees on the back:
(the inside is blank white).
I made a second little folded gift tag from the remaining tree image on the front of this Christmas card; and a third little folded tag from the snowflake image on the back of the card:
Christmas Card #2:
First I’m going to make one little folded gift tag from the front of this Christmas card:
I’ve cut out the part of the picture that has the sledding boy and his dog:
When folded in half, this cut-out has the boy on the front of the little gift tag and the dog on the back of it:
Now, inside this Christmas card is another cute little image that would make a good gift tag:
So I use my ruler and pencil to measure and mark where I want to cut out this image:
. . . and when I cut it out and fold it in half, I’ve made this little gift tag from that image inside the card:
And to give you an idea of the size of all these little folded gift tags, here they are next to a small apple:
Christmas Card #3:
On this Christmas card, the design on the front didn’t have anything small enough to use for a folded gift tag.
But the message on the inside of this card was a good size for a tag, and the back of the Christmas card was blank behind the message (so the inside of the folded tag will be blank and white):
I measured and marked where I want to cut out this little holiday message:
. . . and when it’s cut out and folded, it makes a nice little gift tag with a holiday message on the front:
More Tips for Making
Small Folded Jewelry Gift Tags
from Christmas Cards:
- Where to get Christmas cards for making these little folded gift tags?
This project is a great way to recycle Christmas cards that have been sent to you.
You may also want to ask your friends – if they’re going to toss out the cards they receive this year, would they mind saving them for you to recycle them into jewelry gift tags instead?
Or, if you want to work with cards that haven’t been written in, you can get a box of about 18 to 20 Christmas cards for $1 at a dollar store.
Or you can stock up on deeply-discounted cards right after Christmas.
- Making these little folded gift tags in large quantities?
This project is fun, but pretty time-consuming.
So I wouldn’t necessarily want to make dozens of these little gift tags for a big show.
Instead, I would make these for small-scale use – ike for giving your own personal jewelry gifts, or for sales situations where you expect to sell only a few pieces of jewelry.
- About the insides of these folded tags:
When choosing what part of the Christmas card picture you want to cut out for making your little folded tag, always check first to see what would be on the other side of your cutout.
You may want to be sure the inside of your folded tag will be completely blank, for the gift-giver to write a special message there.
- What kind of pen to use?
I highly recommend using a fine-tip felt marker for writing inside these folded tags.
Often one or both sides of a card have a slick finish that ballpoint pens can’t write on very well.
Rena, I love this idea, since I work in metal clay- recycled metals and use recycled bags, boxes in my shop and in my displays- how great will it be to offer my customers recycled gift tags! I am going to get busy cutting from old cards and have a basket at my check out counter. My customers will love the opportunity to pick a free recycled gift tag to go on their package. I offer free gift wrap/packaging anyway and this will let them add a personal touch.
GREAT idea- exactly why I subscribe to your newsletter!
Kind Regards, Karen
Great idea! Thanks for sharing!
Rena- I LOVE, LOVE LOVE!!!! this idea!!!
Unfortunately I don’t have the money to send cards, and don’t receive any…LOL!!! Thank goodness for the internet and the ability to send email cards.
However, that doesn’t prevent me from purchasing some after the holidays at a deep discount….48 cents is a lot of money for a stamp to send a card….so I know I will be able to find cards for less then that…..Thanks for such a great idea……I’m am also planning on using them to holiday up my Kraft boxes that I finally broke down and bought!
As always you are the expert and “go to site” for everything wonderful and helpful in jewelry making!!!!
Best wishes to you and your family for a wonderful Holiday Season!
Maryanne
I have been doing this for years, always recycling used Christmas cards. You also can do this with birthday cards to attach to birthday gifts.
This is a wonderful idea. The gift tags are darling and I am always up for a great way to recycle holiday cards. I often end up tossing them in the trash and feeling guilty about it. Thank you for sharing!
Thanks so much to all for your lovely feedback! 🙂 I’m so glad to hear how helpful this idea is for you! And definitely, if your customers appreciate a “greener” approach to things, they will love your unique, recycled gift tags! 🙂
Oh I love this idea! Way to recycle and what a cute way to do it!
I love it.. and have been doing this
for years.. have to use up all those
cards for something and this is
perfect..
thanks for sharing
Sandy
I do the same thing. I love all the beautiful Christmas cards we get and can’t stand to just throw them away. And making tags with them is a great way to reuse them plus, tags give you more room to write on them.
That is such a great idea! I’ve always cut apart our cards for bookmarks, but never thought of using them for gift tags. Brilliant! And they do make such perfect little cards. Thanks.
Great idea! Pinned it. 🙂
Lovely idea. I’ve used a circle punch to recycle old Christmas cards, but never thought to make folded cards. Very clever!
Found you from It’s Overflowing.
Thank you so much for stopping in and sharing your super cool Christmas tags in our Crafty Showcase this week! We love seeing what you have been up to and visiting your blog.
Have a wonderful week!
Susie @Bowdabra
You have an eye for choosing just the right parts of the old cards to feature. Your gift tags look fabulous!!! It’s great to read about an idea that is easy to implement, yet looks so effective.
Bear With Me….love this♫ Will be looking at all cards I receive in a new light♥
This is really a nice idea. Thank you for sharing…
This is brilliant….what a great way to get a second life from your cards! Thanks for sharing at the homemade holiday party.
Marilyn
I love using old card for new tags – great ones you’ve made here!
really great idea! now i know i can re-use those cards instead of just throwing it all away or keeping it hidden 🙂
huggies***
rea
What a great idea! I always hate to throw out cards and this is a perfect way to reuse ’em, plus it’d be super fun to do with the kids 😀
I love the idea of reusing cards like this!
How very, very clever! I love this idea! Thank you! -Marci @ Stone Cottage Adventures
What a great idea! Definitely a good way to reuse cards too! Thank you so much for sharing this idea on Handmade Tuesdays @ Ladybug Blessings.
I love this idea and all resourceful ways of using cards and paper! Thanks!
Great tutorial! We used to do this all the time back in the day. 🙂 Your friend, Linda
Always looking for ways to recycle Christmas cards. This is great.
Great idea. Love new ways of reusing old stuff. I pinned your post. 🙂
I love this idea! So simple, but resourceful! I was just wondering what I should use for gift tags -my Christmas cards from last year will be perfect! Thanks so much for sharing!
Great way to repurpose those old cards!
Super idea about recycling cards. I am a lover of cards and writing letters and always on the look out for ways to continue to give them life afterwards – aside from the garbage can.
Very nice idea to repurpose cards! It seems to me the personal touch of thoughtfully prepared items from repurposed materials is so much more elegant.
Hi I am Karen Lynn from Lil’ Suburban Homestead I love, love, love your cards! I am a huge fan of upcycling projects! 🙂
What a wonderful way to recycle Christmas cards! Love this idea!
What a simple and clever idea, definitely borrowing it this year. Thanks for sharing!
This is such a great use for old Christmas cards! I love the many different options.
This is genius!
Thanks Rena for reposting this!
I for sure will be saving my cards this year and making some in January!
Repurpose is rewarding!
I’ve been doing this for years. And if I have cards without enough space to cut large enough for folding, I just cut it out with decorative scissors, punch a hole in one corner, attach a piece of scrap yarn and write on the back side.
You can always find a fun motif or section of the front of a card to make a festive non-folded tag! Merry Christmas everyone!
Thank you, especially for showing where and why you are cutting out the parts you want to use. It helps the process of looking at cards in a new light! It’s an idea I’ve known about for a long time but you illustrated a great way of actually doing it.
Best idea ever!!
I don’t think I could bear cutting up cards from family and friends. I cherish them so. But we do get lots of cards from businesses. Thank you for another great tip.
I love this idea. I also save Christmas cards and make boxes out of them and give them back to the sender with a small gift or gift card in them. People go nuts knowing you saved their cards and made them into gifts
My Mom did this with all of our presents when I was younger and somehow the tradition just got lost. I still save all my cards year after year, but it’s almost like I forgot what for. Thank you for the reminder of this warm holiday memory!
I have cut cards apart and made the front into lids and the inside message part into the bottom box section. You could put your jewelry gift inside. I love cutting out scenes on Christmas cards, so I know I will enjoy making small folded gift tags, too. Thanks for sharing your idea!
Sheila, I like your idea for making Christmas cards into jewelry gift boxes – what a lovely tip!
Very thrift savvy and definitely doable!
What a clever idea Rena; Thank you for sharing!
Daphne, thank you! 🙂
Rena,
You always have such wonderful ideas! Thank you for sharing your knowledge and inspiration with all of us. You are deeply appreciated.
Nata
Nata, thank you so much for your lovely comment!
This is such a great idea. I love that the tags are one of a kind. My mom always did this. However I never thought to use the inside of a card! Brilliant!
Thank you, Val! 🙂
I had a “happy accident” and discovered this idea recently. I wanted to give a gift of handmade amethyst earrings to a friend. I had to travel w/ them and was concerned about how they would fare. I folded the tag and poked the ear wires through the card at what I thought was a correct height. It worked out well! I had room for a short message and then put the whole thing in a 2 1/2″ X 3 1/2″ zip-top baggy that I bought at Hobby Lobby [100 for $2.99].
Lynn, great idea for earring packaging! 🙂