10 answers

What to Do with Old Greeting Cards

This is a rather silly question, but what do you do with cards you have received from friends and family? I know that for Xmas cards to recycle them with some children's homes but birthday, mother's day, etc. do you keep them all? If so where do you store them? If you cut off the front cover that's cute then you don't know who sent it to you. I am not a pack rat so my first response is to toss them but then I see one that is from someone that is deceased and I think, "Oh, I am so glad I kept this." And I feel bad tossing one from my kids! What to do??? Any suggestions?

1 mom found this helpful

What can I do next?

So What Happened?™

I guess maybe I asked the wrong question...I meant do you keep your cards or do you get rid of them- whether its to donate, recycle or trash them? Or as soon as your birthday or mother's day passes do you throw them away? Do you keep them for sentimental reasons?

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I save only the really special ones. Otherwise there are just too many, and I am always on the verge of being a total packrat. I save some cute ones in my son's art supply box to do something with, save the special ones, and toss the rest. Even if they are from hubby... I know I am going to have a hard time with the ones from my son though. Maybe I will start a special photo album type thing that has just his cards in it and put them all in there in order. hmm...

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I have seen them cut up and made into placemats (laminated of course).

Let the kids have them for art projects...if not your children, then ask the school if they want them.

1 mom found this helpful

I have a friend who cuts the cute items from the front and makes name-tags out of them for NEXT Xmas. Nice card stock, with a cute snowman or Xmas tree or reindeer on the front of the card??? clip clip... a nicely placed single hole punch, and a twist of ribbon and you have a handmade gift tag!

If there is writing on the back, it is a simple thing to gluestick some colored paper on the back to write the recipient's name.

Post your "so what happened".. :)

I only keep cards that are from my husband and my kids. All the rest end up disposed of.

1 mom found this helpful

Hello S.-

When I taught preschool, we would use the cards as an art project to make placemats. Have the kids cut them out and then place them on clear contact paper. Next lay another piece of contact paper over the top. You can use the placemat over & over again.

R. Magby

Updated

Hello S.-

When I taught preschool, we would use the cards as an art project to make placemats. Have the kids cut them out and then place them on clear contact paper. Next lay another piece of contact paper over the top. You can use the placemat over & over again.

R. Magby

I save only the really special ones. Otherwise there are just too many, and I am always on the verge of being a total packrat. I save some cute ones in my son's art supply box to do something with, save the special ones, and toss the rest. Even if they are from hubby... I know I am going to have a hard time with the ones from my son though. Maybe I will start a special photo album type thing that has just his cards in it and put them all in there in order. hmm...

Don't feel guilty you can't save EVERYTHING. But if you want to save some I suggest you make a scrap book cut out the parts you like from those you wish to remember. some can be whole. keep it as your personal memory book. you can add your own pictures for some occasions.and other keepsakes for that occasion. get a scrap book or use the old fashioned sticky photo album. It makes it easy to look back at your well wishes from your family.Just remember unless they are very selfish people understand you can't keep it all.

I know what you mean! I have boxes of cards, especially from our wedding and my son's baby shower, that I feel too guilty to throw away. For most occasions I try to go through them, and if the person wrote something nice, I save it, and if they only signed their name, I toss it.

I've kept a few cards, like my first Mother's Day card and the first birthday card I got from my son. I toss all the other ones, unless they were handmade or have a sentimental note included. If it's a basic card with a name signed at the bottom, I toss them. For the ones that I keep, I have a cheap plastic box that I stick them in that stays in the closet. I got a set of three at Walmart for about $10 that are cute and durable. It keeps them in one place and they are protected.

Most schools recycle paper. Turning them in to the recycle bin at the school could earn the school money for school supplies and computers.

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