What to Do With Holiday Cards

Take a Trip Down Memory Lane

When framing all of her family's Christmas cards became too much, Sarah of Clover Lane used the cards to adorn her staircase. She added decorative paper and the year of each card to its back, and her kids got to take a fun trip down memory lane every time they went up or downstairs.

Source: Clover Lane

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Turn Photo Cards Into iPhone Contacts

Snap iPhone pics of your friends and family's holiday cards and add them to your phone's contacts. Now every time your phone rings, you'll smile at the sight of your loved ones.

Source: Lisa Horten

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Christmas Card Tree

Hanging cards from a houseplant or tree adds a festive element to your home's decor (and all it takes is a spool of ribbon or string!).

Source: Shutterfly

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Donate Your Cards to a Good Cause

St. Jude's Ranch For Children, whose mission is to transform the lives of abused and at-risk youth, accepts donations of used Christmas (and any occasion) cards year-round. Kids at the Ranch use the recycled cards to create new ones, which are then sold to benefit the organization's work.

Source: Paperless Post

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Give Your Coffee Table a Seasonal Makeover

Have a piece of glass cut to the size of your coffee table and display all of your friends' and family's cards underneath it for a festive and fun conversation starter.

Source: Shutterfly

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Turn Cards Into Ornaments

Create ornaments from the photos on cards of special friends and family, or intersperse the cards themselves among your tree's branches.

Source: Shutterfly

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Create Yearly Binders

Using a basic binder and sheet protectors is a simple solution to keeping many cards neat and organized. Store the binders, then at holiday time, take them all out and reminisce about how your loved ones' families have grown and changed throughout the years.

Source: I Heart Naptime

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Christmas Card Chandeliers

Hang favorite cards from a string of lights to create festive chandeliers — a fun activity for the kids to take part in!

Source: Shutterfly

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For a Vertical Space

String cards on pieces of ribbon and hang them in a window or entryway — instant decor!

Source: Shutterfly

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