Old Cards = New Tags

Finding cards in the mail box is one of my favorite parts of the holidays. 

Well-wishes, family photos and lengthy notes connect me with people I don’t see often enough during the year.  When the magic of the season dies down, decorations are stuffed into boxes and dragged out to the garage.  What happens to the cards?  I keep mine for a while, until something else needs the space.  At some sad point, they usually find their way to into the trash.  This year was different; my husband found a solution.  In a Natural Awakenings magazine that he swiped from the tea store in East Town, was this “Tip of the Month”:

“Don’t throw out all those holiday cards you received this year. Instead, cut them up around the

 pictures and nice phrases and use them as gift tags for next year’s holiday gifts.”

My collection of cards produced about 3 dozen unique tags.  Birds, animals and ornaments in a variety of styles were cut and glued together.  Each tag is a little different.  A sheet of sticky foam dots helped me add dimension to tiny details and my fancy hole punch created a place for the ribbon.  Next year, when I bring them out to wrap gifts, I will get to enjoy them all over again.