Ways to repurpose used Christmas cards and scraps of gift wrap

 

 It was recently brought to my attention that I've apparently never written a comprehensive post on this topic.  So it's time to do just that!

There are so, so many ideas out there and I have made many of them.  There may even be too many good ideas to share in one post.  We will see how I do with this one. 

Gift tags are, of course, one of the more obvious uses for your Christmas cards. And there are lots of ways to do that.  But here is a post of some of the techniques I've used: gift tags.

A very novel use of Christmas cards is to make little boxes out of them.  This post  tells just how to do that very simply.  I had tried making these boxes in the past, only to find that it was a very complicated process, involving the drawing of many lines and folding them at intersection points, etc.  This procedure is much simpler and more straightforward, and the boxes are just so cute you may find yourself addicted to making them.

Ornaments are also a great way to use Christmas cards.  This post shows how to make an ornament and also a pin!

Two Victorian style ornaments

Pin made using a Christmas tag

 The following posts have other ideas using gift wrap or Christmas cards: Juice-can lid ornaments; ornament from Mason-jar lid.

 

My granddaughter and I made Christmas card banners one year and they were so much fun to do.  I've been wanting to make some similar ones only for winter.  I could use wintry Christmas card scenes. card stock in shades of blue, navy ribbon, and use snowflake buttons in between the individual pennants.

 One of the first real craft projects I made with used Christmas cards was this one: Christmas card "kissing ball".  I made many of these for gifts over the years.  These are a bit time-consuming but I think the results are worth it.  The one I made for our home has lasted well and has taken on a real vintage look over the years.  It has had to be re-glued in places a few times, but that's a simple matter and easily taken care of.

Below, you see the "kissing ball" hanging in a doorway.

The kissing balls can also be made smaller, using, if I remember right, 1.5-inch circles, to produce ornaments that can be hung on the tree.  To do that, I would either simply use glitter on the ages and/or use tiny colorful beads at the intersections.  I've made these smaller ones in the past and just used glitter, but small colorful beads (in place of the mini Christmas balls used on the large ones) should look nice too.

So there you have a few ideas!  I've got more thoughts buzzing in my mind, and I know somewhere I have another couple of pictures I could use, but those will have to wait for a less busy day.

A fun handcrafted gift tag

 

 I made a fun little tag after Christmas.  We had some gifts to give our friends but didn't get to see them before Christmas due to illness.  I had wanted to make this tag as not only a part of the gift wrapping but also as a little keepsake they could hang somewhere in their house.

The idea for this tag came from one of the large format Gooseberry Patch Christmas books --  Book 11.  Apparently, I have not reviewed this book, but I need to.  For those interested in owning a copy, Thriftbooks has a like-new, hardcover copy here for $5.99.

I found this tag idea in a chapter titled "Greetings & Gift Wrap" and the specific name of the project is "Greenery Package" on page 67.  I opted not to do the greenery/pine cone trimmed package because I wanted to use this tag on a gift bag.  But the gift wrapping idea is fabulous and I will use it another time.

The directions for the tag aren't very detailed.  They say: "Use decorative edged scissors to cut out a black & white photocopy of a favorite wintry photo.  Tie broken sticks together with rusty wire to make a frame.  Wire it to the photocopy.  Use adhesive foam dots to adhere a vintage tag to the frame and the photocopy to the package."

I snagged the photo of our friends off her blog, and changed it to black & white.  I didn't wire the frame to the photocopy, but hot-glued it. I also embellished it with a rusty metal snowflake since I found some in the stash with my wire.  But a teensy pine cone and sprig of greenery would also have looked nice.  I didn't use the vintage tag suggested and, since I was using it for a hanging tag, just added a nice metallic thread hanging loop. 

Our friends were surprised and delighted with this special tag! I'm thinking that I will post about this again for Christmas in July.  Summer would be a great time to gather the necessary sticks for the project.

And here's the actual 2025 cookie list!

 

 I'm sure no one is holding their breath for this list, but I do know there are some folks who are interested in trying some new-to-them cookie recipes on Rudolph Day, so here we go with what we actually baked this year.

Chocolate Mint Crisps

Whipped Shortbread

Raspberry Almond Thumbprints

Chocolate Spritz (updated version here)

 

Blond Brownies

Cookie Dough Brownies

Lemon Shortbread Thumbprints

Lemon Spritz

 Eggnog Log Cookies

Sacher Torte Cookies (updated version here)

Chocolate-Filled Gingerbread Thumbprints

Gingerbread Coffeecake Cookies

Secret Spice Cookies

 

 Chocolate Orange Cookies

Christmas Tree Spritz

 Christmas No-bake Cookies

Maple Thumbprint Cookies

 Peppermint Mocha Cookies

The latter two were new this year, but they both earned a permanent spot in our cookie repertoire! I do intend to write a post about each of them eventually.

So that is our actual list for Christmas 2025.  Many of these were made in double or even triple batches.  Such a sweet tradition for us!

The actual 2025 candy list

 

So now here is the actual candy list from 2025.  I had seven kinds of candy on the tentative list, all of which I have made in years past.

We actually made only four kinds of candy:

Heavenly Delight (chocolate peanut butter fudge, pictured at top of post)

Salted Caramel Fudge

Special Holiday Fudge

Chocolate-Dipped Orange Slice Candy

However, we did make multiple batches of each kind of fudge -- and I think we made 3 or 4 batches of the Heavenly Delight, which is a huge favorite with many people.

That's the actual candy list, complete with links!

The actual kitchen gift list

 

 Regular readers know that in addition to the tentative lists I post before Christmas, I also like to post again after the holiday to share what I actually made for kitchen gifts, cookies, and candy.  So here is my update on the kitchen gifts list.

Recall, this was the tentative list:

So here is what I actually made, with recipe links for those who are interested:

Eggnog Log Cookies
Sacher Torte Cookies (updated version here)
Special Holiday Fudge
Chocolate Mint Crisps
Christmas Granola
Little Apricot Cakes
Barbecue Spiced Pecans

That last one wasn't on my list but I found it in an old magazine and it seemed meant to be.

I also tried out Pecan Pie Bark, but that isn't on my actual list because I didn't make it as a gift, just took some to a game night at church.  I think I would give it as a gift another year, though, as it was delicious.

And so that is 2025's actual kitchen gift list!

It's been fun!

 Yes, it's been a fun month indeed here in my Christmas kitchen!   The collage of grandkids baking cookies in years gone by is a page from my Christmas cookie cookbook and is a great reminder of how much fun can be had in a Christmas kitchen.

I hope to post here much more often in the coming year.  We will see!

Christmas plates from the thrift store

 

We love finding Christmas plates at the thrift store!  Sometimes they are collectibles; other times just inexpensive plastic plates to use in giving away cookies.  Last year I ended up buying a whole new set of Christmas dishes there, after being sure my daughter would be willing to take my other set.

 I recently bought three Christmas plates -- two decorative and one for actual use.  The one at top is a collectible, from Avon in the 1980s, I think.  We just loved the scene.

I bought this plate with the sweet deer back in the fall.  It coordinates with two trays 

 

and some other plates that I have, the Better Homes & Gardens ones from Walmart.  But I hadn't seen this small plate with the deer and I love it.

And then there is this one:

This is such a nostalgic scene!  This is a collectible plate too and not meant for food use, so I am displaying it.  The poem may be a bit dated -- "Never a Christmas morning, Never the old year ends -- But someone thinks of someone -- Old days, old times, old friends" -- but I actually never tire of it.  It's true, so true.  Sometime during the Christmas season, we are bound to look back and remember old days, old times, and old friends -- and, though a few tears may be shed, we can also thank God profusely that we have these dear memories.  I love this scene with the couple making their way toward a cabin in the woods.

Such good deals!  I think the deer plate was $1.50 and the other two were $4 each.  The loveliness they bring to our home is priceless.