Something I am a firm believer of is recycling, up-cycling, reusing, re-purposing, remodelling, remaking (which ever word you know and use) and this year I want to try and improve my track record and aim to decrease my carbon footprint as much as I can. As I go along I will share with you the highs and lows and invite you to suggest anything tricks and ideas I can try out.
To start the ecologically friendly ball rolling, here is with my first 'How-to' for 2012.
HOW-TO 1 - making free gift tags
- Remove the back of the card, checking the reverse of the picture side doesn't have any advertising or writing. This particular card quite happily provided two tags.
- I use both straight scissors and pinking shears to cut the tags and then punch a hole in a corner ready to have a thread or ribbon added.
- Some cards have writing - I love having tags with script or poems as well as festive images
- This card gave me three separate tags - each so different. A cutesy cottage, a festive greeting and a gold and holly tag. I try to match the tag with the person I gift to and this card has given me such a good choice.
- There! - tags made and awaiting their ribbons and cords (all saved through out the year from received gifts) and all for free - now that can't be bad :)
❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤
Lovely little how-to. Happy New Year!
ReplyDeleteI can't bear to cut my cards up! I have never knowingly thrown away a card of any kind I have received - I still have those from my 1st birthday from my grandmother etc. I'm 48. However, I do somehow lose some along the way. Nevertheless I love finding cards, sometimes from people I no longer see.
ReplyDeleteGreat idea- will be interested to see your hints etc for recycling etc
ReplyDeleteyes must make some this year, I have done them in the past.
ReplyDeletexxx
A good start to the year!
ReplyDeleteThe word is "bonce"...well you certainly use yours!
Very resourceful! My students create bookmarks from old cards...I can't toss cards either! They do their own art work on the plain side of the recycled card piece, so I sort of get a two for one project. Enjoy your week! Best, Vicki
ReplyDeletewe do this too and this year when Mum couldn't find the tags from last year i cut up envelopes from the cards she received as many were lovely colours. happy New Year and welcome back.
ReplyDeleteMy sister in law made her Christmas cards this year from cards she'd received and ours was lovely. She also made the card she sent for our wedding last April which included a piece of confetti from her own wedding to my brother. I shall be following her and your example this year and look forward to hearing what else you do too. Happy new year by the way!
ReplyDeletei am inspired!
ReplyDeletemust admit that i don't really like throwing the cards away, even though they do go into the recycling.
now, where are those pinking shears ... ?
What a great idea for 2012! I can't wait for your other tips.
ReplyDeleteI liked artteachergirl's tip for using cards for bookmarks.
I do that too and last year made Advent boxes copied from Colour it Green (OK, so i forgot about them in the interim and bought choccy ones instead, but the thought was there!)
ReplyDeleteHave you found lefty pinking shears somewhere or do you make do with ordinary ones?
Looking forward to what else you come up with...
i also cut cards into gift tags - we make far more tags then we give gifts so the tag mountain is ever growing - but it is nice to have so many to choose from, you can find something just perfect.
ReplyDeletesquare cards get saved to be made into the boxes