there are some things i just can’t seem to throw away…
Christmas Cards are one of those things.
so for the past 6 years at the end of january i carefully peel them off the wall i’ve had them taped to and shove them into a big envelope with the year sharpied across the front.
and there they have sat.
and then
the wonderful world of pinterest entered my life.
and i came across this pin…
(from michelle allen)
and i knew exactly what needed to be done
i needed to make my 6 years worth of saved cards into Christmas card books!!
so i did what i always do.
called up jamie and sweet talked her into making me us a cover sheet for our books.
and that she did.
because she loves me us.
i decorated each of mine a little different.
i cut around the shape on this one…
i used some glitter glue (my new love) on a couple of them…
there are two versions of the card. one has a blank space where you can fill in the year yourself. (i just used some stickers) and on the other card all you have to do is circle the appropriate year.
a little pom-pom trim on this one…
the simple steps:
1. download your covers with the date HERE. and the blank covers HERE. then print and decorate.
2. punch a hole on the two red and white striped parts on your cover
3. center your cover on each Christmas card and make two marks through your holes so you know where to punch
4. punch all your holes
5. use a book ring to hook them all together
6. be sure to include one of our own Christmas cards
7. set them out each year and enjoy looking through them all!!
i can’t tell you how happy these little books have made me.
Dixie Mom says
Oh my gosh! I wish I could get back all the past years cards now and do this! I will do it for sure this year!
Sue at the Little Shack says
Lovely idea! Here's another one from Pinterest….
http://pinterest.com/pin/27795722669819995/
Little gift boxes created from cards…could be birthday, Valentines….whatever! Recycling!!
KCina says
THANK YOU for posting this…totally know what I'm gonna be doing today now….I've got all our cards/photos from the last few years in zip lock bags…I'll be making these and putting them out every year..THANK YOU!!
(Kathy in Oregon)
Shawna says
I love it!!! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!!! I have about 5 years worth of cards in my closet!!!! I know what I'm doing today!!! Thank you!!
Melanie says
I saw this on Pinterest too! I made up my books before Christmas and tied bits of ribbon to the rings to dress them up. I didn't think of making a cover! I'll go back and make one! Great job. 🙂
Shaela says
I've been making Christmas card books for years – the kids and I love looking through them every December. It's especially fun to see pictures and how people have changed from year to year. 🙂
Rachael S says
I love this idea!! I love saving cards but never know what to do with them, this is perfect!
Fotf says
What an interesting idea. Food for thought for someone who also hoards cards, last year with a view to holding card making classes (recyling being one of my leanings) but that never transpired. Time will tell, tfs Seasons Greetings 🙂
Jamiecrafts says
I. LOVE. THIS! i was just thinking to myself "why in the world do i save these things" now I have something to do with them… THANKS YOU!
Melinda says
Oh my, what a super great idea!
Inspire Me Heather says
That is a fabulous idea! I make paper chains with my old cards – it's nice to know that they were all from friends & family too. Happy holidays!
mythreetrees says
I was beginning to think that I had turned into the Grinch this year. I threw away loads of my cards without putting them up! (I saved ones from special friends)for some reason they suddenly seemed too tacky and messed up the house.Anyway, I feel guilty now because I could have done your lovely trick to keep them without the bother of displaying them! Thanks.
Michele {The Scrap Shoppe} says
I love this idea! I always keep all of our Christmas cards in hopes of someday doing something with them. 🙂
Lori says
I keep all of my cards too…To hard to throw them away!
I am going to do this too! Thank you for sharing
Lori
Pam says
I totally just pin'd this! 🙂 such a cute idea!
Marilyn says
Love this idea…thanks for providing the covers!
Curious_Aly_Cat says
Oh my goodness theses are just tooooo cutye! i love this idea!! 🙂 so beautiful!!
Micha says
That is such a fantastic idea! Thank you for sharing. I have a stack of cards from Christmas' past (some of which I put into scrapbooks and are just plain messy!). I am so going to get onto doing this. I love it!
Rachel says
this is so awesome-thank you so much! and yes, I had this pinned too. 🙂
jamie @ [kreyv] says
LOVE it!
Audrey says
Thank you, thank you, thank you! I've had the idea book marked for a year now, but couldn't get motivated to make the covers! Now I can whip these out in no time! I've saved my cards since my husband and I got married in 2003 – so I have some serious catching up to do!!
Leah says
Love this! Just this morning I was wondering if I should toss our cards or keep them…they are one of my favorite aspects of the holidays each year–seeing pictures of our favorite family and friends, near and far. Now I'm happy to have a reason to keep them and a way to display them for future years!
Jennie says
Thanks so much for the printable!! I, too, pinned that, and was hoping to just put them together – but how fun to have a little cover for it. I still had all my cards from last year in the box we put them in as we receive them, and I just left them there this year and added to them – it made us look extra-popular. 🙂
Annie Nielson says
LOVE this idea! I keep my Christmas cards, but they are just in a file in my filing cabinet. I've heard of people putting them in a scrapbook (not scrapping them, simply sticking them in a book to look at), but I like this idea 100% better. Thanks for sharing!
Kristen says
I love all the ideas you share. I have done the same with all my cards over the years. Can't wait to make these cute books. Thanks for all the ideas and time you take to share them!
Hannah says
LOVE!
Sue says
Wow …. what an amazing idea…. I saved the photo cards from last year but I didn't know what to do with them. Thank you so much for this great idea and the covers.
🙂 Sue
Fruity Lemonade
Erin says
I had pinned this idea a couple of weeks ago and was just putting my books together today! Thank you so much for the printables!
Room to Inspire says
This is one of the best ideas ever! I think I will have to make my book for this year with my stack of lovely holiday cards. Thanks for the inspiration!
Chelsea
Chandra says
Genius!!
Lili says
I have a friend who does this very thing, but uses her card book to pray for a different family every evening at dinnertime, with her family!
Cynthia B. says
I love this! My husband has kept the past few years' worth of cards, thinking that he'll scan them all in so we can save them.
Guess what NEVER happened?
I've been wanting to recycle them or donate the fronts to St. Jude's, but we have tons of photo cards. Thanks so much for this printable – it will definitely come in handy for us!!
Katie says
Brilliant!!!
Libby says
what a great idea! This could be done with birthday and thankyou cards too. It would be so neat to see the difference in card art over the years.
libbywilko says
Thank you for such a great idea 🙂
projectdowhatyoulove says
What a cute and great idea! Love it, I'm definitely going to have to do that to my christmas cards! Brilliant, thanx for sharing!
Natalie
http://www.projectdowhatyoulove.wordpress.com
Laura Amy. says
Oh these are just tooo cute, and such a good idea! So glad we havnt throw away our cards yet- might try my hand at making these! Just found your blog and love it ^^ now following 🙂 Thanks for all the lovely inspiration xx
Suzanne says
I knew I wanted to save my cards and I had started looking at albums at various places but how to get enough pages that were all the right size…
I wanted but had no idea how to execute this on my own but now I have clarity and can get busy! Thank you so very much!
Kerry says
I like Silhouette in Facebook!
Ann "The Scrapbooking Housewife" says
I've started collecting my Christmas cards, too, but was just going to make an album with all of the photos. It is a nice idea to keep the more meaningful cards, too. 🙂 Love the covers! Thanks for sharing!
Janet D. says
OMG! This is awesome. I wish i had kept my x-mas Cards
Bella says
Så fina!
Shevon says
I just printed this out! I always feel so bad throwing them out. This is awesome!!!
Anonymous says
THANK YOU! Brilliant! (Just need to recycle all my old ziploc bags) 😉
Shar
Unknown says
You are a life saver. My 88 year old Mother is in a nursing home and I just told her I would put all her Christmas cards in a book for her to enjoy after the holiday's. I just printed out your pattern, love it! I still have all her cards from 2010 and will put them together for her as well. When she was living in her own home she would never throw any of her Christmas cards away. This is the perfect gift for her. Thanks for sharing. You are the best! Happy Holidays!
Michelle {Daydream Believers} says
Thanks for sharing! I think my girls and I will be making a book like this today! 🙂 Happy New Year! Michelle
Kimberly says
Thank you for sharing this wonderful idea! I just finished my 2011 book…if not for this post, I would have thrown all of the cards away!!
feelincrafty says
I've been keeping all my photo cards in a scrapbook for the last few years. We get it out every year and love looking at how everyone's families have grown and watch the kids get older! My son and I were just looking at ours today and I had try to explain why he wasn't in some of the ones of Momma and Daddy! He's 3 and the cards go back 6 or so years! 🙂
Anonymous says
Oh how I wish I saw this about a month ago. I finally tossed all ours (about 7 years worth!) I kept a few pictures but really wish I thought of something like this 🙁
sarah @ life {sweet} life says
This is wonderful, and the absolute perfect idea! Thanks so much for sharing and for the free printables too! 🙂
SAS says
Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! I love this and am on it right now!
Anonymous says
How cute! Love them both. Going to use the blank one to make a little book of our Family cards over the years!
Melanie says
You are always so generous with your downloads! Thanks so much for this!
melissa says
oh my!! amazing idea..
happy new year..
Amanda says
Love it-and all of your designs!! Thank you so much for creating and sharing!!
meredith says
very cute idea – I always wanted to keep them and my kids birthday cards but stuck in a box wasn't cutting it – thanks
Jenn says
The lady Jamie that you said you contacted to make the cover.. Does she have a company that makes different types of digital files? Can I please have her contact information? Thank You
Candi says
Thank you so much for this post! It's a wonderful idea and I can't believe I didn't think of it before! 😀
Anonymous says
Great idea but might be nice to read "Holiday Cards" as some people celebrate Hanukkah and other holidays as well as Xmas
Katy says
I FINALLY got around to making these. Great idea and I love the download page you included! I've seperated them by year like you did, but now I'm realizing I could combine several years on binder ring if I wanted (some binder rings of mine are pretty big). If I did that, I would still use the title pages as dividers for the years and just have thicker, bigger books. Possibilites! Thanks again for this swell idea and download!
Capturing Joy with Kristen Duke Photography says
wow, this is a much loved idea! i, too, hate to throw out cards, but I've made myself do it, while I kept my favorites/closest friends. Can't wait to get your card this year;);)
Sandy_in_MD says
Fabulous idea – thanks so much for the covers!
Becky says
Compiled last years, and this year's so far using your printable! I love them. Posted the idea and the link to your blog on mine. Thank you!
http://rookietorockstar.blogspot.com/2012/12/friday-faves.html
Jensamom23 says
LOVE this!
curlyqmomma says
Thanks! I made my book last night and love it!
Kathy Salazar says
Thanks for sharing! I made my first one this year & love it! I haven't put a cover on it yet but I got teh book done otherwise!!! YAY, A new tradition!
Colossians 2:2 says
Terrific idea! Thanks so much for the cover!!
Never Nola says
Love this!! Thanks for the inspiration & template!! We are sharing this on our blog today! http://www.nevernola.com if you care to read up on it!
Christie Sclafani says
Thank you! I have a question for you. What program did you use to create these? Thanks
Jessica OBrien says
Perfect! Thank you!
ScaryCheri says
adorable, love the pompom idea. Thanks for sharing the download
Unknown says
THANK YOU!!! This has been such a help!
Laura McQuillen says
Love this idea! My problem is that I have a handful of cards that open from the bottom instead of the side and with this idea, they would be able to be opened to see them.
Brooke says
Thank you again! This is the 7th year I have been able to compile my Christmas cards into a family book. Each year I come back to download a blank template since I found your post 3 or so years ago. It is now a fun family tradition.
Erin says
Hi! I LOVE these, and so do my mom and sister-in-law! Are you going to make any new ones with later years, by any chance? :o)
Rachael Randall says
So you have any plans to make new ones with future years on them? I know there is a blank one that you can write in the year but I love the other one too! I have these books dating back to 2010 and pull them out every year. Thank you!!!!
Jodie and Jen says
As of right now we don’t, sorry. I am so happy to hear you love them though. I do too!! Can’t wait to pull mine out. 🙂
Cristi says
THANK YOU! for sharing this! I love this idea and downloaded covers several years ago but they all had dates and I’ve run out of them now. SOOOO Happy to have the blank ones. THANK you again!
Melissa says
THANK YOU!!!! I have been doing this for about 8 years, but didn’t have a cover. Now I do! I’m going back and adding this to each one I have. So cute!
Jodie and Jen says
Yay! So glad you like our cover Melissa!! 🙂
stephanie says
THANK YOU!!!! This is exactly what I was planning on doing, but wasn’t sure what to do about a cover!
Jodie and Jen says
I just love my Christmas Card Books!! So happy to hear you can put our cover to good use. 🙂
Charlotte says
Can you make this available again without the date? I’ve been using these since 2011 and I need to catch up! Thanks!
Heather says
Copying the above poster’s comment because I’m in the same boat! “Can you make this available again without the date? I’ve been using these since 2011 and I need to catch up! Thanks!”
Heidi says
Is there any way you could post a link for the blank card covers? The one on the website doesn’t work any more. I’ve been using these for years and love them.
Jen says
me too! Did you ever get a reply?
Jen Holtry says
The link is no longer working. Can you please email it to me or post another link? I’ve made these books for years and cant find my downloaded copy. Thank you!