Free Christmas Crafts
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New Cards from Old
Christmas Card Angels
Christmas Card Basket
Mini Christmas Card Boxes
Victorian Icing Cards
Juice Lid Christmas Card Ornaments
Christmas Card Fan
Recycled Christmas Card Ornaments
Copyright 2004-2008 Jane Lake All Rights Reserved
These recycled Christmas card ornaments are so effective, you'll want to make a whole collection. Don't forget to save your Christmas cards this year to make some more crafts for the next holiday season.
What you will need:
used Christmas cardspencil
scissors
tacky glue
gold cord or ribbon
round template or large coin as shown below
optional: glitter hot glue sticks, glitter or sequins
Directions:
On the back of an old Christmas card, trace around a large coin (I used a Canadian toonie). Cut out this circle. Trace around the coin again, and this time draw an equal sided triangle on the inside of the circle, as shown on our template above. Cut out the triangle. Cut the face page from a used Christmas card. Use the coin, or your cardboard circle template, to trace 20 circles on the blank side of this card. Trace the triangle shape inside each of these circles, then cut them out.
On each circle, fold up the sides of the triangle. This can be a bit tricky at first, but with practice it is possible to fold up all the triangle shapes without having lines to follow. If so, you can skip tracing the triangles.
Set out the folded triangle shapes as shown in the pictures to the left. The top and bottom parts of the ornament are formed by gluing five triangle shapes together. The center section is formed by gluing 10 triangle shapes in a line. The second picture shows the triangles glued together, with the bottom section turned upside down to show you the back view. Tacky glue is much better than white glue for this project, because it enables you to attach one triangle to the next by pinching the side tabs together for a few seconds instead of using clips while the glue dries.
Sometimes there is a small hole at the center of the top and bottom sections; this is normal. You may use the hole in the top section to secure a gold cord or ribbon hanger. Just loop the cord to suitable length and knot the ends. Feed the loop through the top hole and pull through, securing the knot on the inside with a dab of tacky glue.
Once your ornament sections are dry and holding together securely, continue construction by gluing both ends of the center section together in a circular band.
Apply tacky glue to each outside tab of the top section and place on top of the center band, aligning all the tabs. It will not be an exact fit. Pinch together two sets of tabs until the tacky glue holds, then do another pair, until all the tabs are holding. Allow this to dry before doing the same with the bottom section.
Your recycled Christmas card ornament is now complete. If you want to recycle the back half of the Christmas card, make another ornament in the same way and spray paint in Christmas colors. You can add embellishments like glitter or sequins or give the ornament a more structured look by outlining each seam in colored or gold glitter hot glue.
has anyone found the print out sheet for the circles already printed on a 8 x 10 sheet of paper? You then use iron on adhesive to glue the page to a piece of 8 X 10 piece of fabric, cut out and assemble so your ornaments are made of cloth and the paper makes them stiff.
This was what I have been looking for. The older ladies I do crafts with,will enjoy this. Carolyn
I remember Yrs. ago, My MAMA and us sisters (5)- making these balls. My Oldest sister tried to come up with directions for this ball and couldn't find them anywhere... When I saw this, I KNEW it had to be the right one... I can't wait for us to try this again.. (Our Mama has died, and it won't be as much fun, but it will again be a MEMORY)!!! Thanks for keeping it alive for us to pass on to our children...
Inez
I have been looking for this since elementary school (over 30 years!) to be able to make use of the beautiful cards I get. I am so happy and can't wait to make them and give them as gifts to senior centers or other centers that may not have the ability or time to have personal gifts!!! Thank you!
I just took down my decorations tonight. One of my ornaments is a Christmas card ball given to me by a student ten years ago. It's a fun gift to receive because every year when I get it out, I fondly remember Sarah. I just finished and thought I'd do a quick Google to see if such directions existed. Thanks! Ten years ago I wasn't a mom, but now I have three children, and this will be our activity tomorrow afternoon while we're all on Christmas break. THANKS
I have made similar ornaments for years. I use plastic coffee can lids for the circle and also for the triangle. After cutting out the circle, place the triangle on top and fold up along the 3 sides. Mine have all had "pinked" sides of the cards. They were larger, and the sides were stapled.
The first one went a little slow but the next one went together fast,will be making more for gifts this year. Got any more Ideas for using old Christmas cards,? I really enjoy crafting Peggy
Peggy- I take all my Christmas cards and use scrapbooking scissors(The ones that cut paper into scallops etc) to cut out the inside sayings. These make great gift tags for next years gifts. Because you can write the "to" on top of the saying and your name underneath. You can also cut one corner with a decorative hole punch and tie them on gift bags.
I make these with my 5th grade students. They love these and so do their parents!
This is amazing. Every year at christmas time I make ornaments for family and I was having the hardest time figurin out what to make. THISIS AWESOME
Of a 13 Year old can do you SO CAN YOU.............
