Christmas Card Boxes

What do you do with all of your Christmas Cards after the holiday is over?

Instead of throwing them out, Why not recycle them into great little gift boxes.

I will show you step by step instructions on how to make these cute and easy re-purposed Christmas card Boxes. They are fun to make for adults and children alike.

First choose a card. It can be any size as long as it is A Rectangle. You want one with the picture in the center of card.

Step 1: Carefully tear the card apart on the Center Seam.

Step 2: Cut 1/4 inch off the back half of card, Longways. This is very Important because this will be the bottom of your box; if you do not cut it this way, then it will not fit inside the lid later.

(Don’t worry if there is writing on the card, this can easily be covered with tissue paper. Also cards usually have a message in the center which becomes a cute little surprise inside of your box)

Step 3: Next find the center of the card by lining a ruler from corner to corner. Make a small pencil mark in the center, repeat on other side until you have an X. This will be your center point. This can be erased later on.

Step 4: Fold Long side over to center of X. Using your finger or bone folder, make a crease.

Repeat on other side, then unfold.

Step 5: Now fold over the short sides to center of X and crease.

Step 6: Make small cuts on the creases of all 4 short sides, Stopping where creases on the long sides meet.

(Thank goodness for my picture above or you would have no clue what I’m talking about, Right?)

Step 7: Fold in the 4 flaps on the long sides, then fold over the 2 flaps on the short sides. Tape or glue them into place.

You now have the lid of your box.

Step 8: Repeat Steps 4-7 on the second half of the card. This will be the bottom half of your box

Place the bottom of the box into the lid and it should look something like this.

These boxes are the perfect size for jewelry, hair clips, gift cards, money or even chocolates.

They can also be used for Christmas tree decorations or stocking stuffers.

Another Idea for re-purposing those Christmas cards is to turn them into tags to either hang from your tree or as a gift to a friend.

Just cut out the picture on a card, glue it to a piece of white card stock, punch holes at the top, then feed a ribbon through. On this one I also added glitter and trimmed it with scalloped scissors.

Have fun & Recycle at the same time!

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5 Comments

  1. Blondie's Journal
    December 9, 2010 / 11:43 pm

    I have made the tags for years but the box is just too cute!! Thanks for the instructions!

    Happy Holidays!

    XO,
    Jane

  2. Robin Johnson
    December 10, 2010 / 3:15 am

    Oh Wow! I had forgotten all about this! Mom and I made a million of these when I was a kid. It's was my favorite thing to do once a new card came in. We would add glitter and ribbon and hang them on the tree.

    Thank you, thank you I'm off to dig out some old cards and make some memories with my girls. Oh! I'm so excited.

  3. Suzanne@Meridian Road
    December 10, 2010 / 3:35 pm

    I wish I hadn't thrown all my old cards away!

    I might have to buy a cheap box of cards and make some boxes out of them. 🙂

  4. Pedigreed Housewife
    December 10, 2010 / 8:21 pm

    OMG! I love the box idea!

  5. Melissa @ LoveBugLiving
    January 5, 2012 / 8:36 pm

    They turned out great! I've wanted to make some of these, and your tutorial makes it so simple.