If you're wondering how to scrapbook Christmas cards, you're not alone. Each year, many crafters receive greetings that are simply too beautiful to throw away after the holidays. In addition, the handwritten messages inside the cards often provide valuable insight into the personality of friends and family members.
How to Scrapbook Christmas Cards
Preserving your Christmas cards in a scrapbook is surprisingly easy. However, it's important to remember that most commercially produced Christmas cards are not acid-free. If you are concerned about archival safety, it's best to either spray the cards with archival mist or keep them away from your photos to prevent potential contamination.
To turn your Christmas cards into a cherished holiday heirloom, make a pocket page, design a mini album, or decorate a keepsake storage box.
Make a Pocket Page
A pocket page is often the easiest way to scrapbook Christmas cards, allowing you to design a layout that is simply placed inside your regular family album. To make a pocket page:
- Gather one piece of solid cardstock and one sheet of coordinating patterned paper.
- Cut the patterned paper in half to create a sheet that measures 6x12.
- Use a strong adhesive to glue the edges of the patterned paper to the bottom of the cardstock background, leaving the top open to create a small pocket.
- When the adhesive has dried, place your Christmas cards inside the pocket.
- Embellish the rest of the layout as desired.
Design a Mini Album
When you have a large stash of holiday cards, a mini album makes a wonderful memento of the holidays. Follow these simple steps:
- Select a small spiral-bound album for the project. An 8x8 book is ideal.
- Use stickers, stamps, or computer fonts to design a title page that says "Holiday Greetings from Friends and Family."
- For each layout within the album, place a card on the left side and a photo or journaling about the person who sent the card on the right side of the page.
- Add miscellaneous embellishments as appropriate.
Decorate a Keepsake Storage Box
If you have too many Christmas cards to make a pocket page, but don't want to create an entire album devoted to your holiday greetings, making a keepsake box is a great compromise. If you wish, you can even make a box that is large enough to store several years of cards. To get started:
- Choose a sturdy cardboard box slightly bigger than your stack of cards.
- Cover the box and lid with Christmas-themed patterned paper, stickers, and rub-ons. Add copies of your favorite holiday photos for a personalized touch.
- Coat the box with a layer of Mod Podge to create a more durable finish.
- When the Mod Podge is dry, add a pretty ribbon bow.
Other Crafty Christmas Card Ideas for Your Scrapbook
If you're too busy to scrapbook Christmas cards in their entirety, you can still put these greetings to use in other ways. For example:
- Use the pre-printed quotes on the inside of the cards as titles for your Christmas-themed layouts.
- Incorporate handwritten messages from your family and friends into journaling blocks within your layouts.
- Collage elements from two or more cards onto a die cut tag to make a one-of-a-kind page embellishment.
- Scan and reduce images from your favorite cards to make a small flip book that can be added to one of your Christmas layouts.
You can also try cutting out the designs on your favorite cards to use as embellishments for creating new holiday greetings. When you use cardstock scraps and leftover stickers to complete the project, this is a simple way to clean out your supply stash in order to make room for new products!
Additional Information
For more tips on preserving holiday memories, visit LoveToKnow Christmas.
