One More Seasonal Tradition: Scrapbooking Holiday Cards

2009HolidayCardsPhoto

One of my last holiday traditions each year as I am cleaning up & putting away is to get out my square punch and attack our holiday cards.

My goal is simple: create a collage of faces and designs from the various cards we receive throughout December. I grab my punch and go for it. Over the years I have used different sized square punches depending on the number of cards. This year I used the Extra Giga from Marvy Uchida.

I did a little searching in my archives and found this post talking about the process back in 2005. Here's an excerpt:

Since I am all about simplifying I came to the conclusion that I do not need to keep all the Christmas cards I received this year. I loved getting them. I celebrated each one that came through the mailbox. And now that Christmas is over I would still like to have a bit of a record of the cards from this Christmas, but I certainly don't need to hang on to them all.

It is ok.

How do I decide which part of the card to punch? I think what I have always loved about punching is that I am taking a bit of something and bringing it together with other somethings to create an entirely new something. When I was punching I tried not to think too hard. I laid my punch with the metal side up, slid the card in, and moved the card around using the window as a guide. When I saw something that looked just fine and I punched. Some of the photos were too large to get everyone in the square and that was totally OK. My vision was to bring together a bunch of bits of this year's cards - not preserve each one in its orginal state.


One thing I noticed this year is that people had their photos on all different kinds of papers: metallic, shiny, canvas, etc. This was definitely more of a trend than in years past.

And as much as I love doing each layout individually it is almost more fun to see all these layouts here together. Here's a look at the past card layouts from when I first started this process:

2004:

MerrychristmasBOTH

2005:


2006:

Christmascards06_low

2007:

2007HolidayCards_Low

2008:

I found 2008's layout in need of a little assistance. When I found it in the 2008 album last night it was two pages with only the top two rows of photos on the second page. I decided to trim that off and attach it to the top of the full page (and use the Fiskars Apron Lace punch along the bottom).

2008HolidayCards_Low

2008flipup

2009:

2009ChristmasCardsLayout
What do you do with your holiday cards? Keep them? Toss them? Make something with them? Donate them? If you do donate them I would love to hear more about it.

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246 thoughts

  1. telisj says…
    01/07/2010

    Do you just do one 12x12 LO Ali? Do you try to vary the people you include from year to year?

    Reply 0 Replies
  2. Jill says…
    01/07/2010

    this is such an awesome idea, i'll definitely be doing this this year. In the past, I've cut out the "christmas-y" part and have hung up the rest on a corkboard in my kitchen. I like this idea much better!!

    Reply 0 Replies
  3. Alyssa Barnes says…
    01/07/2010

    I keep all of my photo cards and create a little flip book for every year. When I'm decorating my house, I pull them out and place them throughout the house. Inevitably, it is conversation starter and something every visitor checks out. I blogged about it several weeks ago..
    http://persnicketypeacock.blogspot.com/2009/12/holiday-cards.html

    Reply 0 Replies
  4. kristen says…
    01/07/2010

    Another fabulous idea Ali! I have had last year's cards sitting here in my scrap pile, just waiting to have something done with them and now, I have this year's too. Love it! I think in the years prior, I have just kept a select few and threw them in behind a layout - I will have to check for them and see! :-)

    Reply 0 Replies
  5. Laurel says…
    01/07/2010

    We donate our cards to the local Senior Center in the town my mom lives. They in turn cut any signatures that are on them and take the sentiments only and attach them to new card stock for new cards. They sell them to make money for the center itself. I've collected from a couple of business that would have just thrown them away and taken those along.

    Reply 0 Replies
  6. Lynley King says…
    01/07/2010

    Wow, this is a great idea!! I love keeping sentimental things, but am all about eliminating clutter this year, so this is perfect!!!! Thanks heaps for the fantastic ideas :o)

    Reply 0 Replies
  7. Tonia says…
    01/07/2010

    I love this idea...my husband & I always disagree on what to do with the cards...christmas, birthday, etc...he is a saver and I am a tosser. This is a great compromise. I have always wanted to do "real scrapbooking" but have blocked the urge...I did not need another hobby or $$ drain but all that restraint is going out the window and my crafting is expanding. Thank you for the inspiration.

    Reply 0 Replies
  8. Tammy Morales says…
    01/07/2010

    cards aren't big thing between my friends and family. We have all agreed that it is just to much clutter. However I love your collages - I do that will all our Christmas Day photos. I am working on my 3 year in a row now.
    I love how you have embellished them - Simple but STUNNING. I also love the addition you made to the 2008 layout.

    Reply 0 Replies
  9. Neicee says…
    01/07/2010

    Every year my mom takes her old Christmas cards and crochets around the edge with the cotton thread and gives each one of us one. I have been collecting them and now put them under the glass on my coffee table during the holidays. This past year she began making birthday cards the same way. They are really nice and very "earth friendly"

    Reply 0 Replies
  10. Teri says…
    01/07/2010

    What a fabulous idea - I think I'll try that!! :)

    Reply 0 Replies
  11. Alyssa Barnes says…
    01/07/2010

    I keep all of my photo cards. I create a flip book type thing. I pull them out with my decorations every year. They are always a conversation starter and looked at by every visitor. Recently, I blogged about them. You can see a picture here...
    http://persnicketypeacock.blogspot.com/2009/12/holiday-cards.html

    Reply 0 Replies
  12. Michelle Smith says…
    01/07/2010

    I too make a christmas card photo spread in 12x12. I save all the card fronts to use in Ali's yearly 25 days of Christmas binder. I put all the backs of the cards together on a key ring and let my 2 year old have it as a takealong coloring pad for the truck.

    Reply 0 Replies
  13. jenn shurkus says…
    01/07/2010

    awww ali!!! when i commented to you on FB i think i was on my phone and didnt look closely at your layout... love that mister harley made it onto the layout this year ;) he is quite handsome!!!
    :)

    Reply 0 Replies
  14. Celia GG says…
    01/07/2010

    I love this idea!!!! I always save the pictures I receive but put them in a photo album. I like this idea better because I can also incorporate bits n pieces of the other cards received!!!! thanks for the idea!!!!! I think I'll try this.

    Reply 0 Replies
  15. Cheryl Ann says…
    01/07/2010

    I love these ideas! Thank you for sharing Ali and for all the others comments too. I just told my husband that I LOVE THE INTERNET! I have kept most of our Christmas cards over the years, but it's always been my dark secret because no one in my family would ever understand. Now I don't feel alone anymore. THANK YOU! Also based on an idea I saw on Kelly Purkeys blog last year I now make acyrilic books holding the cards and even some of the envelopes. I find them charming.

    Reply 0 Replies
  16. Lara says…
    01/07/2010

    This is a great idea! I never know what to with them. We didn't get many picture cards, unfortunately, but at least I can punch the pretty fronts and maybe make some Christmas embellies to put in my December Daily Album. :)

    Reply 0 Replies
  17. Tetcy says…
    01/08/2010

    My church collects used cards of every sort and donates them to a local nursing home where the residents use them to make cards of their own. They LOVE their craft time!

    Reply 0 Replies
  18. Jenn says…
    01/08/2010

    Look at my baby boys on there!!! Makes me smile every time!! You may even get me motivated to scrap a little!!! Hope all is going well with you and your family< Happy New Year!

    Reply 0 Replies
  19. Kari says…
    01/08/2010

    I love this idea - thank you! In the past two years, I have been recycling my cards on my December Daily album - using bits as embellishments, or the front of the card as patterned paper. I usually make a note of who sent the card and when right on the album page. It makes me really happy to see those cards as part of my album.

    Reply 0 Replies
  20. Amy says…
    01/08/2010

    How did you know? It's like you knew that this was the year I decided to be BRAVE and take out the 6 (yes, 6) years of Christmas cards I'd saved in Ziplock bags unsure of what to do with them??? THIS IS IT! Thank you Ali! A collage is an awesome idea and I can DO this! I think this will be my February project! Thanks for sharing!

    Reply 0 Replies
  21. annie says…
    01/08/2010

    i love this idea...you are amazing!

    Reply 0 Replies
  22. Stacy Rogers says…
    01/08/2010

    Love, love, love this idea! Thanks for sharing.

    Reply 0 Replies
  23. pamfletcher says…
    01/08/2010

    I cut out the "good part" and put them in a little photo album. I have one complete and half of another. I just did this last night!
    When I saw this post I immediately thought OH I HAVE TO DO THIS.
    But I stopped myself.
    I said SELF. IT IS ALREADY DONE. MOVE ON.
    yeah me!

    Reply 0 Replies
  24. Viki says…
    01/08/2010

    Several of us at work (I work at a preschool/MDO) donate them to the craft/decoration box for next year.
    In class I've used them in many ways. I cut them into simple puzzles, Christmas decorations. I put pictures of the kids on the plain side for the parents. Matching games...santa to santa, angel to angel, snow man to snowman.
    Check around, a teacher you know may be able to use them next year.

    Reply 0 Replies
  25. RScrapIT says…
    01/08/2010

    This is a FABULOUS idea! I can't wait to try this. I just bought the extra giga square punch in the fall for Y&T and I'm loving it. Thanks for sharing this idea!

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