Creative Crafting with Recycled Greeting Cards

by Cheryl Schroeder

 If you’re like me, you hate discarding those beautiful Christmas, birthday, anniversary and other greeting cards. At one time I displayed them all in scrapbooks, but quickly realized that I didn't have enough shelf space for this fast-multiplying collection!  

Since my home library isn't the size of the Library of Congress, I decided to sort through the cards and keep just a few in scrapbooks.  But what could I do with the other cards? One day I found a solution in my local craft store:  a book entitled Creative Crafting with Recycled Greeting Cards.

This softcover book shows you more than 300 ways to use those greeting cards.  Author Catherine Lawrence shows us how to turn that collection into beautiful decorative accessories, including memory pillows, recipe books, ornate finials, frames, letter boxes, clocks, wallhangings, centerpieces.       Many of the projects have a Victorian or Old World feel to them, making them perfect decorative accessories for many home decor styles. 

The book is divided into five main chapters:

1)       General Instructions

2)       Ribbon and Stitch Diagrams

3)       Projects

4)       Index

5)       Metric Equivalency Chart

General Instructions 

This 16-page section includes basic information on selecting cutting tools, glues and paints that work best with greeting cards.  You will also find directions on mitering corners (for the framing projects), painting techniques, rubber stamping, soldering and more.   

Ribbon and Stitch Diagrams

A number of the book's projects include some ribbon and basic stitchery. This section shows you how to make leaves, roses and five-petal flowers from ribbon.  It also gives directions on creating herringbone and running stitches. 

This section is followed by three full-color pages showing the reader how to adapt the projects to her specific decor needs. 

Projects 

I’m not sure why, but Lawrence decided to categorize the projects by months.  Some projects do lend themselves seasonal theme (like the Valentine clock in February), but many of the ideas do not readily fall into a monthly category, like switchplates and frames.  This makes it a little difficult to quickly peruse the projects.  (However, there is an index of projects in the back of the book.)

Each project has an accompanying full-color photo, although the photos are not on the same page as the project instructions.  (All of the photos are grouped together on one page; project titles and instructions follow on subsequent pages.)  Although the project instructions are numbered to correspond with the photos, it is rather confusing until the reader realizes that she should notice the number on each photo and then match it to the corresponding number on the project pages.   It's easier to work with the book once you understand the author's organizational style. Once you understand the author's organizational style, it gets easier to work with the ideas.

The project instructions include a photo of the original card used in the project, along with a materials list and step-by-step, detailed instructions. 

Some of the my favorite projects include a small candy jar made with reverse decoupage glue; a letter holder transformed into a tiny English cottage; and a white wooden heart necklace decoupaged with a blue 'Delft' design greeting card.  This beautiful necklace actually looks like a china instead of wood!  

I also liked the shadow box created with a sympathy card and other little mementos of a person who has passed away;  the suitcase that was transformed into a  side table and then decoupaged with old greeting cards; and the button covers and barrettes decorated with bits of greeting cards.

Index and Metric Equivalency Chart
The next page and a half is a very helpful index of all subjects included in the book. It lists projects by name, helpful tips like 'painting techniques' and a guide to the monthly pages.  The last half page is helpful to those who need to convert inches into millimeters or centimeters. 

Overall impressions and opinion of the book

This book has some very clever ways to reuse those old greeting cards.  It includes full color photos and detailed step-by-step instructions.  Unfortunately, some of the photos are very small.  The book's layout makes the projects feel more difficult than they actually are, which may intimidate some readers.  Many of the projects aren’t complicated, so it’s important that the reader peruse the instructions first rather than assuming the project will be difficult based on the photos. (I made that mistake!)  

Despite these weaknesses, this book has some great ideas! I recommend it to anyone who would like to reuse their old greeting cards, wants to find an inexpensive way to decorate their home, or is into Victorian decor. 

For more information or to purchase this book, check out this link: