How to Repurpose and Upcycle Greeting Cards

Greeting cards are fun, beautiful, and hard to throw away! I’ve been thinking about different ways to upcycle and repurpose them. The front of cards are so beautiful but the notes inside are special as well. Whether it’s a holiday card, birthday card, sympathy card, or just because. I put together a few ideas for ways to repurpose greeting cards below. 

Hang your greeting cards up

Hang your holiday cards on your fridge, tree, or mantel as decoration. Our family is a big fan of putting blue tape on the back of a card and decorating our fridge during the holidays. It’s a nice way to see all the pictures of loved ones and the beautiful cards they sent! I’ve also seen others decorate their indoor trees (Christmas or not) with cards or punch a hole in the corner of cards and hang them on twine across their mantel. Our “May Your Holidays Be Filled with Sweet Surprises” card below would look great on a mantel. 

Scrapbook your favorite greeting cards

Make a scrapbook of your favorites so you’ll remember them for years to come. I like to paste the backside of the card onto each page so I can easily flip the pages and read the nice notes inside. As well as see the front of the card! You can invest in a scrapbook online or from a craft store. Or just grab some nice stock paper and some binding rings to make your own! Try this with an anniversary card like our “I Met You, I Liked You, I Love You, I'm Keeping You” card below. 

Level up your gift bags with greeting cards

If you love the front of the card and want to reuse it, why not use it on a gift bag? Simply cut off the note portion of the card and paste the front of the card onto the gift bag. It will make a unique bag that no one has seen before but is special to you and the recipient. Our “P.S. I Love You” card would look great on a gift bag for a loved one. 

Repurpose greeting cards as a postcard

If there isn’t already a note on the back of the front of the card, this is a great way to upcycle a greeting card. Simply cut off the note portion of the card and you have a postcard! You can add your personalized note to the back along with the recipient’s address, add a stamp, and you’re ready to send. This would be fun with a vintage card like our holiday rocking horse card below. 

Frame the greeting card as a picture

Some greeting cards are so beautiful that you want to remember them often and keep them in a place you’ll see often. Why not frame the card? I love this idea for my desk, this is especially fun with a quote card like “Life Is Short” greeting card below. 

I’m sure there are many more ways to repurpose and upcycle greeting cards. I’d love to hear your ideas! Reach out and share your favorite ways and get inspired with our vintage holiday cards.