We are part of the Amazon affiliate program. Affiliate links may be used in this post.
If you’re like me, on a mission to keep things out of landfills while still effectively decluttering your home, you may wonder what the best strategy is for getting rid of old greeting cards. Birthday cards, Christmas cards, and thank-you notes can pile up surprisingly fast, especially if you have a hard time tossing them in the trash.
While a few may be sentimental enough to keep forever, others eventually end up stuffed in drawers and boxes simply because throwing them away feels wasteful.
Fortunately, you have several options. In some cases, old greeting cards can be donated, reused for crafts and gift tags (fun!), or recycled if they’re made from the right materials.
Here’s what to do with old greeting cards you no longer want.
Save the Most Sentimental Cards
Before getting rid of everything, quickly sort through your cards for any you may want later.
I’m all for decluttering, but handwritten notes from grandparents, parents, children, and other loved ones are one thing you may be happy you saved. Rather than keeping every birthday and holiday card you’ve ever received, choose a small number that have meaningful messages or handwriting you want to preserve.
Store them in a photo box, memory bin, or scrapbook so they don’t end up mixed in with everyday clutter.
Donate Unused Greeting Cards
If you have greeting cards you’ve never written in, they’re pretty easy to donate.
Thrift stores, senior centers, churches, schools, community organizations, and nonprofit resale shops may be able to use or sell unused cards.
Keep cards with their matching envelopes whenever possible, and consider grouping them by occasion before donating them.
Birthday, sympathy, thank-you, wedding, baby, and blank note cards can all be useful to someone else.
One place you may see recommended online is St. Jude’s Ranch for Children. However, don’t send cards there anymore. The organization has officially ended its Recycled Card Program after 35 years.
Turn Old Cards Into Gift Tags
One of the easiest ways to reuse old Christmas and birthday cards is to turn the decorative fronts into gift tags. This is one of my favorite hacks, as you can transform the cards into some truly cute gift tags, and it makes for a fun project, especially with kids.
Cut around an attractive image, punch a hole near the top, and add a piece of ribbon or twine. Write the recipient’s name on the blank side.
This works especially well with Christmas cards since you can save this year’s cards and use them when wrapping gifts next year.
Make New Cards From Old Ones
If the front of a card is still in good shape, cut it away from the portion containing the handwritten message.
Attach it to folded cardstock to create a new card. Kids can also add stickers, markers, ribbon, or other craft supplies to make it their own.
This is an easy way to reuse particularly pretty cards rather than throwing them away.
Use Them for Scrapbooking
Cards marking important occasions can become part of a scrapbook rather than sitting untouched in a box.
Cut out pictures, wording, dates, signatures, or handwritten messages and add them alongside photographs from the same occasion.
A child’s birthday card, for example, could be paired with photos from that birthday. Wedding and anniversary cards can work the same way.
Frame Especially Pretty Cards
Some greeting cards are miniature pieces of artwork.
Vintage cards, botanical illustrations, watercolor designs, and other attractive card fronts can be placed in inexpensive frames and used as seasonal decor.
Christmas and Halloween cards are especially easy to rotate into your decor for a few weeks each year.
Let Kids Use Them for Crafts
If you have young kids, save a small stack with your craft supplies.
They can cut out pictures and lettering to make collages, bookmarks, homemade cards, ornaments, paper garlands, and other projects.
It’s essentially free craft paper—and you can recycle what’s left when they’re done if the material is recyclable.
Use Card Fronts as Postcards
Some sturdy greeting cards can also be turned into postcards.
Cut off the written portion, leaving the decorative front intact. If the reverse side is blank and sturdy enough for mailing, you can address and stamp it just like a postcard.
Check current USPS postcard size and mailing requirements before sending it.
Recycle Old Greeting Cards
If you don’t want to save, donate, or repurpose your cards, many can simply be recycled.
Plain paper-based greeting cards and envelopes are generally recyclable. However, decorative additions can cause problems. Ribbons, glitter, batteries, and other embellishments should be removed before recycling the paper portion.
Musical greeting cards require a little extra work because they contain batteries and electronic components. Remove the battery and recycle it through an appropriate battery recycling program rather than tossing it into your paper recycling.
Recycling rules differ by location, so check with your local recycling provider if you’re unsure.
