Recycled Season's Greetings Gift Tags

1.9 billion season's greeting cards are sent to friends and family every year. Although they are mailed with good intentions, imagine the waste that we create!

So be green--not in a Christmas Grinch kind of way--by recycling your Christmas cards.

When you are finished admiring all of the holiday hallmarks on your mantel place, get your scissors and glue out for some Christmas Crafts.

Turn this year's Christmas cards into next year's gift tags.

If you like to DIY, check out Jeanne's 10 Creative Handmade Gift Wrap Ideas and Handmade Holiday Cards.

Go green and save paper by reusing your Christmas cards and making them into labels for your gifts next year.

Store your gift tags in Tupperware containers or Zip Lock bags to keep them pretty for next year.

Supplies

All your holiday cards that were about to go in the trash.
Scissors (If you have specially scissors that cut zigzags or waves, like pinking shears)
Hole Puncher
Glue or Tape
Left over Ribbon from opened gifts
Used wrapping paper and gift bags

Directions

Start by cutting the front of the card off. Cut out festive objects, such as stockings, snowflakes, or Santas.

Dont forget to check out the back of the cards, many have adorable logos on the back.

The tags can vary from small to large and they can be squares or circles. Get creative and make wacky designs--even an abstract design from the background of a card makes a unique gift tag.

Tape or glue your cut-outs to sturdy wrapping paper or a gift bag that is ripped or too banged up to reuse.

Leave as much border as you like, and cut around the shape again.

This will give your tag a whole new look. No one will ever know that it came from a Christmas card! Plus it will give you a plain surface to write on.

Punch a hole near the edge of your gift tag and loop a small piece of ribbon through.

Tie and curl the ribbon. This will come in handy when wrapping up your gifts next year. You can either tie it to the gift or tape the ribbon on, which will allow you to flip the tag over to see the message.