Little Christmas was the other day, which means it’s the official end of the Christmas season. Lights come down and go into boxes, the tree comes down and goes into compost, and Christmas cards go in the trash. Unless you follow this post and learn how to make gift tags from old Christmas cards.

Actually, that’s one of two ways to breathe life back into Christmas cards. The other way is to donate cards to St. Jude’s.

But St. Jude’s doesn’t take all cards. Some brands won’t allow its cards to be donated and repurposed.

So instead of just throwing those cards away, you can turn those Christmas cards into gift tags for next Christmas.

How To Make Gift Tags From Old Christmas Cards

Homemade gift tags are so easy to make with a paper punch. I got a few paper punches before our wedding and have used them so many times. So, if you don’t have any, I recommend them.

Gift Tags From Old Christmas Cards Supplies:

• Tag-shaped paper punch
• Old Christmas cards
• One-hole punch
• Scissors

How To Make Gift Tags From Old Christmas Cards:

Cut off the back of the card. Discard it (or save the signatures).

You also want to make sure there’s no writing on the back of the front of the card either. You want the back of the tag to be completely blank so you can write on it later.

Look at your Christmas cards and decide which part, exactly, you want to turn into a gift tag. Not every part of every card will work.

You also want to keep in mind the direction of the tag. If you are using an image of Santa or a snowman, you want to make sure that the characters’ heads are at the top of the tag. You don’t want them hanging upside down.

When you find the right part to punch, slide the card under the tag punch. What’s great is you can see the exact image you are going to turn into a gift tag. So you adjust it and make sure it’s perfect.

Push down on the punch and the tag will pop out.

You may need to trim a little bit of the card to make sure you are able to maneuver the card under tag punch so you’re punching the exact spot.

Cut off the excess from the card, then continue punching out tags from your card until there aren’t any cute images left.

Use the one-hole punch to punch a hole at the top of the gift tags.

Set the gift tags aside until next Christmas.

When you’re ready to use them, put your recipient’s name on the bag, tie the gift tag to the gift with ribbon, and you’re saved yourself a couple bucks.

What’s a tag punch?

So a one-hole or single-hole punch is everyone’s foray into punches. That and the three-hole punch. But there’s an entire world out there of other shapes.

A tag punch is, simply put, a hole punch in the shape of a tag. Mine has a straight edge all around, but you can find a crimped edge tag punch if you prefer that look.

I’m obsessed with my tag punch. You can use it for fun things, like place cards for dinner parties.

There are a lot of varieties too. You can pick up a large circle punch, if you’d rather have circle-shaped gift tags.

And then there are shapes, like flowers and hearts. So you can actually make your own confetti if you have a lot of free time.

My absolute favorite punch is a corner rounder, which I use all the time, especially when I make homemade photo coasters.

Punches are a lot of fun (which is actually a not so great statement when it’s taken out of context).

How do you make Christmas gift tags without a tag punch?

If you don’t have a tag punch, you can easily cut these out with a little bit more effort.

First, use a pencil to draw a tag shape (or a circle) on a piece of cardboard (something like a cereal box thickness would be perfect).

Cut that out. That’s your stencil.

Lay your stencil on top of your Christmas card exactly where you want to cut out a tag.

Use a pencil to trace your stencil.

Cut out your gift tag, using your pencil marks as a guide.

Continue until you have used all the best images on the Christmas card to make your gift tags.

Then, use a single-hole punch to make a hole at the top of the tag.

What else can I do with old Christmas cards?

Donate them: If you have old Christmas cards lying around, you can donate them to St. Jude’s Recycled Cards Program.

There are a couple rules about what you can and can’t donate, so be sure to click that link and get the instructions before sending your cards.

Turn them into coasters: I’ve made a lot of homemade photo coasters as gifts. They’re always really well received. You can make them with other mediums though too, like these DIY comic book coasters.

Just follow that tutorial and instead of using pages from a graphic novel, use your old Christmas cards. Then, next Christmas, you can give those out as gifts.

Throw them away: I know, this is the hardest one. If you’re like me, you feel so sentimental over everything and you don’t want to throw anything away. But alas, channel your inner Marie Kondo and if these cards don’t bring you joy, toss them.

Save the ones you really want to save, like from your grandparents or older relatives. But, for the majority of the cards, they’re just one of many that were in a box and sent that year. Don’t overthink it.

Frame them: Okay. This is the exact opposite of that last idea. But, I’m sure you saved a couple cards that you felt compelled to safe. Good on you.

Go to the store and pick up a few frames to fit these cards. Put them in and store those frames away until next year. Then, when you’re decorating for Christmas, you can display those cards-turned-decorations around your home.

Make a DIY Christmas Card Tree: Cut up the cards and use them to make a super cute DIY Christmas Card Tree. Then, you can use that tree as part of your Christmas decor next year.