Christmas
Fine MotorGrade SchoolKindergartnersPreschoolers23 Comments
After Christmas is over, what do you do with your cards? Some are just too beautiful or meaningful to recycle.
Instead of tossing your Christmas cards, use them in a fun DIY bookmark craft that also doubles as a fine motor activity!
(Hint: you can even use this technique to let the kids make their own gifts to grandparents and friends!)
Over the past few years, my daughters and I have had fun turning Christmas cards into bookmarks. We love this activity! It gives my preschooler a fun way to practice cutting skills.
Plus, we get to reuse cards that may otherwise be tossed and create an inexpensive handmade craft to keep for themselves or to give to the book lovers in their family.
Learn fun ways to reuse wrapping paper.
To turn your Christmas cards into bookmarks, you’ll need:
- ruler
- scissors
- hole punch
- thin ribbon
- pen or pencil
- Christmas cards (that you are willing to cut apart)
If you’ve already used up all of your saved Christmas cards or your stash has writing inside the front cover, don’t sweat it. For $1 plus tax, I was able to buy a pack of 20 Christmas cards at the Dollar Tree.
First, decide how you would like your bookmark to look and draw lines using your ruler and pen or pencil. We decided to make three different bookmarks from one card, so we drew multiple lines.
It helped to hold the ruler in place while my daughter drew the lines.
Help your children to cut along the lines with hand-over-hand or other guidance if needed. For extra cutting practice, try these Christmas-themed cutting activities for your child: Santa, Snowflakes, and Spiral Christmas Trees.
Finish your bookmarks with fancy touches.
Together, add a hole punch in the middle top of each bookmark. With your child, measure and cut a piece of ribbon about 6-8 inches in length.
Fold the ribbon in half and insert it into the hole at the top of the bookmark. Push the loose ends of the ribbon through the circle end of the ribbon and gently pull. Be careful not to pull too tightly.
You can get extra practice measuring and use some hand-eye coordination skills to make the bookmarks even more beautiful.
For an extra fancy touch, we like to round the corners or use fancy scissors along the edges.
If you’re giving these as gifts, have the kids write a special message on the back! Even toddlers can scribble and add some fingerprints for a cute keepsake.
You can repeat this craft throughout the year with other greeting cards, too!
You can change bookmarks with the season or give them as gifts throughout the year. Another option is to cut your Christmas cards into smaller gift tags.
Want more holiday-themed hand-eye coordination practice? Make these Classic Glittery Christmas Stockings.
Saving your place in a good book will be even more fun, and festive with your new Christmas bookmarks! Your friends and relatives are sure to love this thoughtful gift, too.
How do you reuse or save your Christmas cards?
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Jamima says
These cards are really very beautiful. Looking forward to making these. Thanks a lot for sharing such a beautiful idea.
Teresa says
Welcome and I thank you for sharing your Christmas card bookmarks I think I’ll have to try making some of those after Christmas with my kiddos!
Brigitte Brulz says
Thank you for your comment. I hope you have as much fun making them with your kiddos as I have with mine.
Brigitte Brulz says
I hope you had a chance to try this activity. Instead of bookmarks, it is also fun to use the Christmas cards as gift tags.
Judth says
Very cute idea.A couple of years ago, I took my grandson’s foam ABC bathtub letters and trace the words a Merry Christmas and punch holed the tops and strung them on twine and hung them across my kitchen window. This is my third Christmas I’m using them! Merry Christmas!!!
Brigitte Brulz says
That is an adorable idea. Thank you for sharing!
Michelle Williams says
Great idea for the start of the new school year. can also count as an assessment activity and building up our Christmas box for en of year. Thank you and have a blessed Christmas
Brigitte Brulz says
Thank you. I hope you had a wonderful Christmas.
Jacq says
This is so cute! I think we will do this one soon. Thanks for sharing!
Brigitte Brulz says
Thank you! I hope you had a chance to try this.
Allie says
Welcome, Brigitte! Thanks for this super cute idea!
Brigitte Brulz says
Thank you for the welcome! I hope you enjoy doing this activity.
Janie says
Such a great idea for a bookworm like me! I usually recycle old Christmas cards by cutting the main picture out and using it as a gift tag for next year’s gifts. They’re so much sturdier than what’s on the market so they hold up much better. As a retired teacher, I used to use old cards so that students could make cards of their choice throughout the year. They made birthday cards, Mother’s Day cards and get well cards or any other one they wanted to because they didn’t really have the money to go out and buy one. The cards they made were beautiful and so meaningful.
Brigitte says
That is so sweet that the kids were able to reuse the cards to make new cards for their parents. My daughters and I are also bookworms, so we have lots of bookmarks! This is always a nice project to do to add to our bookmark collection or to give to others. We have also used them to make gift tags. I agree with you that they are sturdier (and less expensive).
Tracy Murdock says
I love how simple this is! What a great way to re-use Christmas cards, plus add a love of reading for our kids! Love it! Thanks Brigette:)
Brigitte Brulz says
Thank you! These are fun to do all year long with different types of greeting cards. They can also make great gift tags. Enjoy!