Each year, millions of Christmas cards pass through the postal system to their recipients. Throughout our lifetime, we each send out and receive tons of Christmas cards. Though we may keep a few as keepsakes, the rest are usually thrown out with the holiday trash.

Why waste such beautiful cards, though? There are many ways you can reuse a Christmas card. With a little creativity and craftiness, most anyone can save some of those festive designs from being yet more fodder for the garbage dump.

For example, you can cut out designs from the fronts of cards and use them on your holiday scrapbook pages. Clip vertical strips from a favorite card to use as a bookmark. Elaborately designed card fronts can be trimmed and used as Christmas tree decorations when you punch a hole in the top and add an ornament hanger.

Cut pieces of several cards and decoupage them onto a box to be used instead of wrapping paper for a special gift. Or decoupage cutouts from your cards onto a tray and then add lacquer to seal it to create a festive Christmas tray.

These ideas are but just a few ways to reuse your cards. Perhaps these ideas will inspire you to create even more Christmas card masterpieces!