I've finally gotten around to organizing my Christmas Cards from friends and family....and yes, I am home on a snow day today hence the sudden uptick in productivity. :o)
My cards have been living in a pile on a counter for the past two months so I figured it was time to get them bound together so I can put them out on display next Christmas with other past years Christmas card books. The big delay in getting this done was that I was out of the special binding wire and I hadn't had a spare moment to run to Hobby Lobby to get some more. I looked at other craft stores but I have only ever found it at HL so I did what any other normal hermit would do and ordered some on amazon last week so I could get to work.
The first year I did this I made a cute cover thing for the book but in the past few years I just decided to use our Christmas card from the corresponding year. I usually put the year on it so I figured that is good enough.
I know this method of Christmas Card organization may not be for everyone but I do enjoy looking at cards through the years and I think that binding them together helps them stay together and relatively flat. I'm not sure if this is something I will do forever but gosh darnit- I do love those cards. I even love looking at cards from people I don't even know like when I go over to other people's houses at Christmastime. Weird? Yes, I know this.
Christmas cards with little babies are my favorite! :o)
If photos were included in the card I tried to bind those in the card so they would all stay together. I also tried to keep all the cards in the correct orientation, even the long ones!
I use the Zutter Cutter for binding my cards together and I think I purchased it for ~$35 with a coupon at Hobby Lobby. I do think it is ridiculous to own something like this because you can bind cards together in other ways like taking them to an office supply store, using binder clips or ribbon. BUT I do own it and yes it was a grief induced purchase and well, who knows the explanation on that one but now I have this thing so I try and use it. It is a very strong punch and can even punch through heavy things like chipboard. You can check out other crafty things like it at binditall.com.
When Michael was a baby I made a little 5x7 soft cover book from Shutterfly that was just Christmas photos. I thought I would rekindle that tradition this year and churned this little book out in a few minutes (I was not picky about layouts or order) and for only a few dollars due to a promotion on the website. I think it is cute and will get tucked away with the other Christmas books and card books to be brought out only in December.
I am happy to have this last bit of Christmas wrap up done!
What do you usually do with your Christmas Cards? Are you still wrapping up Christmas this late into February, too?
Sometime I'm going to bring all of "stuff" to your house and make some little books with your binder -Mom
ReplyDeleteYou are not alone in your love of Christmas cards-- I bind the ones I receive with a ribbon each year and love taking them out and looking at them to. I also love to look through the cards my mom and mother-in-law get, and there are usually of people who I don't know either. The ones I received this Christmas are stilling hanging on the wall outside of my bathroom and I try to stop and pray for one family from the cards every morning. I probably don't pray for most of my friends and family often enough, and it is a good visual reminder for me to stop and do that. :) -lh
ReplyDeletewhat a fun idea!!
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