Twelfth night - christmas card recycling

Ok so I know this is a really basic idea but one worth doing. I have recycled the christmas cards that I was kindly sent for 2011 into gift tags for christmas 2012. It's really easy so hardly needs a tutorial but I did discover a couple of handy tricks.

What you need

Old christmas cards

Giant gift tag hole punch and ordinary hole punch

Marker pen

Cord or embroidery thread

Step one

First, I cut the backs off the christmas cards and I started to work out where the design on the card would match up with the tag shape. I found it best to take the back off the tag hole punch so that I could see exactly how it would look. If you don't have a tag hole punch do google it. I got mine in Blade Rubber Stamps in London

Step two

Once you've cut out all the tag shapes you need a hole to put the thread to hang them on. You can buy a single hole punch but I don't have one of those so I used a normal office hole punch. I marked on the back of the tag where the hole needed to go and then lined this up in the round hole (see picture below)

Here is how I lined up the hole for the tag

Step three

I cut lengths of cord or embroidery thread of about 15cm. I folded the thread in half, passed the two ends through the hole towards the front of the card and then back through the loop to attach it.

And then you have to put them somewhere safe ready for next christmas!