DIY Gift Card Holder and Note Card Tutorial: Reusing a Greeting Card That You Already Have

This is an awesome little project if you have ten spare minutes and a gift card that you're looking to give to someone! Here's all you need:

- A greeting card (standard 8 inches x 5.5 inches is perfect)
- A glue stick
- A paper cutter or pair of scissors

 Open card, and cut straight down at 1 inch to the right of the center line. You want to get rid of the plain side, but don't throw it away! You'll need it in a minute.

(See pictures above and below)

Card should now measure 8 inches x 6.5 inches

Turn card upside down, and fold at 1 inch down.

(above)

Turn card over and around, so that the 1 inch fold is at the top right corner.

Now fold the bottom right corner up at 2 inches.

(above)

Crease card horizontally through the middle and fold to the top so that the

edges across the top are evenly touching.You should have two pocket layers

in the top right corner of your card now.

(above)

Crease in half again; this time you'll be making a vertical fold.

Fold left half under the right half.

(above and below)

Are you with me? We're almost done!

Add a bit of glue to the edges that I've highlighted.

(below)

After you've glued the edges, press tightly for a minute or two so that the glue sets.

Now cut a rectangle that measures 3.5 inches x 2.5 inches from the discarded back side of the original card. This is going to be the note card that slides into your gift card holder!

(below)

After you write a message on your note card, you can tuck it in the back slot of the gift card holder.

The front slot holds your gift card.

(below)

Ta da!

What a nifty way to reuse that birthday card that you were going to throw away after it was displayed for a week or two. This project can be done with so many things, not just greeting cards. Decorative card stock is fun, too. But for those of you who want to ride the Eco Bus, I'd recommend greeting cards and heavy magazine pages/covers.

Once you make a couple of these, you'll be addicted I promise! I made a handful of them during the holidays with old Christmas cards from last year. They made fun little stocking stuffers and tree decorations, and it beats spending $5 on a greeting card that's just going to get tossed in the trash. 

Please share. Enjoy! 

Some Creative Eco-Friendly Gift Wrapping Ideas

While searching for an idea on how to cleverly wrap a bottle of wine for the 50th Wedding Anniversary party we're going to this afternoon (WOW- that's a looooong time!!), I stumbled upon this article and found it very cool and worth sharing.

Did you know that American's spend almost 3 billion dollars a year on gift wrap and bows?! And what happens after the recipient opens their gift? Most throw the trash away. Well here are a handful of ideas for those of you who not only want to help save the environment and save some cash, but who also want to give a gorgeous repurposed gift-wrapped item that will surely stand out over the other gifts with department store tags and bows slapped on them!

 

CLOTH (above):

Vintage Scarf, Burlap Bag, Wool Scarf with Knitting Needle, Tea Towel with Rickrack, Vintage Kimono



NATURAL (above):

Banana Leaf with Cinnamon Stick, Bamboo Leaf with Twine, Bamboo Leaves with Star Anise, Banana Leaf with Reeds, Birch Bark with Feather

PAPER (above):

Vintage Wallpaper, Newspaper and Colored Paper, Map, Grocery Bag and Beads

:)

Some Fresh Eye Candy for Your Morning

I have some nifty things up my sleeve to post about later on this weekend, but here's a real quick, beautiful pick me up to start off your weekend. My husband came home from work with some flowers for me yesterday, just because. I love him to death and I'm thinking that he's a keeper!

I love how a small bouquet of flowers can spruce up any corner in the house. I'm sure I'm not the only one who's bought themselves a cute little handful of blooms to brighten up their space at some point.  Lucky for me, he did it for me!

Perfect!

:)