How to Make Ornaments out of Christmas Cards

It’s officially the most wonderful time of year! One of my favorite holiday activities is sending and receiving holiday cards. I love this idea from Amy of Maker Mama to use old holiday cards to make paper Christmas ornaments to adorn the tree. These easy DIY ornaments can be made with any kind of patterned paper, but Amy used vintage Christmas cards she found at a thrift store. If you are looking for more ideas to up cycle Christmas cards, be sure to check out 10 creative uses for old Christmas cards.

I found the cutest set of vintage Christmas cards years ago, and decided it was time to let them  shine! Inspired by some other paper ball ornaments I made a couple years back, I decided to make a more modern version, and keep those gorgeous vintage cards to myself!

Psst… this post contains affilate links.

Here’s what you need to make DIY paper ornaments

• Holiday cards (or card stock)
• Glue
• A circle punch (Here’s a great deal on a set of 2!)
• Baker’s twine

How to make easy DIY ornaments out of holiday cards

Add a touch of whimsy to your tree this holiday season with a few pieces of twine and vintage holiday cards.

Step 1- Cut circles

The main tool used to make these DIY ornaments is a circle punch. You can use any sized punch depending on how big you want the ornaments to be. The circles should be identical, so cutting them by hand would make that tricky and take a really long time. I punched seven circles from the card design and seven circles from the back of the card for my ornaments. You can use more or fewer circles depending on how you want your ornaments to look.

Step 2- Fold and glue circles

Next, fold each circle in half and then glue the backside of each of the pieces together alternating the white and colored circles. (I think they kind of look like peppermints that way, don’t you?).

Step 3- Add string

Don’t forget to add a string before gluing the final pieces and then tie off and trim the bottom of the ornament. 

Step 4- Hang

Finally, hang the gorgeous paper ornaments on the Christmas tree and enjoy!

How easy was that? These are a simple way to add a handmade touch to your Christmas tree, and perfect for an ornament making party! If you’re looking for more cute, easy to make Christmas crafts, don’t miss:

• 19 DIY Christmas Ornaments
• Gnome ornaments made out of corks
• Ugly sweater ornaments with tiny hangers made out of paperclips