Christmas Cards from Scraps

Are you one of those crafters that cannot bear to part with even one small leftover scrap of paper, or a scrap piece of ribbon "that I might work into another project"?  If so, I'm glad I'm not alone!  Ha!  The holidays are a great time to make use of those scraps and create beautiful holiday cards.  Cards make a perfect canvas for trying out new techniques without worry of ruining an entire two-page scrapbook layout.  An added bonus is not having to spend extra money on holiday cards this year.  We're also sure those who receive your cards will love having a handcrafted creation made just for them!  Here are a few we came up with using scrap papers and notions:

Ideas to note:  Use holly leaves from old Christmas decor and buttons as berries.  Since it's a card, you don't have to worry about archival safety.  You can also cut out scenes from paper (like the sledding dogs), attach it to scrap chipboard then mount on pop dots for a unique card embellishment.

Ideas to note:  Who says Christmas cards have to use Christmas paper?  You may recognize the script paper as one from 7 Gypsies from a few years ago.  Another technique is to use your cool border punches to create a visual design element (like the red strip above) on your card.

Ideas to Note:  If your paper is a printed image on a white paper (such as the Santa), color it in with chalks or ink.  This also works well with papers printed to look like newpaper ads.  Tying thin twine scraps through buttons gives your projects a vintage feel.

Ideas to Note:  Cover chipboard shapes with paper to create cute embellishments like this snowman.  And don't forget to raid your button and ribbon stash to find the perfect "clothes" for him to wear!  (You may recognize these scrap papers as the Cosmo Cricket Christmas line from a couple of years ago.  Still so pretty!)