We always tape ours up on the inside of the front door. It makes a great holiday decoration for the front hall and it's great fun to look at and think of all the wonderful people in our lives who think of us at Christmas.

After the holidays, I keep whatever family photos I want that might have come with the cards, note any send/receive changes on my card list for next year, and toss the rest.

Our cards are on a fishing line that goes from corner to corner across one wall in the living room. The line is actually attached where the wall meets the ceiling, but the weight of the cards pulls it down so the cards end up making a "U" shape when the line stretches.

Since fishing line is invisible, we leave it up all year.

I have a vertical plate rack that holds three decorative plates. It has lots of "curly-Qs" that are great to tuck cards into and I tuck them around the plates too. It holds at least 30 doing it this way . . . overlapping of course, but you can still see them all.

Brenda

I finally found what I have been wanting - one of those wire wreaths you hang on the wall and tuck the cards into. I have really enjoyed getting my cards this year and creating my little wreath.

The only thing I keep after new year's, though, are the photos people send. I get so many cards I can justify enjoying them for the month of December, then off they go.

I used to put mine on a small table in the foyer, but this year used it for a holiday display of my brass candlesticks. So I stood the cards in front of the books in our large bookcase, also in the foyer. The cards were the first things your eye fell on when the front door was opened. I think I"ll stay with that spot, it was nice. I arranged all the photo cards along one shelf, at eye level.

I also do what Karen does, only keep the photo cards from year to year. The others I discard.

Ann

We use a wire card holder. The used cards go to school, the teachers like them for crafts.

Heidi

Oh dear, don't hit me! I open them, share with DH, then throw them away.

Ha! Mustangs, thats funny. The reason I asked was because my daughter, the one who is so crazy about Christmas she gets annoyed when I harp on paring things down, surprised me by saying she reads them and they go right into recycle bin! But her house is so cluttered already (partly because of repairs in progress, but also just TOO MUCH STUFF) its good she gets rid of them. Plus I thought it would be fun to share if/how/where we display them. Lots of good ideas here. Sandy

I look at the pictures, check to see whether addresses have changed, and throw them in the recycle bin. I don't send cards to anyone I see on a regular basis.

I have one of those bulletin boards with the ribbon for holding the cards. It's shaped like a snowman and perfect for the cards. I then keep the pictures, toss the cards. I used to keep the cards, but once I realized that I never looked at them again, decided to ditch them after the holidays.

We used to keep the cards for the next Christmas so the boys could make decorations from them. As teenagers, they're no longer interested. LOL

Our church used to collect them for St. Jude, but heard they weren't accepting them now. This year they'll go in the recycle bin.

We tape them to the mantle, then toss them after the holidays. I also do this for birthdays.

I have a pretty basket on the desk, right by the front door. All cards go in there after we read them. The "card" that's always put in the front is one a friend (now deceased) cross-stitched for me. Then when I get around to putting Christmas stuff away (which isn't yet), I check for new addresses, pick out the card I thought was the greatest, and call or write that person, telling her she won the prize for the year! It's funny, but the same person never wins the following year.

I've lurked on this site a few times but have just decided to post. I've really enjoyed the organizing tips so far.

I have a 3 year old son who makes a mess when eating at the table. With old xmas or birthday cards I get a piece of oaktag(sp?), cut up the cards and paste on the paper. I then bring to a local photocopying shop and get laminated for about $7. We use it as his placemat. It also keeps him interested while eating looking at the pictures and talking about who and when he got the card.

Happy New Year.

I also tape the cards on the molding around my front door. So pretty and nice to be reminded of friends and family. When the season is over, I save the family photos. Pretty cards I save and recycle as gift tags the next year, Cut out an image with regular or pinking scissors, then place on red or green construction paper, and cut a slightly larger piece out of the colored paper. Punch holes thru the top of both pages,then tie together with yarn. You could include a middle page of white paper to write the "to" and "from" names. I too remember sending old cards to a religious mission, they would have children or handicapped people cut them up to make new cards. I guess that might have been St Judes. Too bad thy're no longer doing it.

We send them to Planet Ark via our post office.
Lisa

Here is a link that might be useful: Cards 4 Planet Ark

I hate to tape stuff to the woodwork or furniture--I've had bad experiences w/ it peeling stuff off.

We have a pair of louvered doors between kitchen and DR; we slip them over the louvers. We're thinking of moving, and I don't know what we'll do w/ them in the new place.

We should probably just toss them, after everyone gets a good look at them.

It's the pictures that throw me off--I do just tape them to the edge of that louvered door, but I worry every time I do.

I toss mine, too, and I wish we had something like Planet Ark!

Breenthumb...like this??

Kt

We have 3 beveled glass doors, one in the front hall and two separating the living and dining room. Each door has 12 separate panes of glass and I enjoy taping a card to each pane of glass. It looks very festive. I also hang a string across our mantle and clothespin our stockings to it and hang cards on the string in between. Now it may seem funny, but after Christmas I store that year's cards with the new cards that I will send out the following year and use the cards that we received and envelopes to then write out addresses the following year. Joanne

I usually find a place to display them, one side of our fridge is exposed so it makes a nice place to tape them up.
BUT, two years ago I just stopped sending cards. I know I know sounds terrible, but we also don't get many now either. Which is ok. With email and facebook we stay in touch with those we care about anyways.

I tape mine to the molding around my front door. I love to look at them all season, they are part of my decorations! when im done, I take them down, sort out any family photos or hand-written notes, make note of any address changes, then set the cards aside to use next year. I cut pretty pictures from the cards and use them as gift tags. My Mother used to do the same thing. I used to get about 100 cards a year. This past Christmas I received about 30. Shows who your true friends are.

I'm a teacher, and we have something at school called an Ellison machine which cuts out shapes. After Xmas, I take pretty card fronts and cut out motifs of pine trees, snowmen, candles, etc. and use them for gift tags the following year. You could also do the same thing by making a cardboard stencil with a simple outline, trace it onto your card and cut it out.

I just pile them in a festive bowl.

After Christmas, I save the cards from people who are special to me. Then the next year, I toss the old one after the new one comes in. This may sound morbid, but my parent's generation is passing away, and I want to keep the last card I received from may Aunt and my parent's cousins. I still have a few cards and notes from my grandmothers.

In the past I've taped a red velvet ribbon to an interior door, with the ribbon taped at the top and bottom of the door and the ribbon running down the middle of it. I would staple the cards (back part) to the ribbon. After the holidays, I would put them all in a box w/ the holiday decorations. Every once in a while I'd look through them, but usually they just accumulated.

Finally I saw a news blurb that said St. Jude's was collecting them. I think that was 2009. So I finally went through all the cards from many years and sent off the ones I thought they'd take. I kept some of my favorites to someday use the front as a decoration or gift tag, as well as some of the photo cards.

I didn't send 2010's cards to St. Jude's yet - they're sitting in a pile on my sewing cabinet! I just did a quick check on the St. Jude's site and they still have the recycled card program - and it says they also accept all-occasion cards too. (See the link)

Here is a link that might be useful: St. Jude's Ranch - Recycled Card Program

St. Jude's Ranch sounds like a great idea, but they can't use cards from the major card companies. From the website:

Card Donating Tips:
All types of greeting cards, including Christmas are used.
Only the card front can be used (please check to be sure the back side is clear of any writing, etc.)

We can not accept Hallmark, Disney or American Greeting cards.

5" x 7" size or smaller is preferred.

Mail donations to :
St. Jude's Ranch for Children
Recycled Card Program
100 St. Jude's Street
Boulder City, NV 89005

I think of a Christmas card as a gift so even people I see all the time I like to give the gift of a Christmas card. It's nice to give a card especially to those we see all the time but never take time to say how much they mean to us. I used to save cards but in the last couple of years toss them after the holidays after keeping the photos. I put them in a treasure box and sometimes I will go through that and be able to toss it at this later time rather than when I first got it. It seems easier after time goes by. BTW I don't substitute a card FOR a gift I just still think of the card as a gift to someone to let them know I think they are pretty special to me all year round and at Christmas too.

Sudiepav...do you have any examples made up that you can share pictures of them with us? What is an Ellison machine? Do you do this to any other type of greeting cards? Great idea!

i also use old cards for gift tags... if i think it would enhance the tag, i cut it out with pinking shears.

Here's some ideas for you!

Here is a link that might be useful: Christmas card projects

wow. i read them and throw them away! i had no idea i was supposed to do anything with them, LOL!

I've been saving the ones with the cutest fronts that can be framed and used as a decorative item. I'm actually thinking about giving these framed gems as gifts next year.