Crafty Idea

I have been going through all our "stuff" and found countless old cards - birthday, anniversary, congratulations on having a baby, thank-you notes, all kinds. Many of them have beautiful designs, and some of them were probably fairly expensive.

Sometimes there are nice poems, or handwritten notes inside, or just a funny phrase...

The problem is that whether they're attached to some sentimental event or not, it's hard for me to throw away a card that someone was thoughtful enough to give. I try not to be a packrat, and I despise clutter, but over the past year, cards have become an issue around here. I have been collecting many, especially the ones we received after Lucy was born... which is where I got my idea:

I eventually plan on making a scrapbook for her, and since she is almost 8 months old, I am obviously already really behind. I wanted to keep all her cards, but realized that they're pointless to save unless they are somehow being enjoyed. I got the idea to use the cards (even though they may be partially cut-up in the process) as embellishments in her scrapbook. This way the cute artwork, and even the little handwritten notes from friends and family can be added to the pages, so we will always remember who was nice enough to send us a card.... oops - just kidding - we will always be able to enjoy their kind words!

So if you ever plan on scrapbooking, or feel guilty throwing away a $4.00 card (which someone no doubt spent 20 minutes agonizing over at Hallmark), put them to use... and clean out that junk drawer!