What to do with all those Christmas Cards:

Do you have a wall in your home that looks similar to this?:

No?  

Oh, me neither.

I'm not lying!  Saturday night (yes, it was January 25) my homegirls came over and brought their piles of Christmas cards/pics.  Then I (finally) took mine down & we DID SOMETHING WITH THEM!

Isn't it grand?!

For the past few/several years I have been copying this exact same layout multiple times over to scrapbook the lovely Christmas cards I receive.  I'm not quite done with this years', so here are the photos from my 2012 cards:

 (sorry for the creepy blurred heads, but I didn't feel right about putting so many people's 

faces/children unknowingly out in "The Internets")

I've seen various documentation others have done with these cards.  Many people keep them all in one album.  A Christmas card album with several years' worth of cards in there.

But, although I make scrapbook pages in no particular order, I store each page chronologically in my albums.

If this looks like something you'd like to try, I will give you some simple steps to follow along:

1. Gather all of your cards/letters/pictures.  Separate them into those 3 piles.  (I usually throw out the cards, unless there is a personal note inside)  
2. Ruthlessly trim down all the photos - cutting out the cute bench/tree/old barn door and sometimes even their full length bodies. 
3. Sort the trimmed down photos into piles.  You don't have to do this, but I usually have all my family on the first pages, close friends second, and then all our other friends and acquaintances later.
4. Choose 2 patterned papers.  Trim paper into 3x12 inch strips.  Adhere to the bottom of your cardstock.  
5. Choose 2 washi tapes.  I recommend choosing ones that contrast with your paper, in order to stand out.  Adhere onto cardstock just above the paper.  (In 2012 I glued down a sequin ribbon between the paper & washi tape)  Use a thin strip of paper, ribbon, or other trim as another option!

6. Adhere down your photos.  Some tips: I start with big photos in the bottom inside border & build up and out from there.  Also, notice that the margins between each of the photos and the washi is all the same.  This space gives rest for the eye and provides a sense of order with all those photos!

7. I use a label punch to punch out how ever many of the medium size labels that I need (one for each photo).  I used a gold vellum in these photos.  I have used either cardstock or a very subtle patterned paper in the past. Use what you have! Then I write (in Sharpie) their family's name on each & adhere to the photo.

8.  For the easiest embellishing ever, I used the Heidi Swapp Color Shine (this is a liquid paint in a tiny spray bottle) in Gold Lame to sprinkle on the pages.  It dries in tiny little circles of gold dazzle.  It seriously trips me out - the goldy shimmer.  Aaaaanyhooo....

9.  Lastly, I build a simple pocket page for my letters and cards (and photo cards I find hidden by my children in the couch cushions when I actually clean them out in June or so...).

• I trim a patterned paper down to 6x12 inches.  
• Use one of the washi tapes across the top of the patterned paper.  Then place adhesive right along the very edge of both sides and the bottom.  NOT THE WASHI EDGE, of course.  
• Stick it down and you've got yourself a pocket!
• Neatly stuff all your letters/misc items in there.

 Voila!

I hope this helps you in some way.  Helps you get your photos off the wall/out of the basket/out of the garbage can :)

I can tell you that my life is so much smoother when I have a plan.  And this simple plan for what to do with my Christmas Card photos makes me happy and feel accomplished.

Have a wonderful day!
Stacey