Christmas Craft Concepts: Holiday Card Stash Box Ideas

We're shaking things up at the 12 Months of Christmas. While we have offered countless recipes and unearthed customs and traditions from around the world, it's time to explore a different path. Each month this year, we will offer up a tutorial or template revolving around the holidays.

WHERE DO YOU STASH YOUR CHRISTMAS CARDS THROUGHOUT THE YEAR?

The problem with accumulating a stack of handmade cards is where to keep them. You can't stack them or they'll topple; stuffing them in a drawer seems a little haphazard. I personally like to use photo boxes, but as you can see, I need to decorate it in some way to keep the box of holiday cards from getting lost with the other boxes. This is only half the room, with more boxes not pictured.

I tried to use sticky notes, but they kept falling off; I didn't want to permanently mark up the boxes, since I use up their contents and switch out what goes in them.

But I always have an ever-growing stash of Christmas cards, so I gather up my supplies: empty photo box, patterned paper, paper cutter, spray adhesive, a well-ventilated, protected area to work in (mine is my stove top, cleverly concealed by newspaper store ads, where I have a venting fan that will suck up the fumes from the adhesive).

I start by measuring out the sides of my box. I want a clean look to it, so I'll make the smaller front and back ends longer than necessary so I can fold them over. Then I can cover them up with the papers I adhere to the long sides of my box.

Spray the adhesive on the backs of your papers, waiting about 15 seconds for it to get tacky, and apply to your box, starting with the front and back ends.
Next, measure and cut your papers for the lid, remembering to make the papers for the front and back sides longer.

When all sides of your box and lid are papered, you can decorate to your heart's content. I like to just place a large decoration that I can read from afar, one that tells me that Christmas cards are inside.

As you can see, I've got a good start on my stash for 2018. Not bad for just 23 days!

There are lots of ways to store your cards for the holidays. At Household management101, they suggest buying a greeting card holder from Amazon. It looks great, but at over $17, it's not quite in my budget.
It looks very much like the photo storage boxes you can buy at Michael's or Hobby Lobby. I have three of those. I would have to make my own tabs to separate my cards (children's, religious, family, etc).Photo boxes, on the other hand, can cost as low as $1.50 US dollars.

Next, I found a template that looks like a magazine holder but is sized for note cards. The template is offered by Papertrey ink and is sold for $5. It's still a little pricey, but at least you can create it yourself, putting personal touches in your project and even using it as a gift filled with cards (or blank cards and embellishments)for friends.

Then I got to thinking. Anyone can take a cereal box or some kind of box and cut it to look like a magazine holder. Except, of course, it should be sized to hold cards. Recycle and upcycle is my motto, and all it costs is a few weeks of eating the same cereal for breakfast to empty the box, your craft papers and embellishments!

There are so many ways to store your cards, but I have one more way that will KNOCK YOUR SOCKS OFF. Granted, you may not build your stash this much, but don't you just turn green with envy at her storage system?? I know I'm salivating over it...

Amanda of Wit & Whistle sells cards and other paper goodies and needs storage for her inventory. These are bookcases from Ikea.

So as you can see, there are a number of different methods for keeping your stash of Christmas cards together. Some home-made and some purchased. Whatever system you choose, just make sure that it will serve you best and keep all those Christmas cards looking as neat and fresh as the day you first made them!

Thanks for joining us today. I hope that I have given you some great ideas to play around with. Be sure to join me again on February 23rd when I will be back to share a new Christmas Craft Concept!