Recycle Your Holiday Cards

Don't throw away those holiday cards. Use them to make small gift boxes for giving next Christmas and throughout the year! These adorable boxes are perfect for holding small objects and are ideal for holding gift certificates. Plus, they're so beautiful they don't need to be wrapped!

Cards that don't work well for boxes can often be cut up and used as next year's gift tags.

How to make gift boxes from holiday cards:

1. With the card closed, slice off the folded edge of the card to create 2 separate pieces. At this point the the pieces will be the same size.
2. Using the piece that will be the BOTTOM of the box, slice 1/8 inch off one long side and 1/8 inch off one short side of the Back. This will make the box bottom a little smaller than the top for easy fitting. Set this piece aside.
	3. Put the piece that will be the TOP of the box face down on the table. Draw pencil lines 1 inch in from all four edges of the card. Draw a second set of lines 1/2 inch in from the edge on all sides.
	4. Score all lines by running the back of the exacto knife blade along the ruler. This will make folding easier.
	5. Still with the card face down, create flaps on the long sides by slicing the corner from the 1 inch line to the edge on each of the short sides (see diagram).
	6. Fold the long sides first on the 1/2 inch line, then on the one inch line. You will see the box begin to take shape.
	7. Fold the corner flaps in and then fold each of the short edges to cover the flaps.

That's it. You have made the top of the box. Repeat steps 3 through 7 for the bottom and you have a finished box.

For more crafts look in the issues of Vermont Weathervane.