Birthday Cards Using Recycling and the Sad Waste of Paper

I always like to keep bits of colourful envelopes it seems such a waste to throw them away when you have opened cards. The same could also be said of any envelope really, all those bits of paper just thrown away, that could be used for shopping lists, paper for the children to doodle on or cut up and fastened together for note books to keep in your bag for odd bits you need to jot down.

As you may have gathered I hate waste,so while I have to watch tree after tree disappearing through the photocopier every day at work I try to be a bit more sensible with my use of paper at home, and not just paper we try to re-use  and make the most of our stuff.
I have a cupboard full of gift bags which are re-used at Christmas and Birthdays, any I am given are folded and carefully stored, as are ribbons, and any re-usable bits of paper.  We recycle clothes, at charity shop if we no longer want them, I often buy there also or on ebay, my children also sell on games or donate and they also buy used games for consoles etc.
There are a couple of birthdays coming up so I decided to make a couple of cards for that today. I know that places like hobby craft are full of pre-made card and envelopes and I have bought these when they are being sold off occasionally. More often though I will use what I have and that is usually what most people will have lying around.

So the white card was A4 size but then cut in half and folded now quite often there is a pristine piece of white card on the back of any birthday or Christmas cards you are given. Cut this away carefully and store, ribbons often come on boxes of chocolates, around blankets or towels or can be picked up at charity shops.

 Buttons I always save the spares that come with any thing and any clothing that cannot be donated or reused is de constructed and all zips, buttons and useful bits removed.

The silver and white background card in my cards was from a bath gift set I was bought last year it lined the bottom of the box! The pink paper I used to make the flowers was a used envelope, your name is usually in the middle so there is loads of usable colourful paper on birthday envelopes. If you are not very good at cutting your own designs you can go on line choose some images and make yourself some templates ( just remember to save them so you are not creating more waste!)

The buttons are from my stash of many odd buttons I just sew them on, silver pens come in useful for writing on your greetings and save on printing. I don't usually add further paper inside I just write the greeting straight onto the card.

Now these cards now need envelopes to fit, I will do these tomorrow, you can use colourful magazine pictures (use the free ones that get pushed through the door) or any paper big enough even saved wrapping paper just make a little label to stick on the front.  I usually find people like cards you have made because you put the time in. I have been a  bit behind on all my handmade stuff recently so I am on a real push now to get back into it.

There are loads of ideas out there for re-using paper, card, jars, jumpers etc. I will share more later.