How to Store Old Cards

Store them in a labeled box.

Sort your cards by occasion. Place your holiday cards in 1 pile, your birthday cards in another, and so on. Arrange your old cards in a filing box, labeling each category with a different holiday or occasion. Flip through the box whenever you’d like to reread some old cards! “Thank You,” “Holidays,” “Birthdays,” “Get Well,” “Valentine’s Day,” and “Sympathy” are all great categories you can include.

Arrange them in a scrapbook.

Turn your old cards into a mini time capsule. Grab a scrapbook and paste your cards onto the pages. As an extra touch, jot down a story or comment to go with the card. This way, when you’re flipping through the scrapbook, you can also relive some wonderful memories. For example, you might write something like, “This Christmas, we got a lot of snow, so my brother sent me a snowman-themed card for the holidays.”

Hold similar cards together with a ring clip.

Hole-punch the corner of each card. Sort your hole-punched cards by theme or occasion, and slide a ring clip through the holes to keep them together. You could clip your “Thank You” cards together, or group together any religious cards.

Put your cards on display.

Find a prominent, high-traffic place in your home. Place the cards on a bulletin board, refrigerator, or any other place where they’ll really get noticed. Leave these cards up for a couple weeks, or however long as you’d like. For instance, you might hang your old birthday cards on the refrigerator when your birthday month rolls around. You could hang up old Valentine’s Day cards on a bulletin board during the month of February.

Frame your favorite cards.

Pick out a card with a lot of sentimental meaning to you. Place the card in a picture frame, and hang it up somewhere you can admire it. This way, you’ll think of a specific, pleasant memory whenever you pass the framed card. For example, you could frame a special anniversary card or wedding invitation.

Glue the cards into a photo mat.

Cut out the front sections of your cards and set them aside. Arrange the front portions of these cards on a blank photo mat, as though you’re creating a collage. Hold the cards in place with craft glue, and cut away any sections hanging over the edge of the frame. You can find photo mats online, or at your local craft store.

Turn your cards into a collage.

Cut out the front portions of some colorful cards. Hang up these cards on your wall, overlapping them in a festive collage. You might cut out and hang up wintery- or snow-themed cards as a tasteful decoration during the winter months. You could cut out and repurpose fall-themed cards into a Thanksgiving collage.

Place your cards in mason jars.

Grab several clean mason jars that are big enough to fit a greeting card. Unscrew the lid and place the card inside, curving it along the side of the jar as you arrange it. Secure the lid back on top and set the jar anywhere in your home as a fun, festive decoration. You might fill several jars with Christmas cards and set them on your table. A card in a jar could be a great accent on your nightstand.

Transform them into magnets.

Cut off your favorite section of a card. This can be the art on the front of the card, or it could be a nice message from a friend or relative. Paste the card piece onto a magnet sheet, and cut out the individual magnet. Now, you can store and display your cards on the refrigerator, or another magnetic surface. You might put a sweet Mother’s or Father’s Day message on your kitchen refrigerator as a sweet memento.

Scan and upload them to your computer.

Digital albums take up no space in your home. Old greeting cards are wonderful, but they can take up a lot of space over time. Instead of just tossing them out, scan your cards to your computer and sort the photos into digital albums. This way, you can view all of your old cards in a few clicks. You might organize your photos by year, or you could sort them by occasion.