Let Holiday Cards Speak on Your Layouts

At this time of year, folks who don’t consider themselves crafters come out of their shells. Before you know it, you have an array of holiday cards and letters arriving from them in your mailbox. I remember how during the holidays when I was young, my mom would string together the greeting cards we received and hang them on the walls. The cards were so beautiful that we didn’t need much more decoration than them and our tiny tinsel tree.

Cards today, like modern holiday decor, are as beautiful as ever. Don’t let their artistry and the memories they bring end with the season. Add charm and life to your scrapbooks by including holiday cards on your layouts. Here are a few ideas from the December 2009 issue of Creating Keepsakes.

“Christmas of ‘08” by Becky Higgins, as seen in the December 2009 issue of Creating Keepsakes (page 46)

Include an actual copy of your family’s holiday card on your layout, as Becky Higgins did.

"Merry Christmas" by Brittany Beattie, as seen in the December 2009 issue of Creating Keepsakes (page 66)

Use a small tag meant for packages as a page embellishment. This cute skiing-penguin scene would be a great addition to a story on a snow-themed Christmas layout. You can add an embellishment or two to the tag to give it more dimension, like Brittany Beattie did.

"Wishing You Peace" by Jennifer McGuire, as seen in the December 2009 issue of Creating Keepsakes (page 110)

If you don’t have room to include an entire card on your page, use only a particular accent, such as the pretty felt flower from this card by Jennifer McGuire.

"Uncontainable Joy" card by Deena Wuest, as seen in the December 2009 issue of Creating Keepsakes (page 81)

Use the photo from your holiday card as one of your main pictures on a layout. The oh-so-adorable child from this card by Deena Wuest would make any page stand out, with or without the text printed on the photo.

Whatever your card preference, be it homemade or store bought, take a break and let your cards do the talking for you on your pages this season.

—Dorathy Gilchrist, associate editor