Recycle Christmas cards with this fine motor, art activity.  Turn special greeting cards into something new with a simple craft that's easy to set up with just scissors and glue.

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Christmas cards we send and receive light up the holiday season. Sometimes it's the only way family and friends from far away can keep in touch.

Since greeting cards are such a special part of holidays and events, it's especially fulfilling to have an art activity like this one for reusing them.

In this easy craft, kids make beautiful pictures with greeting cards, scissors and glue. Add other craft materials according to what you have on hand, or to meet the interests of kids.

This is an open-ended, child-led activity, with lots of learning opportunities. Kids choose, and cut out, elements on the greeting cards that they want to use in their new pictures.

Related: Greeting Card Flowers Craft

Recycled greeting cards craft

Materials list

Greeting cards
Construction paper
Cotton balls
Scissors
Glitter
Glue

Instructions for a greeting card art activity

1. Cut out the parts of the greeting cards that you might want to use in your picture.

We created a 'forest in winter' scene. Several of our greeting cards had snow and trees and winter animals to inspire our activity. 

For younger children, prepare some cutouts beforehand. Kids can choose the pieces they want, and also cut out other parts of the card if they want to. 

2. Arrange the cutouts on a piece of construction paper. 

3. Glue the cutouts in place when you are happy with your design.

Here are some options for completing a winter forest picture.

• Glue the trees onto a piece of construction paper.

• Stretch the cotton balls into long wispy pieces for snow and clouds. This a great fine motor activity.
  
  
• Add confetti flakes or biodegradable glitter for snowflakes.  Spreading glue with a glue stick and grasping glitter from a tray with fingertips are also fine motor activities.

A creative art activity engages many developmental skills, including: fine motor (cutting out pictures), cognitive (decision making, designing the layout), and language (talking about the pictures).

Look through your Christmas cards to explore the possibilities for this activity. The greeting cards become even more special by being used in your child's artwork.

More fun ways to recycle!

 Visit us on Pinterest for more crafts and activities from the Preschool Toolkit blog!