Holidays & Entertaining Christmas Christmas Ornaments How to Make Christmas Card Ornaments Turn old greeting cards into colorful ornaments with this simple, eco-savvy DIY project. By Sarah Martens Sarah Martens Sarah Martens is the Senior Editor overseeing food at Better Homes & Gardens digital. She has been with the BHG brand for more than 10 years. Learn about BHG's Editorial Process Updated on November 15, 2023 Project Overview Total Time: 15 minutes Skill Level: Beginner Estimated Cost: $5 Receiving Christmas cards from friends and family is a favorite part of the holidays, and throwing the pile away at the end of the season just seems wrong. Instead, put the memories to good use with this creative Christmas craft idea. Upcycle last year's greeting cards into colorful orb ornaments in just three simple steps. You'll need to cut 20 circles out of the cards to make each orb. Use a variety of colors and patterns to add dimension to your finished ornaments. This easy Christmas card craft is perfect for trimming the tree or gifting to friends and family. Brie Goldman What You'll Need Equipment / Tools 2-Inch Circle paper punch Crafts knife Hot glue gun and glue sticks Materials Assorted paper cards Small cutting mat Thread Instructions How to Make a Christmas Card Ornament With just a few supplies and these instructions, you can create your own recycled Christmas craft using leftover cards. These easy DIY Christmas ornaments also make heartfelt holiday gifts. Brie Goldman Prep Circles Punch out 20 circles from cards using a 2-inch circle punch. Brie Goldman Draw Triangles On the back of each circle, draw an even-sided triangle that extends to the edges. Brie Goldman Score Paper On a cutting mat, score with a crafts knife, being careful not to cut through the card. Brie Goldman Fold Edges With the pattern side of each circle face up, gently fold the edges up along the scored lines to create tabs. (Each piece should look like a flat triangle with three rounded edges, or tabs, folded upward.) Brie Goldman Create Chain of Paper Hot-glue one tab of a circle to any tab of another circle. Repeat to create a chain of 10 in a straight line. This will be the center band of the sphere. Brie Goldman Form a Ring Once complete, glue the ends of the band together to form a ring. Brie Goldman Attach Cutouts for Form Circles Hot-glue two tabs of each of five circles together to form a circle. Repeat with the remaining five pieces to create a second circle. Brie Goldman Add Hanger Form a loop with thread for the hanger and knot. Pull the thread through the top of one of the domes, with the knotted end inside. Brie Goldman Attach Dome to Ring Attach the band so the tabs align; hot-glue to secure all the tabs, keeping the thread in the middle. Carson Downing Finish Christmas Card Ornament Glue the tabs of the second dome to the band to complete the sphere. Let it dry. Hang the finished ornament on your decorated Christmas tree or gift as a thoughtful holiday keepsake.