Thursday, December 15, 2011

58 Happy Holidays: Christmas Card Display

Christmas is getting closer and closer!  Have you been getting all sorts of smiley faced cards in the mail?  That's one of my favorite parts of every day.  Seeing the sweet holiday cards that pop up in our mailbox.

But figuring out a great way to display them or what to do with them is always a bit of a challenge.  This year, I did a little holiday organizing post for Centsational Girl, and included a couple of greeting card display ideas...

Since I was completely stuck and lacking great wall space, I decided to pull inspiration from those ideas.

I started out with our pantry door...


{Sorry, the following pics were shot at night as it gets dark here around 4:00 and most projects are completed after that....ew, I know}

We tied a piece of ribbon to the over the door organizer on the opposite side of the door:


Then, layered in a second ribbon for texture:


I rolled regular gift wrapping tape and stuck it behind the first ribbon, to not only hold it in place, but also to add as door protection as I hot glued the blue ribbon to it.

I knew right away, it was going to come together swimmingly, but somethings wasn't right.  It needed a "star" so I found a felt snowflake and hot glued that to the top.


Of course, a plain ribbon running center of a door isn't all that fantastic.  The magic happens when you start adding cards to it!

You could do this all sorts of ways, clips, clothespins, hot glue?  We had some Loctite in the drawer right next to the door, so that's the first thing I grabbed for.


I just rolled up little balls of the putty and stuck it right on the ribbon.  Then pushed the cards down right on top of it.

Worked like a charm!



They hang very flush against the ribbon and door...


And because they are in the kitchen, I can enjoy them for the next couple of weeks, and stop and smile with each and every passing by!


The felt snowflake at the top was the perfect touch!


As far as the holiday cards that don't have family photographs, I keep those to look at throughout the holidays as well, they are in a mail bucket by the front door.


How are you displaying the holiday love this year?  Did you go with some inspiration found as well?


58 comments:

  1. Our family adopted a few ideas to make our own new tradition - we have a tree in the dining room that we decorate with all of the cards we receive:
    http://teamalix.blogspot.com/2009/12/christmas-card-display-solution.html

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  2. I am reading this with encouragement and a flutter in my tummy :). I am going to make the EXACT same idea on our pantry door, too! I noticed last night that we have a nice stash of photo cards that have come in the mail, and I really wanted to do something cute with the Christmas ribbon I have. We'll both have super cute pantry doors!

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  3. I did something similar to this but with three ribbons on a wall. It's simple but so beautiful.

    http://www.worleyhouseblog.com/2010/12/green-christmas.html

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  4. My Mom and Grandmother always displayed their Christmas cards by putting a really pretty tablecloth on the table (usually red or green, but I would like to try gold or silver!), then put the cards down (they always kept some really special ones to their hearts -- often from family members who had since passed) and then put a clear cover over it. I'm not sure yet where they got the clear plastic cloths, but I intend on working this tradition into my holiday decorations, too! :)

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  5. I did something similar to this but used my kitchen cabinet doors. I then painted clothes pin and use the clothes pins to attach the cards. It's one of the easiest projects I did but one of my favorites because of how it can dress up a room for Christmas.

    http://customizedcreationsblog.blogspot.com/2011/12/make-it-monday-christmas-card-display.html

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  6. Love this post and it was exactly the idea I have been looking for.

    I had a second question and I asked it on a previous post but didn't receive a response. I don't mean to pester but can you tell me where you got the nightstands from that are in your master bedroom?

    I have been looking for the nightstands for over a year now and these are the perfect ones. I am keeping my fingers-crossed that they are still out there.

    Thank you so much for taking the time.
    Shelley

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  7. What a wonderful idea. I really love this! My family always receives so many christmas cards and we just do not have enough counter space to display them all, this is such a lovely idea & so space efficient!


    The Urban Umbrella
    xoxo

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  8. I think I may use this idea. I have a pantry door that would work great for this! Thanks.

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  9. That looks great! I'm going to try that next year! This year I've got some ribbon hanging down a small corner wall that dangles large stars (weights) at the bottom. I simply attach each card down the ribbon strands with a staple adding new cards each day. :). hmm... maybe I should post it on my blog!? Thanks for the inspiration - and THANKS for pinning my alphabet stencil project the other day. I got a ton of traffic to my blog (I'm quite new) so it was just like a Christmas present :). Love your blog!

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  10. This year I did something new with our Christmas cards. I usually tape them up around the kitchen wrap around that was the first thing that people saw when they walked in our apartment. Now we are in a new apartment so I needed a new way to display them. I did some browsing on Pinterest and decided that I was going to hang them on the garland that is hanging across our dining room entrance. I just hole punched a hole in the corner of the card, took a small wire ornament hanger and attached to the garland.

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  11. ahhhhh I LOVE IT! The snowflake absolutely MAKES the display! <3 brilliant!

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  12. I'm doing something similar on our coat closet door and am loving it! The kids also enjoy seeing the happy faces of people we know and love. The best thing is that it's so easy and festive. I love the blog world and all the fun ideas that get passed around! Merry Christmas!!

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  13. This is such a cute idea. I might adopt it and put it on the coat closet door in the entry so everyone who comes into the house will be welcomed by the cards. Maybe I'll look for some burlap ribbon to give it a more rustic look, and use clothespins to attach the cards. Hope we'll get many!!
    Thanks for sharing!
    Jule

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  14. LOVE your site...new follower!! Merry Christmas!

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  15. We did the ribbon thing too! I have them hanging on either side of the front door and used decorative clothespins to attach them. LOVE! Yours look adorable too. Nice job! Here's a link to mine...
    http://scrapinspired.com/2011/12/decorate-with-christmas-cards/

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  16. i made something very similar to yours! (only with one ribbon though! lol) and because i didn't have anything to hold them up they're being held up by paperclips for now until i can find some clothespins!

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  17. @Shelley - The nightstands are from Slumberland Furniture about 10 years ago when we first moved into our home. We switched out the hardware but the rest is the same! Hope you can find some similar!!

    xoxo,
    Jen

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  18. When the first card arrived at the beginning of the month, I did the ribbon thing on our front door! I stuck the cards to the shimmering red ribbon with glue dots from my scrapbook supplies! :)

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  19. I did the exact same thing minus the snowflake. I love it!! it lets us see all the great photos instead of having squished into the circular holder that I had up before.

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  20. We have a lighted pine garland that runs along the banister going upstairs. I covered clothespins with scrapbook paper, and attached the cards to the pine branches on both sides of the banister. It is something nice to look at as you go up the stairs for the hundredth time each day!! ;)

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  21. I love the idea of putting the cards on display in the kitchen. We did the ribbon route a few years ago and I've been trying to decide what to do this year. I think our cards will be in the kitchen this year too!

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  22. Hi!! I'm Amee & I'm your newest follower!!! Love your idea for displaying Christmas Cards!! Love the pics...!
    Your site looks Awesome....love the clean detail & cheery colors. I'm headed to look around! :)
    www.amee2.blogspot.com

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  23. Thank you so much for your great ideas. I will definitely use this one this holiday. :-), Susan Cooper

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  24. holy smokes, you have good looking friends.

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  25. Heart that idea Jen!!! I actually picked up a wire picture holder from Pier 1 a few years ago on sale. It's tall and I can hang it or lean it somewhere with all my cards and family photo cards. It's fun to display it that way. :)

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  26. i pin a thin ribbon in my kitchen along the top of the crown molding and place the cards on it (the folded, non-photo cards); as for the photo cards ... i found a card holder from hallmark a couple years ago and attached it to our basement door (using a hook). (i use this year-round, as it doesn't look 'christmasy' and there are always cards or a few photos i like to display).

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  27. Considering I have gotten exactly 3 Christmas cards in the mail I am not really doing anything with them. Hopefully more will come but I am beginning to think everyone I know doesn't send out cards any more. I miss them so much, perhaps I need to make some new friends who send cards. :) Hehehe
    If I do get some more I plan on clipping them to an old shutter I have in the hallway where we all can see them. I love the idea of the ribbon ,but I don't have a pantry or a door that would work.

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  28. I love this idea! In years past I hang up the cards on the wall in a clock pattern. Didn't get many cards this year but i am going to have to stock this away for next year.

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  29. I love all those ideas!! I should try it.

    http://www.atitelavoyacontar.blogspot.com

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  30. Every year I go through the struggle of how to display my cards, without it looking too "cluttery". I found a product that I love, and I think you might, too! I found that I end up using it year-round for cute things my kids make, invitations, photos that I don't necessarily want to frame, on and on. (And although it sounds like I do, I don't gain any benefit from sharing this with you...I just love a good product!)

    http://www.photogatorstand.com/index.html

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  31. OH I love the little bucket on the door handle for holding cards!

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  32. I've made a simple card hanger from a piece of twine and some tiny coloured wooden pegs. I hung it from 2 hooks in the wall and it looks adorable and totally hand made :)

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  33. We do the "Christmas clothesline" here - there's a beam that runs through the middle of the ceiling in our living room and I stuck 2 3M little hooks to it, one on either end, then ran some basic red gift ribbon between them (leaving a bit of saggyness). Then painted clothespegs red and green and alternated them along the ribbon. The hooks have been covered up with festive bundles of pinecones/fake berries. This is a good solution in our house because I have a toddler and all the decorations need to be high enough that they don't get "toddlered".

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  34. I'm a new follower! Oh my goodness - I need you in my life. My classroom and my house need you desperately. I look forward to taking a look around! :)

    Holly
    Crisscross Applesauce in First Grade

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  35. I have displayed Christmas cards on an embrodery hoop with small wooden pegs, I found this idea last year (can't remember where!!). I also keep my favourite cards from past years & display them until I get new cards. Love your simple display, just beautiful.

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  36. MUCH better than my thumb-tacking them willy-nilly to our bulletin board. Thanks for the idea!

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  37. love this! such a cute idea. yes, the star at the top added that final touch. thanks for posting this! visit me sometime at http://cinderelladuty.blogspot.com!

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  38. What a great idea! I could easily do that on my pantry door too.

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  39. This is so cute Jen! I also hate night photos...yuck. Here in Germany its dark so early also. Visit me too @ http://delightfullycoconuts.blogspot.com

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  40. Love the layered look of the ribbons. I have done a similar thing for ours this year, but with ribbon wrapped around the cupboard doors and pegged the cards on. Perfect and has really reduced the cluttered feeling I usually get with all the cards.

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  41. I posted about this just this week! We pinned our cards on a piece of ribbon with clothespins.

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  42. Great idea! I'm going to try that next year!

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  43. This looks great. I just love getting all the photo cards! I hang decorative Christmas lights over one of the windows in my breakfast nook and use tiny clothes pins I found in the target one spot.

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  44. Very pretty! We display ours in the kitchen too, but we choose to use the cabinet fronts. We just tape them right up there and keep them for a few weeks. They are one of the last things to come down. I just love to look at all our cards and photos that come!

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  45. Receiving Christmas cards is one of my favorite parts of the season also! I love your display you're created...very festive!

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  46. I'm always looking for ideas about where to put my xmas cards. Yours looks great.

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  47. where did you get your mail bucket??

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  48. I need these ideas. Every year I just close the lid on my grand piano and try to prop up my cards on top, but if I play something really really loud they all go splat. Everybody's a critic.

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  49. @Lisa,

    I found the bucket on clearance a few years back from Pottery Barn, then gave it a fresh coat of spray paint.

    xoxo!
    Jen

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  50. That is the cutest idea for cards! I plan on doing this on my closet door in the foyer.

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  51. What a great idea! Challenge for me is always what to do with the pictures AFTER Christmas....what do you do?

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  52. @Anonymous,

    I have a bin with labels by year for all of the holiday cards we receive from friends and family. It's been working well for us!

    You can get the scoop here: http://iheartorganizing.blogspot.com/2011/02/february-challenge-project-photography_18.html


    xoxo,
    Jen

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  53. My parents were so lucky - they displayed Christmas cards on the top of their grand piano. Since we're fresh out of one of those, I will be trying this idea. I had been displaying them on our bookcases in the family room (and taping up the flat ones to the sides) but the ribbon adds such a nice touch. Thanks!

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  54. Thanks for the idea! I am going to do this right now on my pantry door!! :)

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  55. I have displayed ours on a large fabric covered bulletin board the last two years. This year I added a ribbon and twinkle lights frame.
    You can see it here...
    http://homeiswhatyoumakeit.wordpress.com/2011/12/19/holiday-home-tour-bits-and-pieces/
    and here...
    http://homeiswhatyoumakeit.wordpress.com/2011/12/24/merry-christmas-and-a-winner/

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  56. When holiday is coming specially Christmas every body get exited and if some body gets holiday card its big gift for them.
    Plastic Business Cards
    Gift Card printing
    Scratch Cards

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  57. What a lovely way to organize cards! Thanks for the great tip!

    Dan Jones
    bizorganizing.com

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