Trash Cards $0
I have probably made around 1,000 cards from people's trash in the last five years. It's easy. Just take the wrapping paper out of the garbage can at birthday parties. And take really pretty Christmas wrap. And retail store bags. And maps from trips. And anything else you can think of.
First of all, wrinkled paper can be ironed. Just put a piece of typing paper or brown grocery sack on both sides of your paper and iron it. Easy. Some paper looks fine wrinkled, too, like maps.
I usually embellish my "trash cards" with cancelled stamps. I have two Ziploc bags full of them. I bought a bag of cancelled stamps at the stamp & coin store for a few bucks. You can also use stamps off of your own mail.
Not used to taking stamps off of mail? Rip the corner of the envelope off (the corner that has the stamp) and soak it in a bowl of water for a few minutes. The stamp will peel right off of the envelope. Put the stamp on a paper towel and it will dry in minutes.
A fun way to use remnant tissue paper is with FRINGE SCISSORS. I loved this tissue paper my sister wrapped my Christmas present in. It was too cute to throw away.
Fringe scissors cut several times at once. They are like regular scissors on steroids and super sharp. I feel like Edward Scissorhands when I use them. I like to cut on the fold so the fringes are thicker and then muss them up after they are glued on. I love these scissors so much I think I might try to make my own piñata sometime. Or at least cards that look like they have little piñatas on them. I am always trying to find a reason to use them. Kitchen stores sell them for mincing herbs. I think mincing paper is more fun. Greg bought me mine years ago from Bell'occhio in San Francisco, but now Martha Stewart sells them for $9.
After I make enough "trash cards" I create sets of 8 and box them up. It's nice to have a little something to give away. Greg just went on a business trip and asked me (at midnight) while he was packing if I had any good "girl presents" for a nice lady he works with. She got a box of trash cards and loved them. She told him her grandpa collected stamps and that they reminded her of him.
I have a neat woodblock stamp of a letter "M" that I stamp on the back of every card I make.
I bought these plastic boxes that hold a set of cards at Xpdex for 59 cents. They don't sell them anymore. I will have to find a new vendor online. They are perfect for classing up trash cards!
*But paper isn't free? Yes it is:
A few years ago I walked into the BYU Press Building and asked Doyle (now retired) if he had any cottony, wonderful, thicker-than-cardstock leftovers that I could have. He cut down a BUNCH of leftover paper to 8.5"x5.5" for me. (About 2,000 cards!) All I have to do is score the fold line when I want to make a card. This is the spirit of ReDEUX! BYU couldn't have printed any job on the leftovers I took. They would have gone to waste after months of taking up precious shelf space. I only needed scraps. Win-Win. I am continually amazed what you can get for free if you just ask for it.
Melissa Durkovich Lawson
Reader Comments (2)
LOVE this post Melissa!! I am a trash to treasure girl too. I admire your talent of finding uses for beautiful things. I think you should sell these online!! Do you?? I would purchase immediately!! Happy Happy Day to you!! Excellent writer you are! Sacha Masek Anderson
P.S. Heart hurts for your "Knot" Post. I am so sorry.
Sacha, I don't sell anything I make, but I love to give it away to appreciative people! Email me your address [mlawson@utwire.net] and your mailbox might get a little surprise one day after I crash a few more birthday parties!