RETHINK: Ribbon Reuses & Holiday Cards

I love this reuse idea for ribbons and holiday cards. It’s a great way to display cards, it doesn’t affect the card, and it’s a colorful way to decorate my curtain area in the dining room.

The hook on the curtain rod is one I had in my toolbox. You can easily find these “S” hooks at a hardware store.

The two ribbons are from gifts I received. They were so nice I hated to throw them away and they’re polyester so they can’t be recycled. I really wanted a way to reuse them without creasing them and I am so glad I came up with this idea. The red bow is wire ribbon so I can plump that up and it’s tied into the polka dot ribbon. Yes, the bow is a little squished here since I do open and close my curtains. The ribbons are attached to a large paperclip. You can’t see it all mangled from the floor but I took an up-close picture to help you see. I used to hang the paperclip on the curtain grommet but it fell down so often I switched to the S hook this year and it’s working great. Each card is paperclipped on with a color-coordinated paperclip. I prefer to use coated paperclips with the cards so there is no rust rubbed off on the card or indentation made which can happen with plain steel paperclips. I encourage you to ask your friends, family, neighbors, Buy Nothing group or Nextdoor for any of these supplies if you are interested. Most of us don’t need to have a large stockpile of paperclips on hand.

One of my aunts and a cousin, one of her daughters, makes handmade cards and they’re so beautiful, like artwork, I keep them. I have a few from friends who make cards as well. I thought displaying them as a permanent part of the holiday would be a wonderful way to appreciate the time, effort and beauty without tucking them away in a box or recycling them.