Katey is looking for some alternatives: Can anyone share ideas for inexpensive, creative holiday card holders/trees? I don't really want to spend the $50 or so you see from places like Pottery Barn, but love the idea of displaying them like art on my wall....
Email questions and pics with QUESTIONS in subject line to:
chicago(at)apartmenttherapy(dot)com)
I used to put my holiday cards in a big bowl on my coffee table, but unfortunately my toddler thinks it's fun to tear them up. Thanks!
We KNOW that there must be some great ideas and options out there...please share your suggestions with Katey in the comments.
Photos: Curly Wire Card Holder and Tree Card Holder from Pottery Barn
Comments (21)
i like to string twine across a section of wall and hang the cards with clothes pins. pretty simple and nothing large to store away after the holiday season.
I saw this (top middle pic) and I am so copying it:
http://www.terrainathome.com/for-home
My sister had wooden slats between her kitchen and hallway that we hung ribbon from. Then we glued holiday ribbon to clothes pins and clipped the christmas cards to the ribbon. It's right by their door so that when people walk in it's one of the first things they see.
Find a few yards of nice ribbon and a bunch of clips (these are cute: http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/sf/tools-electrical-helpers/muji-wire-clips-055758), and hang it either vertically or across a mantel or doorway.
Oh I forgot... the entire thing cost less than $10. Ribbon and clothes pins from Michael's (SUPER CHEAP and cute)
Sorry, here's a better link: http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/sf/tools-electrical-helpers/muji-wire-clips-055758
I used the ribbon clothes pin option in my daughter's nursery. It looks great and like sissy said, it's easy and cheap. You can see my version on my blog: http://grizzarkhov.blogspot.com/2007/07/baby-es-room.html It's the 9th picture down in the post. Good luck! Jennifer
We stick them around the edge of the frame of a large mirror in the dining room. We also put a large bow on the top center of the mirror, and it makes a nice tableau. Except for the bow, it's free!
Very similar to what is shown above, but a whole lot cheaper is this magnetic photo rope:
http://photojojo.com/store/awesomeness/magnetic-photo-rope
I saw something in a magazine in my dentist's office -- let's see if I can explain this sufficiently. Someone took their regular artwork and/or mirrors off the walls and wrapped them in kraft or wrapping paper (paper was depending on the holiday decorating style). Then they double-stick taped the holiday cards to the paper. It looked really nice when it was done -- very neat and graphic. Can you picture it? I can't remember the magazine, otherwise I would put a link here.
PS, glurf, that store in your link looks lovely.
If you have a saw ... my husband took a piece of 2x4 (maybe a foot long) and cut slats at a gentle angle every 1/2 inch or so. I painted it and glued some xmas holly decorations on it. The cards stand in a nice neat row. He routered the edges to make it a little nicer, but I don't think that would be necessary.
Grab some poster putty, clear a space on your wall, and stick 'em up in a pattern that pleases you. Cost is under $5 and you don't have to buy and then store a holiday card "holder" or other apparatus.
That magnetic photo rope is cool, and I usually am not a DIY sort of person, but that is a no brainer -- steel wire mighty magnets
When I was a kid my parents used to tape them to the back of the front door.
In Martha Stewart Living this month, she covers clothes pins with festive paper. I did this and then glued the clothes pins to a couple of slats (roughly yardstick size - yardsticks would be cute too) and hung the whole thing up with ribbons. It looks lovely holding our Christmas cards.
My mom would always pin up a wide giftwrap ribbon in the doorway between the living room and the kitchen, and use a tiny piece of tape on the inside of the card to hold it up. She pinned the top of the ribbon and hid the pin with a bow, and let the rest of the ribbon hang free, curling up until we had enough cards to weigh it down. This way, we could see the pretty outside and read the messages. She always put it in the same spot because (who looks for tack holes in top corner of a doorway?) they were in a conspicuous spot, and we could enjoy them well into January. We have big popcorn tins filled with long garlands of greeting cards. Maybe it would be fun one year to decorate with just the cards!
My solution isn't all that special... I just use tape and hang them... last year it was on a wooden bolster my old apartment had over a window, and growing up we'd put them around the pass-through window between the living room and kitchen, though one year I made a Christmas tree shape out of them on a closet door.
a few yards of 1" red velvet ribbon in various lengths
command strips
stapler
Follow instructions for command strips and place on wall at desired heights, allowing space in between for horizontal cards.
Staple cards to ribbons.
easy, inexpensive and festive. After the holidays remove cards so you can cut up and use for gift tags next year. Save the ribbons for next years cards to be displayed on.
I put them through the slats of my blinds -- not fancy, but definitely keeps them out on display and I don't have to move anything else to make room for them.
I stick them on my refrigerator with magnets
:o)
These are great ideas ... it's going to be hard to choose just one. Thanks everybody!!
Sticky-tack or tape them to the wall. Either in a generic pattern, or in a fun shape (like a star, or Christmas tree, etc).