Tips and Advice
12 ingenious ways to recycle old Business Cards
Learn how to recycle your old Business Cards the creative way!
You’ve just changed your number, office address or even moved jobs; what’s the first thing you need to do? Order new Business Cards of course! It can be exciting getting some freshly printed Business Cards through the door, but it leaves a problem. What do you do with the old ones?
If you’re anything like us then throwing your old cards the bin isn’t even an option. Sure, you could recycle them, but there are so many interesting things you could do with them instead. We’ve come up with some practical, fun and artistic ideas to give your old Business Cards a new lease of life.
Practical solutions
Some of the best ways to reuse old Business Cards is to turn them into something practical that can be used time and time again. Here are just some of the best practical ways to reuse what would normally end up in the recycling bin.
Bookmarks – Got several interesting books on the go? Want to highlight some of your favourite recipes in a cook book? Turn your old Business Cards into Bookmarks. Cut a triangular flap into the middle of each Business Card and you’ll have something that sits perfectly on your saved pages. No more bent page corners.
Gift Tags – Why not use your old Business Cards to create Gift Tags? Not just used to adorn birthday and Christmas presents, a branded Gift Tag can be a much more interesting way to label products. Cut off or mask any outdated contact details (leaving your branding and logo intact) and use a hole punch to create a hole to attach ribbon or twine. Genius!
Labels – Labelling is one of the best ways to keep organised, so let’s turn your old Business Cards into something practical and productive. If your outdated cards have a blank back then this will take very little work at all. Simply write on the blank space and attach them to your filing cabinets, folders and wherever else you may need labels.
Artistic creations
If nothing on our list has got your creative juices flowing yet, then these are the ideas you have been waiting for. From origami masterpieces to collages, these fun and artistic ideas will keep you occupied for hours.
Jewellery backings – When it comes to delicate items such as earrings or pins, packaging can be quite tricky. The solution? Use a custom Business Card! They’re a great way to add branding to a product while giving the packaging that extra oomph.
Business Card origami – It’s a fact that origami works best when you have a decent thickness of card or paper to work with. That’s why Business Card origami is actually a thing; as most of the cards are exactly the right thickness. The possibilities are endless, with the only limit being your imagination.
Art and collages – There have been some rather awe-inspiring art pieces and collages made from all sorts of wonderful materials, so how about using your old Business Cards? This might even make a nice centrepiece for you board room or office.
Redecorate with Business Cards
If business printing has eaten into your office decorating budget, then try not to panic as we’ve got some excellent ideas for you. Those who want to make a quirky statement (whilst saving some pennies) will love the following ways to use old Business Cards in decorating.
Wallpaper – Don’t pull that face, it looks better than it sounds! All you need is a little bit of artistic vision, some pots of paint and a few hours spare. You can create a Business Card collage that recreates your favourite artwork or even the company logo, right there on your office walls. This is a statement piece that will certainly get employees and clients talking.
Coffee table – This is an awesome idea which people have used to showcase their favourite magazine covers, collectable cards and even wallpaper samples. Display your Business Card coffee table creation in reception and impress everyone that walks through the door with your resourcefulness!
Christmas Baubles – Whoever said Christmas decorations were expensive has clearly never made their own Business Card baubles. Okay, we’ll admit we had never heard of them before either, but isn’t that what Pinterest is for? Deck the halls!
Image credit: Etsy
We would love to know what original ideas you can come up with to make your own Business Cards into something spectacular. Just snap a pic and use the hashtag #ProudlyPrinted on Instagram and you could even be featured on our feed.
Looking to create your own? #LetsMakeItReal
About the author
Caitlin is our Social Media guru and lover of all things food and travel. When she's not scrolling through TikTok you'll find her meticulously planning her next adventure abroad.
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