Recycle your old business cards with these ingenious ideas

In your hands is a brand new set of shiny Business Cards… but now you’ve got a dilemma. What do you do with the old ones? Here some ideas for recycled business cards.

We’re all about being environmentally friendly here at Printed.com, and what with it being Earth Day, we thought we’d share a few of our top tips for reusing and upcycling your old cards. From creating chalkboard place cards to origami, there’s a whole host of fun things you could do with yours, so read on and get inspired!

Gift tags

The size and paper thickness of Business Cards make them ideal for upcycling into gift tags. Just cover them with paint, or even stickers, cut the corners from one side, add a hole punch through the middle and voila – crafty tags that everyone will love!

Collage wall

This one could be a little tricky, but if you’ve collected multiple cards in different colours and designs, an artistic collage could be just the ticket. Whether you create an image, your logo or just let your imagination run wild, Picasso style, you’re sure to end up with an interesting conversation piece that everyone will comment on.

Business Card origami

Origami creations are as intriguing as they are beautiful – no matter what paper or material you use. If you’ve got a few idle minutes to spare, why not get folding and turn those business cards into a cute desktop pig? You could even challenge your workmates and colleagues to create their own too and hold a mini competition. We can’t think of a better way to spend a Friday afternoon!

Bookmarks

If you’re a serial page folder – stop! Old Business Cards are ideal for marking your pages. Whether you’re mid-way through War and Peace, or you’re a cook book fiend, use yours to mark your pages and never lose your place again!

Chalk board name tags

The handy size of Business Cards makes them ideal as place or table names at events and conferences. For a cool twist on yours, why not paint your old Business Cards with chalkboard paint and decorate to your hearts content! Check here for more inspiration for name tags

Labels

Labelling is one of the best ways to keep the office organised, so why not use your old Business Cards to create 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 If your outdated cards have a blank back then this will take very little work at all.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. Not blank on the back? No problem, just paint over each business card before writing on them.

Contact wall

If you’ve found yourself with a stack of Business Cards you’ve collected, why not display them in a creative way, and have all the contact details of those that matter within easy reach? Buy yourself a wire frame and invest in some bulldog clips. All you need to do is pop the Business Cards into the clips and hang them up. It’s as practical as it is arty! Take inspiration from this cake recipie flyer wall from Waitrose, spotted at the National Wedding Show 2018.

What have you done with your old business cards? Let us know or tag and use the hashtag: 

#PROUDLYPRINTED