Monday, May 16, 2011

some may call it card-hoarding...

...but I just call it a sentimental collection.

I have a slight problem. You see, I can't throw cards away. It doesn't matter what kind... birthday cards, thank you notes, birth announcements, wedding invitations... you name it, I keep it. I'm not quite sure where this compulsion comes from... but try as hard as I may... I just can't bring myself to discard something that someone else took the time to send me.

I've had the card-disorder for as long as I can remember... I've always had shoeboxes stored away, overflowing with notes and letters... since middle school probably. Well... lately, I've been trying to think of a way to make my card-saving-obsession feel more like a card-saving-collection. So, I hereby give you the ring-o-cards...

I decided that, for me, the simplest way for me to save these bad boys was to punch a couple of holes in the cards and put a ring through them. This corrals them all together, but still allows me to flip through the sentimental handwritten notes.

I recently upgraded to a larger size of rings, but I still have a feeling I will have 2 bundles of cards per year. Even after upgrading to the 7gypsies medium chrome cable rings, my ring-o-cards is already busting at the seams...


Being slightly OCD, I like to keep them in chronological order... which gives me a pretty mix of thank you cards...
...wedding invitations...
...and even my recent stash of birthday cards...

My bundle of cards looked pretty fabulous as it was. Just the simple fact that my cards were all together and not in a billion piles and drawers around the house made me very happy. Just look at that pretty stack of organized happiness...

But I still wanted some way to add the year to this bundle of goodness. I didn't really want to make a huge cover that hid the cards themselves... because, to me, that is the true beauty of this project. So... I decided to just add a little decoupaged chipboard bird, with "2011" handwritten on the bottom. (maybe a how-to post on mr. birdie later?)

But there you have it... A simple way to turn card-hoarding into card-collecting...

Linking this to Running With Glitter.

15 comments:

Anonymous said...

Ahhhh....great idea! I have shoe boxes full of them. I think I'm stealing this idea instead!

Alana said...

Love it! I feel so bad throwing cards out, but this is a great way to keep them organized and pretty! I'm totally stealing it. :)

Jamie Kubeczka said...

I so want to start doing this.. I am the same way and hate throwing cards away. I have them all saved in a big drawer.. perhaps I could do this. Especially with the kids birthday cards, I love saving them. Very cute idea.

Caroline said...

This is awesome. I want to start doing this!!!

mleslie43 said...

I'd say if you didn't have a full time job then you would have a problem and maybe need to get out more but doing this on top of everything else you do is simply amazing! Plus, I think hoarding would be if you had cards up to your ceiling and you couldn't walk through your house then you might need to worry...ha! Love it Julia!

MellieButterfly said...

I want the birdie please. :)

MarieElizabeth said...

What a wonderful idea! So creative and a great artistic way to organize.

Jenna said...

This ALMOST makes me want to stop throwing away all the cards I get.... almost....

Shauna said...

Excellent idea, because you can read through the cards like a book. I too have tons of cards, letters, notes from when I was younger. I just love hand written letters and notes and I too have such a hard time throwing them away. Thanks for the great idea. I look forward to trying it out. If you get a chance I would love for you to link this post up to my link party I have going on right now, "All Things Wonderful Link UP".
Take care,
Shauna
myshaenoel.blogspot.com

Lauren said...

Awwwwww!! I spied my wedding invitation!! Love you :)

Shauna said...

Thanks for linking this awesome idea to my "All Things Wonderful" link party.
Take care,
Shauna
myshaenoel.blogspot.com

Hanna said...

I save certain cards & they are stored away in a box...others I recycle and use for gift tags, crafts, etc...this is a really cool idea, though for the ones I'd like to keep.

My Grannie is a poet - and an author - she writes a poem in all her cards, so I keep all those, of course. When I was preggo with my oldest she gave me her rocking chair with the sweetest card. The Poem was written as if it were from my baby to be - I've always said I wanted to lacquer that card to the bottom of the rocker. I haven't done it, yet...but one day I will.

Jami said...

I love this! I cant wait to get all of my cards I have saved over the years and organize them! Thanks for sharing :)

NSB said...

great idea...will be my next project...when i find all of my cards that i have boxed up!!

Gwyn said...

I love your idea, I have saved about 100 cards I'm going to get busy and start puting them on rings! Thanks, Gwyn