It's fun to receive holiday cards from loved ones near and far, but it's a shame to toss them away come the new year. All those snowmen, snowflakes, and other symbols of the season deserve more hang time. With not much more than a pair of scissors, string, and glue, children can transform the cards of Christmas past into the decorations of Christmas present-and create your family's own little recycling center. If you prefer vintage styles, you can find them at flea markets or on the Internet; many have playful designs from days gone by. Don't worry if parts of the paper are ragged; just use the good areas. So start hunting down those cards, then begin spreading the cheer.

Globe and Cones How-To
These airy ornaments are a breeze to make. Cut a card into narrow strips; you'll need about 8 to 20 pieces, depending on how much space you want between them. Stack strips and punch holes through both ends with a hole punch (if the stack is too thick, do a few strips at a time); insert a paper fastener into each hole. Bend the stack into a C shape (the card's design should be facing out), and wiggle the strips apart so they fan out to form a globe. To hang, take decorative thread and, starting at the middle of the strand, wind it around the paper fastener several times, then knot ends. When the holidays are over, push strips back into a stack to store without crushing (removing one fastener makes it easier).

Cones can be cut from plain colored paper or from greeting cards. To create, draw an arc onto a corner of the construction paper or card using a compass opened up as wide as it can go. Using a pair of pinking shears, cut inside the line. Roll the paper into a cone and staple; reinforce with tape along the inside seam. To decorate a plain paper cone, draw an oval (we used a stencil from an art-supply store) around a chosen image from a greeting card, and cut just inside the line with pinking shears. Glue the cutout to the front of the cone. Punch a hole on both sides of the cone, thread a ribbon through, and knot the ends.

Gift Bag, Box, Tag How-To
Gift bags can hold all sorts of goodies. Dress up plain ones by cutting the top of a colorful paper bag with scallop-edged scissors and gluing on a card cutout. Then punch one or two holes and tie on a ribbon.

To give a cardboard box a cheery makeover, place the lid on top of a card. Using a ruler, draw an outline that's about 1/4 inch outside the lid. Cut just inside the line with a pair of pinking shears. Use a glue stick to attach the cutout to the lid; the card will extend over the box's edges (be sure it's centered over the lid before pressing down). Repeat to cover the bottom of the box.

Glue designs snipped from cards to store-bought or handmade gift tags and add charm to every package. Or cut the cards themselves into tags and punch a hole for ribbon (press on a sticker first to reinforce the hole).

Ornament and Garland How-To
Two circles fit snugly together to form one ornament. To make, cut two disks identical in size from a card; you can use a circle punch, or trace a round object and cut with scissors. Cut a slit halfway across each disk. In one circle, punch a hole near the edge opposite the cut with a hole punch. Hold the disks so that the slits face each other. Slide the slit of one disk all the way into the other (you should feel the disks "lock"). Thread string through the hole, and tie a knot.

Make a garland by using disks popped out of cards with a circle punch (you can also trace a round object and cut out). They're attached to heavy thread with stickers; to make sure they're secure, rub with a craft stick.