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    Home » Upcycle And Repurpose Projects

    Christmas Card Organizer And Card List

    Published by Pam Kessler | 788 words. · About 4 minutes to read this article. - 14 Comments

    Do you still send out Christmas cards?

    Mark me down as old-school, because I can't imagine a holiday season going by without sending my besties, family and people I hardly know Christmas cards.

    But I get tired of seeing the cardboard boxes setting out on the kitchen counter all season long (as soon as I put the cards away . . . BAM I get a holiday card from someone I hadn't sent to yet and I have to dig out the cards again).

    Just easier to keep them within reach!

    Christmas Card Organizer and FREE printable Christmas card list

    So when I saw this ugly as can be cedar box at the thrift store I immediately knew what I was going to do with it.

    Vintage cedar box

    Make a Christmas Card Organizer so I had a place to store my cards!

    And can I say these cedar boxes are just dying for a rustic makeover. I love the woodsiness of them, so I didn't want to cover up all that gorgeous cedar and those fantastic dovetail joints on the corners.

    Or are they finger joints? I guess I'm not up on my carpentry lingo.

    But the whole label thing on top had to go.

    cedar box for dresser

    I don't even know what scene that is depicting, but I'm pretty sure it wasn't a priceless piece of art glued to the top of that thing.

    Before I get any further here, today is Thrift Store Decor Team Wednesday, so please don't forget to support my fellow Thrift Store Teamers by visiting their posts down below. Just scroll way on down and you'll find them (I highlighted the section in RED for you)!

    (This post contains some affiliate links for your convenience. You can read my full disclosure policy here.)

    Upcycled Cedar Box aka Christmas Card Organizer

    Supplies:

    I'm going to show you what I used in case you want to replicate it as is, but feel free to use whatever paint colors and stencils you prefer if you want to go a different route.

    • Cedar box (or similar) can be found at thrift stores
    • Frog Tape for Delicate Surfaces
    • Martha Stewart Adhesive Silkscreen - Winter Greens
    • DecoArt Americana Acrylic Paint - Light Buttermilk
    • DecoArt Americana Acrylic Paint - Hauser Medium Green
    • DecoArt Americana Acrylic Paint - Milk Chocolate
    • Foam paint brushes, stencil brushes or stencil pouncers
    • Scissors
    • Razor Blade Scraper

    Instructions:

    I started by scraping off the masterpiece with a razor blade knife.

    Be careful, because  . . .  razor blades are involved. And they're pretty darn sharp.

    Scraping image off cedar box

    Once that was removed, I had to decide whether to paint the entire top or just the middle area.

    Old cedar box

    I went with just the middle area.

    I used Frog Tape For Delicate Surfaces to tape off the area I did not want to paint and it gave me a nice clean edge.

    Upcycling cedar box

    Since I was going for a rustic look, I decided to use this Martha Stewart Adhesive Silkscreen (similar to a stencil) called Winter Greens.

    Martha Stewart Adhesive Silkscreen stencils

    I did make a rookie mistake here - I bought that stencil at Michael's and it was on clearance. Now I can't find it online anywhere so I can link to it for you.

    I'm sure other people make rustic Christmas-like stencils out there though.

    Using Martha Stewart Adhesive Silkscreen stencils

    When I was finished with my own masterpiece, I sprayed it with a clear sealer (which I totally forgot to take photos of).

    And that's really all I did with the box.

    Even though it wasn't a painstaking 49 point tutorial with power tools involved, I do think it turned out pretty darn cute!

    Upcycled thrift store cedar box turned into Christmas Card Organizer

    And makes a handy and not so ugly place to store my Christmas cards.

    Upcycled thrift store cedar box turned into Christmas Card Organizer

    Free Printable Christmas Card List

    And since we're talking Christmas Cards here, I made a Christmas card list you can print out and use to keep track of who you've sent to and who you've received cards from.

    You can find the Free Printable Christmas Card List HERE.

    FREE printable Christmas card list to organize your Christmas cards.

    (for personal use only)

    More Thrift Store Upcycles From The Thrift Store Decor Team

    Today is also Thrift Store Decor Team Wednesday!  I cannot contain my excitement!!!

    Or exclamation points apparently!

    So pop on over to the other thrift store makeovers my friends have been busily working on this month!

    DIY Hand Warmers My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia

    Christmas Vintage Wonderland Cloche Domestically Speaking

    DIY Snowmen Ornaments Petticoat Junktion

    DIY Amber Glass Bottles with a Twist Sadie Seasongoods

    Christmas Stocking Shelf  My Repurposed Life

    Christmas Sleigh Centerpiece Our Southern Home

    Christmas Card Organizer House of Hawthornes

    thrift store upcycles for Christmas

    Christmas Card Organizer and FREE Printable Christmas Card List

    or

    FREE printable Christmas card list to organize your Christmas cards.

    More posts you may enjoy:

    Quick And Easy Boxwood Wreath Tutorial
    Free Christmas Chalkboard Printable
    Christmas Home Tour - Thrift Store Decor Style
    5 Absolutely Iconic Vintage Christmas Decor Items You Just Have To Have (And Where To Buy Reproductions)

    « Homemade Stovetop Potpourri
    Upcycled Plaid Christmas Door Hanger »
    238 shares

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Bliss

      November 13, 2019 at 8:28 am

      I did a similar box redo that a friend gave to me, designated to beer tops lol!

      Reply
    2. gail

      November 13, 2019 at 9:31 am

      I couldn't help but giggle at Bliss' comment.... she's a hoot!
      I see these boxes everywhere. I was guilty of buying more than a few back in the day as souvenirs.

      This is the perfect use of a vintage cedar box Pam.

      sharing on pinterest and facebook

      gail

      Reply
    3. Linda @ Itsy Bits And Pieces

      November 13, 2019 at 9:33 am

      OH I LOVE THIS! Such a great idea and turned out beautifully. I see these boxes all the time...hopefully now that I want one...I can find it!

      Reply
    4. Kristin salazar

      November 13, 2019 at 11:04 am

      I love this idea, so many uses, thanks for sharing!

      Reply
    5. Sue Pagels

      November 13, 2019 at 11:42 am

      Love it, but I also REALLY love the Christmas card you showed! And....since you hardly know me, do I qualify for receiving one of those beautiful cards!?!? 🙂 Another great make-over!

      Reply
      • Pam Kessler

        November 14, 2019 at 2:03 pm

        I bought those cards at Michael's. They had tons of different styles, but I thought those looked woodsy and sort of serene.

        Reply
        • Sue Pagels

          November 14, 2019 at 4:01 pm

          They are beautiful Pam!

          Reply
    6. Maryann

      November 13, 2019 at 1:10 pm

      So pretty! I love how you painted behind the stenciled area... it almost looks like vintage fabric when I first glanced at it!

      Reply
    7. Tamalita

      November 13, 2019 at 2:15 pm

      Oh what a beautiful job on this box! And I have the perfect box at home!! Thank you.

      Reply
    8. Carol

      November 13, 2019 at 8:15 pm

      These boxes came out every holiday and we’re filled with chocolates. I got one for Christmas when I was about 8 years old. I still have mine and it is filled with small “treasures” from my childhood. At 67 that makes it 59 years old, yikes.

      Reply
      • Pam Kessler

        November 14, 2019 at 2:01 pm

        I never in a million years would have thought of them originally being a chocolate box! Good to now! Love that your's has all your treasures in it!

        Reply
    9. Sarah Ramberg

      November 14, 2019 at 7:48 am

      Well, now I want to find that stencil on clearance at Michaels because I absolutely LOVE how it turned out. And you could totally leave it out through winter, too!

      Reply
    10. Christy @ Our Southern Home

      November 21, 2019 at 8:40 pm

      You know I'm a sucker for a great box. They are fabulous for holiday cards. I have a box that I store all of the photo cards that we receive. I never thought of making one Christmas themed. Printing that list organizer aslo! Thanks!

      Reply
    11. Amy

      November 15, 2022 at 3:02 pm

      Be careful what you say about certain “ugly cedar box”. And the “priceless ugly picture that was probably glued on top”…. Just so you know you destroyed a vintage collectible and worth money beautiful box. I collect those and they are worth money and sought after pieces of vintage. Before you say negative things about what you think are trash and or ugly please do your research so you don’t destroy a piece of vintage artwork.

      Reply

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