Once you've finished with your shopping spree, you could just throw those gift cards into the trash - or you could continue to put them to use. Here are some ideas for recycling used gift cards.
Recharge Your Card and Give It as a Gift
Many gift cards let you put more money on them after they have been used, and most have no value printed on them, so you can add as much as you like. You could turn your empty card into a fun gift for friends or loved ones.Recharge Your Gift Card and Use It for Budgeting
Dana Anspach, About.com's Guide to Money Over 55, describes how gift cards can work as a modern take on envelope budgeting. Use your gift cards to help your finances and stretch the benefit of your prize.Use Your Gift Card to Fix Up Your Home
If you have a wobbly table, a bathtub in need of grouting, or a loose tile to replace, gift cards can help. Read This Old House's article, 10 Uses for Gift Cards for tips on how to use gift cards for home remodeling.Turn Used Gift Cards Into Greeting Cards
Many gift cards have beautiful patterns on their faces, from flowers to birthday presents to Santa Clauses. It's a shame to let these patterns go to waste.Instead, cut out the patterns and use them as decorations for greeting cards. Even plain gift cards can be beautiful if you cut them into shapes - hearts from red cards, Christmas trees from green ones, and so on. Learn how to fold your own greeting cards.
Used Gift Cards Make Beautiful Scrapbook Embellishments
Greeting cards aren't the only way to use the beautiful motifs that many used gift cards offer. You can also cut your gift cards to make inexpensive replacements for store-bought scrapbook embellishments. You can also paint the cards and use them as tags and markers for your scrapbook pages. Learn how to make simple scrapbook pages.Use Empty Gift Cards to Display Your Collectibles
Empty gift cards can be used as props to display collectibles. For example, Lesley Shepherd, About.com's Guide to Miniatures, suggests inserting one into the base of soft cloth dolls (the ones with dresses) to help keep them standing up.Use Old Gift Cards as Stencils
Amy Solovay, About.com's Guide to Crochet, suggests using the edges of gift cards for stencils in paper crafting. She says, "they have all kinds of interesting shapes - cupcakes, tag shapes, and other intriguing designs... all of them would be useful for this." Just trace the edges, paint over them with ink, or spray them with paint to create beautiful patterns on your paper.Use Empty Gift Cards in Pottery Crafts
In her article on Frugal Pottery Tips, Beth Peterson gives tips on how to use expired credit cards and gift cards as scrapers and texturing tools. Used gift cards can help you spend less money enjoying your hobby.Organize Yarn and Thread with Used Gift Cards
Connie Barwick, About.com's Guide to Cross Stitch, suggests punching holes in used gift cards to make mini thread organizers.Beth Peterson also suggests cutting notches into the short sides of the cards and using them to hold embroidery floss and pearl cotton thread. For yarns, she suggests cutting a hole in the center of the card and looping the sorted yarn through the hole, one type of yarn per card.
Turn Your Old Gift Cards Into Jewelry
Cut the plastic into pretty shapes and paint, decoupage, or decorate with stickers. You can then string the pieces together to make funky jewelry and belts. Read more about DIY Fashion and Jewelry.Use Empty Gift Cards in Painting
Marion Boddy-Evans, About.com's Guide to Painting, offers several good uses for used credit cards or gift cards for oil painting including an example of how a reader used one for a dramatic effect in a painting.
