DIY: upcycled notecards

I'm a self-confessed hoarder. I hate throwing away things and am always the one saying 'oh I'll keep that and use it to make such and such.' Case in point today - wrapping paper. If I find pretty wrapping paper I have to get some, but I can never bear to wrap presents with it, unless I know the recipient will keep the paper! And if someone gives me a gift with nice wrapping paper around it I will of course keep that paper. Basically I am at crisis point with my paper hoarding, so I decided to turn some of my favourite bits into some nifty notecards, thus also solving my eternal 'I can't afford pretty notecards' quandry. Although I'm sure you can all figure out how to make notecards, I thought I'd share a little step by step DIY just in case....

first up select some nice papers - doesn't even have to be wrapping paper, although that's what I'm using today (look at the one with sushi on, isn't it the cutest?!)

 now you need to gather your equipment - blank record cards (I used two different sizes to mix it up), a paintbrush, glue (I used mod podge but any pva glue will do), and a pair of scissors. I'd also advise a heavy stack of books to weight down your finished notecards as they have a tendency to curl up!

 spread a layer of glue on one side of your card - don't apply too much or it will go lumpy and make the paper wrinkle, and make sure you get all the way to the edges too.

 press your card glue side down on to the reverse of your wrapping paper, and smooth down carefully with your hand to avoid getting air bubbles trapped underneath (if you do get an air bubble at this stage just carefully peel apart the wrapping paper and card and start again, adding a bit more glue if needed.)

 carefully cut around the edge of the card so the wrapping paper and the record card are the same size, then leave to dry for a couple of hours (at this stage I'd advise sticking your notecard under that stack of heavy books - it helps stick the two pieces together, and keeps the whole thing nice and flat)

 voila, you are done! make up a whole bunch in different patterns, keep them for yourself or give to family and friends! I used a corner rounding punch on these ones, because that's just how I roll. I think they would be super cute packaged up with some plain white envelopes as a gift to a friend.

 (love this design - I got the paper at a studio sale and am going to frame a scrap of it in my craft room I think)