Recycled Christmas Card Postcards

Leftover and used Christmas and holiday greeting cards make great postcards.

Use them to write your thank you notes or as invitations to next years Christmas or holiday party.

Supplies needed:

Old Christmas Cards
Pencil
Scissors
Ruler

Project Directions

Select an appropriately sized Christmas or holiday card that is at least 3.5 x 5 inches.
Cut the back off your Christmas or holiday greeting card so that only the front panel remains.
Re-size the front if necessary to meet US post office Postcard requirements. See below.
With the blank side up rotate the Christmas card panel so that it is wider than it is tall.
Using a ruler draw a straight line vertically through the middle.
Write your message on the left side of the line and address it on the right side of the line.

Postcard Standards:

In order for a piece of mail to be considered a postcard it must meat a specific set of requirements. These requirements cover two areas: Physical Properties and Layout

Physical Properties:

To be considered a postcard and receive the postcard rate when mailing it its' dimensions and construction must meet the following specifications.

Minimum Postcard Size: 3.5 x 5 Inches
Maximum Postcard Size: 4.25 x 6 Inches
If the width or the height exceeds these dimensions, the postcard must be mailed using first class postage.
Minimum Thickness: .007 Inches
Maximum Thickness: .25 inches
Intermediates Sizes are Allowed if they meet the aspect ration
A 4 x 5.5 inch postcard is mailable at the postcard rate. As long as a mail piece meets the size, thickness, weight and aspect ratio requirements above, it can be mailed as a postcard. Remember if it does not look like a rectangle it probably does not meat the aspect ration.

Layout:

To insure your postcards get to their intended recipients in the fastest manner possible the following layout should be followed. All areas with gray should be clear of any text or graphics so that it can be machine read at the post office. If you opt to make a larger postcard the same gray areas apply, but measure them from the edges they originate form on the diagram below. Please not that any postcard larger than 4.25 X 6 inches will need a first class stamp.