How to Make Your Own Postcards From Recycled Paper
Making homemade postcards from recycled paper is a wonderful way to express your individual creativity. By creating postcards from recycled paper products, you can keep unwanted paper from landfills and save money. Use images from colorful calendars, magazine pages, old greeting cards--the possibilities are endless--to create one of a kind postcards. Recycle and have the satisfaction of making a practical, useful craft project that you can send to friends and family or that you can resell in sets or alone.
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Things You'll Need
- Paper with images
- Cardstock
- Pencil
- Scissors
- Ruler
- Rubber cement or school glue
- Books
Instructions
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1
Measure the recycled paper image with the ruler and draw a rectangle measuring 3 ½-inches wide by 5-inches long. This is the United States Post Office's standard postcard measurement and qualifies for postcard postage. Measure and draw a rectangle on the cardstock measuring 3 ½-inches wide by 5-inches long. Cut the rectangles out with the scissors.
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2
Use the rubber cement or school glue to glue the recycled paper image to the cardstock by applying the glue to the back of the image. Use your fingers to spread the school glue evenly along all four edges and in the center of the image or use the brush applicator attached to the rubber cement jar lid to apply the rubber cement adhesive to the four edges and center of the image.
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3
Press the adhesive side of the recycled paper image to the solid color cardstock. Press with your hand in the center and smooth out toward the rectangle's edges to work out any air bubbles in the glue. Use your fingers to wipe away any excess glue that oozes from the edges.
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Place the postcard beneath a stack of heavy books while the postcard dries so that the recycled paper postcard dries flat and the edges do not curl up.
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Tips & Warnings
Download the postcard template to glue to the cardstock side if you want a traditional look to your recycled paper postcard. The maximum size postcard you can make that still qualifies for standard postcard postage is 4 ¼-inches width by 6-inches length. The USPS recommends that your postcard not be any thicker than .007 inches.
Don't glue anything like glitter or attachments to the recycled paper postcard as it will get stuck in the postal machinery and might damage or destroy the postcard.
