How to Make Your Own Index Cards for Free

Index cards can be made for free from recycled greeting cards, manila and school folders.

Index cards are cards that are produced ruled or unruled, and constructed from white or colored heavy cardstock. The standard size index card measures 3-by-5 inches, with a larger size measuring 4-by-6 inches. There is one more size of index card, often referred to as a half card, which measures 5-by-8 inches. You can make your own index cards for free by recycling manila folders, blank sides of greeting cards and common school folders.

Things You'll Need

• Manila and/or school folders and/or greeting cards
• Ruler
• Pencil
• Scissors
• Eraser

Instructions

1. Remove any pockets from any school folders. Some school folders have an additional strip in the center containing brads: remove this.

2. Cut away any damaged sections of the cardstock items (folders, greeting cards) or any greeting card sections with words. Usually the inside left portion of a greeting card is blank (unless there is a note written there by the giver) and the back outside has a good deal of blank space. Cut away the tabs on manila folders. You can get a good supply of free manila folders by looking through the trash at schools, churches and businesses. Ask permission first. Christmas is a good time to ask friends and family to save holiday cards for you to recycle.

3. Place the cardstock item onto a flat work surface. Use your ruler to measure the desired size index card and draw lines to these measurements. The standard index card size is 3-by-5 inches.

4. Cut out the index card along the pencil lines you drew on the cardstock in Step 3. Index cards only need one blank side, so it's okay if your recycled cardstock has writing on one side. Usually, you only write information on one side of an index card, but you may write on both sides.

5. Erase any pencil marks visible on the cards. Index cards are commonly used for recording research and organizing notes. According to Levenger, Melvil Dewey introduced the Dewey Decimal System in 1870 at Amherst College in Massachusetts. The card he used for the individual library cataloging drawers was about the size of a standard index card.

Tips & Warnings

• Use index cards for organizing notes from school classes or research projects. Use index cards for preparation for a public speech by writing each main point on a separate card. Use index cards of any size to create flashcards for young students. Numbers, shapes, colors, and the alphabet can be drawn on index cards. Use flashcards for foreign language class as well, by writing the foreign word on one side and the corresponding English word on the other side. According to Levenger, index cards aren't just for notes: you can use them to organize ideas anywhere.

References

• Levenger Tools for Serious Readers: How to Use 3 x 5 Index Cards