Vintage postage craft

I’ve been making paper Christmas trees from scraps and using them to create Christmas cards. I’m sharing here for Kate’s monthly ScrapHappy day.

A collection of handmade paper Christmas trees crafted from various shades of green paper strips, arranged on a white background.

It’s been a fun process cutting slivers of paper at an angle, then arranging them on two-sided sticky paper. I started making them in August. When I have enough, I use a metal die to cut the shape. Each tree is unique.

A collection of green paper strips and pieces arranged in a scattered manner on a brown surface, some peeking out from a transparent envelope.

Included in the mix is a handful of Christmas trees made from vintage postage stamps. I think of them as scraps, too.

A collection of unique Christmas trees made from green vintage postage stamps, arranged on a white background.

For the cards themselves, I embossed white paper using an In the Pines embossing folder, then matted it with another green paper scrap.

I placed the trees in the center of the card in some cases and to the right of the center on others. I couldn’t decide what I liked better, so I did both.

Two handmade Christmas cards featuring embossed white backgrounds with green and gold borders. Each card has a green tree design and a translucent vellum overlay with the text 'peace on earth'.

Two handmade Christmas cards featuring embossed white backgrounds with green accents. Each card displays a distinct paper Christmas tree and a vellum overlay with the phrase 'peace on earth'.

Full disclosure: the vellum stamped with “Peace on Earth” isn’t technically a scrap, just part of an open package, but I like the effect, and I know we all appreciate the sentiment.