A few weekends ago, I stumbled upon an old childhood memory box my mom had lovingly curated over the years. Filled with over 18 years of mementos, it was bursting at the seams. Amidst the memories, the main culprits cluttering the box were greeting cards: birthday wishes, party invitations, thank you notes, and graduation cards. It made me realize, so many of us don’t know where to start when it comes to how to organize greeting cards.
As I sifted through them, I realized that most had generic messages with little sentimental value. However, a few precious cards with heartfelt notes from family and friends earned a special spot in my keepsake collection. The rest, unfortunately, had to go.
Sorting through this sea of cards made me appreciate the value of a streamlined collection. If my mom and I knew a few organizing tricks back then, we could’ve saved hours of sifting through paper.
If you’re looking to maintain an organized and stress-free card collection, here’s how you can do it efficiently. Here are three simple tasks for keeping your greeting cards streamlined and organized.
#1: DISCARD THE SWEET, YET GENERIC CARDS
This is the most crucial phase to master. If a card doesn’t have a sentimental message that is unique to your relationship with the “gifter,” recycle, donate, or repurpose them. Yes, you can actually donate used cards that can be reprocessed for kids in need!
The card has already served its purpose: telling you that you’re being thought of, wishing you a happy birthday, or thanking you for the gift. Once you have read the note and have enjoyed the thought for a few days or weeks, it’s okay to get rid of it.
If discarding cards after you enjoy them is especially challenging for you, here’s something to consider: What is the maximum number of notes that you could enjoy reading in one sit-down session?
For me, I want a curated card and note collection that I can read in less than four hours. This means that if I take 3 minutes with each card, I can only keep 40 – 80 cards maximum. Obviously, this number can change and is personal to you, but it’s important to consider creating your own card maximum. This will encourage you to keep your collection to a manageable size.
How many cards are you limiting yourself to? 1 box? 2 boxes? Choose now. For reference, we recently collected all the cards from one of our clients’ entire lives, in one of our large card boxes.
#2: DISPLAY YOUR FAVES
When you first receive a birthday, thank you, or greeting card, enjoy it! Put the card on display for a week or two. Post them up on a bulletin board, fridge door, or set them on a fireplace mantel. We’ve even had them framed!
Wherever the card is, make sure it’s in a high-traffic area of your home so that you can see it regularly and think, “how sweet!” The goal here is not to just set it down and forget about it, but to enjoy it! Think of the card as a floral arrangement: a decorative reminder of how loved you are.
I highly recommend choosing one location to display your cards. Make sure that the display area has a limited “capacity.” For me, I don’t allow more than about 5 cards to be on display at a time. This will encourage you to rotate cards out of the display phase as new cards come in.
#3: STORE THE SPECIAL ONES
The cards that bring you immense joy when you look at them, remind you of a special relationship, or are from a unique time in your life, deserve a special home. Remember that the more cards that you keep, the less time you’ll have to enjoy the most unique ones through the years. Keep ONLY the cards that will continue to bring you joy or gratitude.
a. SORT & LABEL:
Group your cards by occasion, year, person, or sentiment. Label your card categories with post-its or print labels.
b. DIGITIZE:
The world is moving towards digital. It’s time your card mementos do too. Take a picture of the inside of your card to capture the note and discard the paper. This will eliminate the unnecessary clutter in your home while capturing the sentiment. If you’d like a more professional-looking digital copy, scan it into your computer, and create a special “Card” folder. Make a routine of doing this process after your birthday or holidays. It’s much easier to flip through a digital file than to lug around a big binder or box.
c. CONTAINERIZE:
Store your card collection in a compact and organized system. The Simply Spaced Archival Card box is a great option. These oh-so-special boxes are acid and lignin-free. Your precious contents are safe from dust, sun-damage, and deterioration – and did I mention how chic these beautiful boxes look on a shelf? These archival boxes are both functional and beautiful. To learn more about the perfect photo and memento boxes, check out this post.
Once you get your old card clutter under control, this step-by-step system will surely keep you on top of your paper mementos. Remember that experiences are far more important to collect than things. If you think of receiving a card as an experience, you’ll be able to appreciate it and let go of it equal amounts of grace and gratitude.
For more like this, check out The Perfect Photo & Memento Storage.
