Got an old deck of playing cards that’s missing a card or two (who doesn’t?!?)?
Don’t throw it out!
Instead, check out the brilliant project that Bare Branch Blooming creates using old playing cards: she turns them into re-usable stencils.
I can’t even tell you how much I LOVE this project–store-bought re-usable stencils tend to be made from super-gross, highly-polluting plastic, and my usual DIY methods of jiggering my own stencils (freezer paper, contact paper, cardboard, etc.) are not re-usable.
The only limit to what you can do with this project is the size of the playing cards, but even that’s got me thinking now… how about re-usable stencils made from yard signs? Old plastic bin lids? Game boards?
And if you’re curious about what to do with the leftover playing cards, after you’ve had a fabulous time making all the re-usable stencils that you could ever possibly want, check out these awesome playing card project tutes:
1. 3D structures. This is a great rainy day project for kids–they’ll think it’s a real treat to build this way!
2. business cards. Creative business cards are a good match for a creative business.
3. matching game. Put your own art on the front; the backs are already identical!
4. photo playing cards. You’ve got to have a complete deck for this project, but the result is pretty special.
5. Phylo backing. Use playing cards as a base for any of tons of awesome, printable, DIY card games out there.
6. playing card bag. Laminate playing cards make a quite sturdy bag.
7. playing card book. Hole punch the cards and embellish them, then put them together with book rings.
8. polyhedra. Exercise your math skills and make yourself a kick-ass decoration.
9. restaurant review log. I used playing cards to hold restaurant information and library pockets to store them.
Playing Card Stencils image via Bare Branch Blooming.
Hi Julie! Thanks for including my post! Love your blog – right down to the Zombie Preparedness Planner title. 😉 I homeschool as well. Great connecting with you!
Never thought of using playing cards for stencils! We have made them into the grammar cards- you know, verbs, nouns, etc. on different cards and you shuffle them up and make sentences. Ours all had pictures of horses on them. Of course.
Ooh, that’s a cool idea! I want to see a blog post!
I thought I had mentioned it in one of my blog posts, but I can’t find it. I will look some more and if I still can’t find it, I will write one just for you. Though, the cards are nothing fancy :0)
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