How To Store Cards As Keepsakes Without Losing Or Damaging Them

Nothing can replace old-fashioned handwritten notes. These storage tips will help you revisit them for years to come.

In this digital world, there’s still something so much more personal about a handwritten note. Sure, it might take more effort or time than sending a text, but it is worth it to show that you care in a way that someone can hold and save. In the South, etiquette is generally taken quite seriously, which is why many Southerners grew up with the importance of writing thank you notes drilled into memory.

However, our paper correspondence entails more than just a simple “thank you.” Once thought to perhaps be a dying art, sending Christmas cards remains a holiday tradition amongst Southern families and friends. Despite the growing popularity of email invites, cursive wedding invitations are sent with just as much pomp and circumstance as they once were. Birthday wishes and sympathy notes still arrive in the mailbox.

In short, there will always be a place for handwritten cards and notes, and many Southerners will keep these correspondences for years—decades even! Yet, cramming greeting cards into junk drawers or forgotten piles doesn’t quite honor the sentiment, and it can even damage them without realizing it. In order to keep cards as true keepsakes to look back on, they should be stored with intention.

Below, here are five ways to store and preserve your treasured cards that go beyond the usual card organizer.

Keepsake Box

This is an easy and doable method, as you’re able to shop decorative boxes at many different stores, including HomeGoods and Amazon. Choose a design that you admire or that will look good in a particular place in your home. There’s no more need to hide away your cards in an old shoebox in the closet! In order to ensure your decorative box collection doesn’t go overboard, make sure to be intentional about which cards you keep. If desired, you can even choose coordinating boxes and label them according to year or type.

Photo Album

Did you know that most greeting cards typically fall within the size of a 5x7 photo? That means you can use a photo album to organize and display your keepsake cards. To make room for differently shaped and sized cards, choose a photo album that has flexible clear covers. Each time a new card comes in, you can place it in the open spaces. Then, display the photo album on shelf or table to encourage yourself (and others) to flip through it.

Scrapbook

For those who like to flip through memories, a scrapbook can work for other purposes than documenting a trip or event. Utilize the scrapbook much like you would the photo album, except you can attach the cards and add any other decoration that you might want, or write your own commentary alongside each card. It makes for a fun crafting project you’ll love to cherish and revisit.

Key Ring

Loose cards make you nervous? Link them together using a key ring. All you have to do is punch a hole in the corner of each card. You can put all of your keepsake cards together on a large key ring, or organize them according to type using multiple key rings. The key rings are easy to grab to look through, yet also able to be kept in a decorative box.

Digital Album

We’re not completely against utilizing technology, after all. Scan and save your cards on your computer, and you can create albums that include all of your scanned cards. You can then send these digital albums to family and friends for viewing, or simply keep it as a backup in case you lose cards or even decide to dispose of them.

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Read the original article on Southern Living.