When you first discover that your deck of cards is less than a 52 count, the first thing you should do is figure out which card or cards are among the missing. A simple sorting of the suits is all that is called for. Then you can find out which card, or cards, of each suit are missing.

The next step is up to you. If you have the Jokers, then you can decide if you want to recreate the face of the card on the Joker card. Just white out the Joker part and draw in the missing face of the card.

Should you decide not to become a “card artist”, then you have several options to choose from besides throwing the incomplete deck into the trash. There are several fun ways to recycle an incomplete deck of cards.

CARD HOUSE: Now is the time to try building the card house of your dreams. You can also fold or cut the cards as needed and glue is allowed. Or you can have fun by building your house of cards the old fashioned way and stacking them.

BOOKMARKS: Great for stocking stuffers or quick pick-me-ups. You can either make or buy a long stringed corded tassel with a loop to hang. Take a hole punch and punch a hole in the lower center of the card. Make sure the cord from the tassel can get through. Make a loop knot and hang the tassel from it. The reader will stick the card in the book, leaving the tassel to hang on the outside of the book.

CARD TRAY: When guests come over, especially to play cards, wouldn’t it be fun to serve appetizers on a decoupaged tray covered with cards? Take an old tray and layer the cards to get the exact setting you want. Once the pattern is the way you want, start brushing the decoupage paste on top of the cards and tray. Let the tray set for about 4 hours or longer to make sure it is dry. You can use the tray with or without a purchased glass insert when serving.

LEARNING CARDS: For the younger set, an incomplete deck of cards can become learning tools at home. If you have an Ace through 10 in any suit, you can help a child learn to count. Use them as flash cards by holding them up one by one while the child tells you the number on the card.

MEMORY GAME: Make sure you pick out cards that are in pairs before including them in this game. Place the cards face down on a table. Let people take turns picking out pairs by turning them over one by one in twos. If they made a match, they keep the cards and take another turn. If they don’t make a match, the turn ends and the play will go to other people. The person or team with the most cards at then end is the winner.