A birthday card is a small gesture that can be packed with a lot of love. They’re a somewhat standard part of anyone’s birthday, but you can present something that stands out even more if you do it yourself.
Homemade birthday cards aren’t just unique, they’re coveted tokens of love. The effort that goes into making a birthday card on your own shows whoever receives it that they were on your mind long enough to sit through making them a one-of-a-kind birthday wish.
Whether you need inspiration for a new batch of birthday cards or you just want to try out yourself how much people will enjoy a DIY card, here is some inspiration to create best-in-class birthday wishes.
1. Scrap-paper Cakes
Maybe you have some leftover cardstock or wrapping paper from one of your own birthday celebrations.
Why not put it to good reuse through some DIY? The scrap paper cakes on a card like this come to life with a few simple geometric squares and rectangles.
Add a candle to the top for good luck and let the birthday wishes come true!
2. Pop-up Birthday Banner
Kick the idea of the colorful bunding up a notch and make it pop off the page. Again, this idea is as simple in concept as it is in execution, no matter how much it may resemble a $10 card!
The banner is easy to string across the card so it opens. The background balloons are optional (but a nice touch).
3. Festive Tape Candles
Just like you can use scrap paper to create cakes, you can use tape to create candles.
The colorful and patterned tape makes it really easy to create the tall standing candle look. Add the flames and match the right age and it’s a perfect birthday card!
4. Pop-up Glitter Cake
No matter what age, a pop-up birthday card is always a delight. You can just as easily make one at home as you can buy it from the store.
Take this cake, for example. A double layer of paper or cardstock is all you need to make it pop. Make some slices in the crease, pop them out, add candles and write your lovely message!
5. Cute Owl with Balloons
Who-Who’s birthday is it? Let this adorable owl ask the question. This very simple design is cute, personal, and festive all in one.
If you really want to make it come to life, opt for googly eyes.
6. Colorful Calligraphy
For those who are more partial to words than images, simply jazzing up a simple message can make for an unforgettable birthday card.
Write happy birthday or opt for more personalized messages in all the colors of the rainbow.
7. Elephant Balloon
An extra clever take on birthday-related decorations, this deflated balloon turns into an uncanny elephant trunk!
Just add the ears and eyes, and maybe the birthday message too, and you’ve got yourself a happy and easy birthday card made from scratch!
8. “Blow out the Candle”
Speaking of clever birthday card designs, this shows what a birthday candle can do if you’re not carefully.
The clever design involves a bit of creative cutting and coloring to get the charred-edge look. These candles are made with rolled up paper, but you can even use the tape or scrap-paper idea to illustrate the candles. It’s all about what you have on hand!
9. Colorful Birthday Banner
As simple to make as it is to admire, a little birthday bunting is a sure sign that the day is going to be festive.
This mini version of the celebration staple requires as little as cutting a few triangles out and pasting them to the page, or, quite possibly, just coloring them on. The creativity is up to you!
10. Ice-cream Cone
If the birthday girl or boy likes ice cream more than cake, this adorable ice cream cone card is the way to go!
You can color it or use scrap paper to make the cone, but the fuzzy scoops of ice cream are an absolute must for full effect!
11. A Jar of Flowers
A bouquet of flowers is always a nice sentiment.
What’s even nicer is when you roll up the birthday card with the blossoming gesture of well wishes. This quaint card involves just a few simple stickers and string to literally make it pop off the page.
12. Cute as a Button
DIY is best when you have materials on hand waiting to be used. Some old, extra, or mismatched buttons will do the trick nicely for a handmade birthday card like this.
Whether it’s for a friend, family member, or loved one, you can make simple buttons into cute characters right on the card.
13. Peak-a-boo Bear
A birthday can be complete with a big bear hug.
Double up on the love and make your own cuddly card. It takes a bit of a different approach than the standard card, but is very simple to create.
14. Popsicle
Your very own handmade popsicle birthday card can come to life with, well, a popsicle stick!
Some creations like to kick it up a notch by taking a bite out of the corner. The real sweetness of this DIY craft is picking the favorite flavor of whoever you intend to give it to!
15. Shirt-Pocket
Write a note or add some money.
Either way, creating a birthday card with its own front pocket is a surprising and casual way to wear happy birthday right on your sleeve.
16. The Punny Birthday Card
A good day is filled with lots of laughs, which makes a clever birthday joke a great option for a handmade card. There are plenty of jokes that can be illustrated with a very simple concept.
“Have an Egg-celent Day” is one, but try out some others (like “Oh Ship! It’s your birthday! ) and see how they stick. If all else fails, you can always fall back on “You Rock.”
17. Silly “holy crap!” Card
If silly is what you’re going for, what’s better than a little bit of light potty humor?
This Holy Crap! card makes use of the porcelain throne that is handy on every day of our lives. For a special birthday momento, though, the mini roll of paper is a funny way to show how you feel.
18. Piggy bank
Kids are notorious for checking for the money before reading the card, and we can’t help but think that’s a trait that carries into adulthood.
To prove we all know what we truly hope is in the card, make a simple piggy bank and take out the guesswork.
19. Party Birds
For party animals and mama birds alike, a cute group of birthday birds is an easy-to-make and cute-to-keep card.
The simple design is open to a lot of creativity. Whether you choose to make them short, fat, pink, purple, or otherwise is up to you. Just don’t forget the festive party hats!
20. Love hearts
Simple and timeless, you can create an impressive birthday card with just a little bit of love.
These tiny hearts flutter off the page, offering well wishes for the day and all the love that comes with it. It’s very simple to create on your own and sure to score some smiles when it’s revealed.
Final Thoughts
A birthday card is a small gesture with a big meaning. It shows a special person on their special day just how much they mean to you.
Buying a card in the store just doesn’t have the same sentiment as making on yourself. With a selection of so many DIY card ideas, from the very simple to the slightly more involved, there is no doubt that a message in a card like this shines brighter than the rest.
1 comment
Cool ideas, I’m sure all of them would brighten up someone’s birthday! You’re very creative!