How to Make a Birthday Card

Are you tired of spending a lot of money on premade birthday cards but don’t think you’re crafty enough to make one of your own? Don’t worry! You can make beautiful cards for your loved ones without great handwriting, artistic skills, or even any special tools.

With the art of collage, you can layer beautiful images and words to make meaningful cards. For this project you will need:

First, decide if you want to make a card for a specific person or just a generic one to have when you need it. For more generic cards, it’s safe to include images of balloons, presents, stars, and cake. For a specific person, brainstorm ideas before you gather your images. What are their hobbies? What makes them laugh or smile? Do they have a favorite food or sport?

Once you have some ideas, you can gather old magazines (sometimes thrift stores sell them), do an internet search ( Pinterest.com is an amazing resource), or go to a craft store (many have small, inexpensive, pre-cut images). You can also print pictures you, your friends, or your family have taken.

Then, lay out your images on your different colored papers. Mix and match to decide which ones look best to you. If you aren’t sure, consult the color wheel and choose a theme of complementary colors such as green and red or blue and orange. 

All cards are made up of layers. For a card that really pops, you’ll want to choose complementary colors for the bottom two layers. You can also use a patterned bottom layer of scrapbooking paper. Once these base layers are glued together, you can start layering your images. 

Choose one piece of paper to be the bottom or main layer of the card. Cut that paper to your desired size, such as to fit in an envelope. Then fold that paper in half. You can add character to your card by rounding the outside edges or cutting this page into a shape, like a heart. Remember that you will be gluing other layers onto this one, so it needs to be made of thick cardstock or scrapbooking paper.

Use a ruler to cut another piece of paper for your second layer. Cut it into a rectangle that will fit on the front half of the first piece of paper with equal margins around all sides. For example, if your first layer is 4 in x 3 in (when folded in half), you can cut your second layer to 3 in x 2 in for 0.5 in margins on all sides.

Use the first rectangle as a template to cut out two more white rectangles. These will go on the inside pages of the card where you will write your personalized message.

You can round the corners or cut them at a 45-degree angle to make them stand out. You can also cut them into shapes like circles or ovals. Once you have your three secondary layers cut to your desired shapes, glue them onto the first layer.

Now comes the fun part! Place your images at pleasing angles on top of the first two layers. Try placing an image partially on top of both the first and second layers. Or layer two images of the same theme, such as a leaf over the stem of a flower.

Some general rules:

The hardest part of most cards is the words. For the front of the card, you can print typed words or you can trace a font. Dafont.com is a great place to find fun and unique fonts to wish your loved one a happy birthday. You can also purchase a set of letter stamps and stamp out whatever words you like.

There is nothing wrong with simply printing and cutting out a “Happy Birthday!” to glue onto the front of your card. But if you want something more unique, consider the first part of a joke with the punchline on the inside. Or a quote from a famous person such as, 

As for the inside of the card, always be sincere. You took the time to make a card because you care. No matter how short the message is, if it comes from the heart, your loved one will appreciate it. And, if the message is short, consider adding a larger image on that page so it doesn’t look too empty.

Want to go beyond the basics of collaging? Try incorporating other media such as colored pencils, pens, paint, or stamps. If you find an image of a girl on a skateboard, draw some balloons in her hand. Or, instead of a pre-printed scrapbooking page, paint a watercolor background. 

You can also attach 3-D elements to your card such as ribbons or rhinestones. Just make sure you don’t make your card too heavy! If you are sending your card in the mail, there are weight restrictions. For example, in the U.S. the maximum weight for First-Class mail letters is 3.5 oz. 

Collaging is a great way to get in touch with your creative side. You don’t have to go to art school to cut out images and combine in ways that are pleasing to you. You may never want to buy a card again! Besides, a homemade birthday card says, “I love you,” in a way a storebought card never will.