How to Make a Birthday Card

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Categories: Crafts How Tos | How Tos

  • Add a personal touch to gifts and save money at the same time by making your own cards for special occasions. Our guide, how to make birthday cards, outlines the simple steps to creating card designs and sentiments that your friends and family will love.

  • Birthday Card Tips

    1. Use archivally safe materials to keep your card from deteriorating over time.
    2. Gather tools like cardstock, embellishments, adhesives and scissors.
    3. Start with a pre-made blank card and envelope or make your own.
    4. Decorate the front with embellishments like stickers, stamps, stitching or dried flowers.
    5. Add a sentiment like a heartfelt message or a birthday poem or quote inside the card.

  • Introduction

    • Making your own birthday cards to give to family and friends allows you to tailor the greetings, embellishments and colors to each recipient. Even a simple handmade card lets your loved one know that you thought of them and took the time to go beyond the typical store-bought version. Consider creating a batch of birthday cards ahead of time so you'll always have an assortment ready to go for last-minute parties or gift giving.

  • Gather Materials and Tools

    • An assortment of tools will make it easier to turn raw materials into a memorable birthday card. Consider these items when stocking your stash. If you want your card to be a keepsake that doesn't yellow over the years, ensure the paper, embellishments, pens and adhesives are acid-free and are of archival quality.Scrapbooking101.net: The Issue of Acid and Lignin
    1. Choose cardstock from a brick-and-mortar scrapbooking or craft store or an online card making or scrapbooking website to form the card base.
    2. Either buy a neutral color like white or beige, pick the recipient's favorite color or select a shade that coordinates with the embellishments you like.
      • -You can also buy pre-made cards in a variety of colors at a craft or scrapbooking store to make the card making process go more quickly.
    3. Get cutting tools such as a sharp pair of scissors for cutting ribbon and other accents, and also a paper cutter to trim cardstock and patterned paper.Scrapjazz: Paper Cutter Product Reviews
    4. Consider buying a bone folder to make a sharp crease on the card for a professional look.Martha Stewart: Bone Folder
    5. Keep a selection of adhesives on hand, including double-sided tape, adhesive dots and liquid glues to hold everything from heavy cardstock to tiny embellishments.Scrapjazz: Adhesive Overview Liquid Glues (August 21, 2007)
    6. For adding text to the front and interior of the birthday card, use writing tools to such as a computer and printer, markers, colored pencils or alphabet stamps and ink pads.
    7. Buy the embellishments that you want to use for decorating the front of the card. Try items ranging from stickers and die cuts to buttons and ribbon to rubber stamps and ink.Paper Craftz: Rubber Stamps
    8. Buy a pre-made envelope that matches the cardstock you've chosen.
      • -If you want to make your own envelope to go with the card too, check out Mahalo's complete guide on How to Make an Envelope.

  • Design the Card

    • Making your own card means you have the opportunity to choose everything from the size and shape, to the specific decor on the card, to the sentiment folded within. Such a wide array of options means that it's up to you to be as creative as possible. Use these steps and suggestions to spark your creativity.

  • Make the Card Base

    1. Use the intended envelope as a measurement to determine the general size of your card.
    2. Take the sheet of cardstock, then measure and mark both the width of the envelope and twice the height (to create a folded card).
    3. Use a paper trimmer to cut your cardstock to the desired size.eHow: How to Use a Trimmer in Scrapbooking
    4. Run a bone folder along the fold to make a crisp crease.eHow: How to Customize a Greeting Card

  • Embellish the Front

    1. Cardstock or decorative paper: Use cardstock in a shade that contrasts or coordinates with the card base or pretty patterned and birthday themed paper to add color or dimension to the front of the card.
      • -Create a "panel" as an extra layer for the front of the card to serve as a background for the embellishments. Use a paper trimmer to measure and cut the patterned paper slightly smaller than the front of the card so it will leave a thin, but noticeable border of the original card color.
      • -Also try adding texture around the edges by tearing the cardstock instead of using a paper trimmer.Two Peas in a Bucket: Tutorials: Tearing Paper
      • -You can also weave narrow strips of cardstock or decorative paper into a textured mat for the front of the card.Rubber Road Adventures: Paper Weaving
    2. Accents: Use embellishments to add personality to the front of the card. Choose items that are birthday related or simply reflect the recipient's personality, interests or favorite colors. Place the accent on a smaller piece of cardstock (used as a "mat") affixed in the center of the card, make a cluster of accents in one corner or run a row of items along the bottom as a border. Consider the following options:
      • -Stickers or die cuts are a quick way to adorn the front of a card. Look for birthday stickers, sports equipment images for athletes or favorite characters for kids' birthday cards, for example.
      • -Dried or paper flowers add a pretty touch and are perfect for spring birthdays. Affix them with a small dot of glue to prevent tearing.Better Homes and Gardens: 16 Creative Card Making Ideas
      • -Dimensional objects like buttons, charms, chipboard and acrylic shapes, brads and tags make quick and easy accents. Just attach them with adhesive dots or liquid glue.
      • -Birthday clipart or images from certain fonts (called dingbats) like a birthday cake, present or candles can be printed to become a simple accent.Wikipedia: Dingbat Better Homes and Gardens: Make a Quick Card
      • -Ribbon or raffia can become bows for the front of the card, a tie for small tags or even a decorative border.Two Peas in a Bucket: Tutorial: Using Ribbon
      • -Rubber stamps can add a quick image to a small piece of cardstock that you've affixed to the center of your card. You can also create subtle backgrounds by stamping repeatedly across the card base. You can even make a dimensional accent from a stamped image by trimming around it and attaching it to the center of the card with dimensional foam tape.Greeting Card Resource: Rubber Stamping
    3. Additional Techniques: Use other craft techniques that you love to create designs and accents for the front of the card.
      • -If you're a skilled seamstress or embroiderer, use those techniques to add homey or geometric shapes to the card.Better Homes and Gardens: Stitch It
      • -Paint a pretty design or small image on a separate piece of cardstock to attach to the center of the card.
      • -Create a small collage with photos, bits of memorabilia (like ticket stubs or restaurant business cards) and handwritten notes. Just affix the elements with double-sided tape or adhesive dots to a piece of cardstock, overlapping the items slightly. Trim the edges and attach the collage to the card base.

  • Add a Sentiment Inside the Card

    • Further personalize the birthday card with a message inside that conveys your feelings for the recipient on this special day.
    1. Add a birthday poem or quote by printing it on a piece of coordinating cardstock, trimming and affixing inside the card with double-sided tape or a light coating of glue (to prevent the cardstock from warping).
    2. Handwrite a heartfelt message with colorful markers or calligraphy pens.eHow: How to Use Calligraphy Pens
    3. Add a song lyric or birthday message with alphabet stamps and ink.
      • -Practice stamping on a piece of scrap paper or stamp the message on a separate piece of cardstock so you won't ruin the completed card if you make an error.About.com: Alphabet Rubber Stamps
    4. Find sample birthday poems and quotes from sources like the following:

  • Birthday Card Examples

  • Conclusion

    • Once you've assembled an assortment of supplies and practiced a few simple techniques like rubber stamping or tearing cardstock, you'll discover how easy it is to create handmade birthday cards. Try decorating the envelope with markers, rubber stamps or small stickers to complete the look and you'll make a keepsake that your friends and family will treasure for years to come.

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