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How to Make a Birthday Card

Visiting a card shop is always an adventure in discovering ways to say, “Happy Birthday! Thank you! I’m Sorry! I Love you! I Miss You!”…and more! The aisles are lined with color, beautiful words, bling and even music, but the challenge comes at checkout when we are at times challenged to decide between sending heartfelt wishes and buying a treat for tomorrow’s lunch. Well, how’s this for great news—no no need to choose!  In fact, you can send heartfelt and handmade well-wishes for any special occasion. Making birthday cards, which seem to be universally in demand, need not be intimidating, take a lot of time or use too many resources.

If you are just learning how to make a birthday card, gathering your supplies will be the first “to do.” The following is a list of essentials you can find at local scrapbooking, paper craft and general craft stores, large hobby shops or even online:

The ‘Must Have’ birthday card elements:

• Patterned paper and/or cardstock
• Scissors or paper trimmer
• Scrapbooking adhesive such as glue stick, adhesive runner or double stick squares
• Journaling Pen

The birthday card embellishments:

• Stickers
• Die Cuts
• Stamps and Inks
• Ribbons, Fiber
• Brads

Over-the-Top Birthday Card Options (for the adventurous or super ambitious):

• Silk Flowers
• Rub-on Accents
• Glitter and/or Embossing Powder
• Paint
• Computer with image-editing software and printer
• And the list goes on…

Once collected, set up on a work surface with plenty of room, and everything within reach. If you don’t have a dedicated craft or hobby room the kitchen table is an ideal surface for creating. Next, lay the groundwork for quick birthday cards by creating three basic elements—card bases, decorative mats and birthday messages.

Card Bases

One of the most common birthday card sizes is known as A-2. The finished birthday card measures 5½ x 4¼", with the envelope measuring 5¾ x 4⅜". This convenient birthday card size can be constructed easily by cutting 8½ x 11" cardstock in half, horizontally, and folding each piece in half. Creating a variety of birthday card bases will take some time but the effort will reward a crafter with the freedom to enjoy the good stuff later.

Decorative Mats

Decorative mats, in a variety of sizes, provide a great foundation for adding notes, special sentiments or other embellishments. Use a die cut machine and some geometric dies, such as the Spellbinders’ Wizard and their impressive line of concentric Nestabilities™ Die Templates, to increase your creative tempo.

Nestabilities will save you time and will allow you to produce an infinite number of perfectly cut, perfectly stackable mats, frames or tags. Nestabilities sets include straight-lined and scalloped shapes - ovals, circles, squares, rectangles, paisleys and more. And the bonus of Spellbinders Die Templates - is their ability to add embossed accents to every shape and to be used as a stencil.

Make a Birthday CardMessage

Prepare a variety of “Happy Birthday” card messages for both the card front and the inside.  Here are a few ideas for ways to do this: 

• Stamp sentiments on lengths of ribbons or strips of paper
• Use rub-ons on a die cut tag
• Die cut sentiments or fonts
• Use text editing software to print out sentiments on vellum or coordinating paper

How to Make a Birthday Card & Put It All Together

With adhesive in hand and a variety of card bases, mats, sentiments and extra embellishments nearby, it’s time to put your cards together. Taking out your birthday list can help get the creative juices flowing. What is her favorite color? What does he do for fun? Is she approaching a landmark year? What season is it?

With these things in mind, follow these simple steps:

• Select a focal point that makes you smile such as a sticker, stamped image, embellished die cut or even a silk flower.
• Choose a birthday greeting.
• Pick a coordinating card base and mat.
• Layer the elements in an eye-pleasing manner.
• If you want to, add more embellishments like ribbon, brads or flowers.
• Sit back, enjoy your handmade, heartfelt creation and then sign it, pop it in an envelope and send it along!

Anyone who receives one of these from-the-heart mini works of art will appreciate the time and effort taken on their behalf. So let’s hear it for a hand-made happy birthday card treat!

How to Make these Birthday Cards

Birthday Card #1 Spellbinders’ Wizard and Die Templates: S4-110 Classic Oval Large; WorldWin Cardstock: ColorMates Deep Chocolate Malt, Dark Chocolate Malt, Light Creamy Cocoa; Scrappin' Sports patterned paper: Dots & Plaid, Green; Creative Impressions: Dark Brown Twill Ribbon; Glue Dots
Birthday Card #2 Spellbinders Wizard and Die Templates: S4-114 Standard Circle Large, S4-124 Classic Scallop Circle Large; WorldWin Cardstock:  ColorMates Deep Lovely Lilac, Dark Lovely Lilac, Light Lovely Lilac, Deep Totally Tan; Curious Iridescents paper: Cryogen White; Rubbernecker Stamps: Butterfly
Birthday Card #3 Spellbinders’ Wizard and Die Templates: S4-130 Classic Rectangles Small, S4-133 Classic Scallop Rectangles Large, S3-136 Wheelbarrow; WorldWin Cardstock: ColorMates Deep Creamy Cocoa, Deep Coffee Brown, Deep Terra-Cotta, Deep Autumn Red, Deep Totally Tan; Glue Dots; Creative Impressions: Felt Flowers, Sparkly Brads

Check out the Spellbinders web gallery for even more birthday card ideas from the Design Team.