How to Make Fun & Easy DIY Happy Birthday Cards

by JoJo Mrgich

January 28, 2021

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DIY Birthday Cards

These birthday card craft ideas are perfect for kids ages 8 and up (or younger with a helper). In fact, our birthday card crafts include step-by-step instructions with pictures and a useful supply list with quick links for mom and dad.

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DIY birthday card supplies

  • 5-1/2″ x 8-1/2″ half-fold blank greeting cards (3378)
  • Colorful blank postcards, 4.25″ x 5.5 (35704)
  • Single sheet bright yellow 3/4″ heart shaped labels (94601)
  • Small assorted color foil star labels (6007)
  • 3/4″ assorted color-coding stickers (5472)
  • Colorful printed paper or cardstock
  • Markers, crayons or colored pencils
  • Glue stick
  • Scissors
  • Ruler
  • Optional: a bowl or plate for tracing
Time to blow out the candles! Blank labels are awesome for crafting projects.

Make a Wish Birthday Card

step one and two of how to make a birthday card with birthday candles on it shows cutting colorful paper into strips and gluing it to the front of a blank avery greeting card

Step 1: Cut colorful printed paper or cardstock into strips about half an inch wide to make “candles” for your birthday card.

Step 2: Layout a blank half-fold greeting card horizontally (so that it opens upwards and is wider than it is tall). Use a glue stick to stick on your candles.

Tip: Glue down the candles so that they hang over the edge of the card just a little bit. Then trim along the edge of the card to get a perfectly clean edge.
step three of how to make a birthday card with birthday candles on it shows using yellow blank avery labels in a heart shape turned upside down to look like candle flames

Step 3: Add the candle flames. Draw a small line under each heart as the “wick” of the candle. Turn gold or yellow heart labels upside down and stick one on at the top of each candle.

Step 4: Write special birthday wishes inside and decorate the inside of your birthday card with drawings or stickers as you like!

example of a birthday card kids craft made with avery labels star stickers and blank greeting cards used to create balloons and stars in primary colors

Turn ordinary color-coding stickers into festive balloons with a little bit of imagination.

DIY Balloons & Stars Birthday Card

step one and two of how to make a birthday card with balloons showing avery color coding dots to make the balloons markers to draw balloon tails

Step 1: Use 3/4″ color-coding stickers to create the round part of your birthday balloons.

Step 2: Underneath each sticker use a matching marker, colored pencil or crayon to add a triangle “tail” and string for each balloon.

step three and four of how to make a birthday card showing decorating it with avery star stickers and writing a rainbow happy birthday message inside using colorful avery marks a lot markers

Step 3: Decorate with foil stars and write a happy birthday message.

Step 4: Add drawings and more birthday wishes inside your finished card.

shows a homemade birthday card made with avery blank greeting cards and decorated using rainbow colored avery marks a lot markers
Decorate your homemade birthday cards with all the colors of the rainbow, and then some. A colorful rainbow of permanent markers and bright neon postcards are perfect

Festive Bunting Birthday Card

step one and two for how to make a birthday card with bunting shows cutting colorful blank avery postcards into tiny triangles then lightly drawing lines to represent the strings of the bunting with a pencil

Step 1: Cut out 10-20 small triangles using colorful blank postcards. Try to make your birthday card triangles about 1″ high with two equal sides if you can.

Step 2: Layout a blank half-fold greeting card vertically (so that it opens like a book and is taller than it is wide). Draw 2 curved lines on the top left corner of your birthday card to have “strings” for your bunting.

Tip: You can trace the edge of a bowl or plate to help you make more curved bunting “strings.”
step three and four of how to make a birthday card with bunting showing gluing on triangles with avery glue stic to make the bunting and finishing the card by writing happy birthday on the front

Step 3: Use your glue stick to stick on your triangles on the lines you just traced. Place them close together with the corners touching.

Step 4: Write “Happy Birthday” on the front. Decorate the inside of your card with more birthday wishes if you’d like!

More happy birthday card ideas for all ages

Elementary age kids will have tons of fun creating their own handmade birthday cards using crafting supplies and their imagination. Older kids (and parents too) can unleash their creativity using our free online design software to create printable birthday cards.

Whether you’re crafting handmade birthday cards or personalizing printable birthday cards, adding your own unique style makes it extra special. Browse a variety of blank card styles and discover more greeting card projects and tutorials for the whole family.

Did you make something awesome? Tag us on Instagram to show off your birthday card projects.

Author: JoJo Mrgich

JoAnn (JoJo) Mrgich is a copywriter and SEO content writer who began her copywriting career in 2011. A musical theater major at the time, JoJo began writing blog articles, product descriptions, and other online content for a dancewear brand. Since then, she has gone on to write in a variety of fields, from essential oils and natural beauty to fashion and swimwear, finally landing at Avery, which she affectionately calls her "forever home." At Avery, JoJo writes content for the Avery blog, covering everything from organization to party planning, as well as contributing to other online content for avery.com. She is also a technical and content writer for Avery Industrial, where she writes in-depth articles that span a wide variety of topics, from safety compliance to 5S lean practices. In her personal life, JoJo is a big fan of fantasy and science-fiction works such as Lord of the Rings and Star Trek (especially the original series). She also loves going to Disneyland and runs a non-profit social organization of 600 members that brings fans of "nerd culture" together for meet-ups and events in Southern California.