Homemade Birthday Card Ideas

Hi there! On this page we'll give you free homemade birthday card ideas complete with tutorial and photos to make your crafting experience nothing but fun, fun, fun! We've asked DT Member Aileen to show you how to make one in a clean and simple style. Enjoy!

Polka Dot - Themed Birthday Card
By Aileen Garcia

I once attended a polka dot-inspired birthday party. And of course, that inspired me to whip out all my polka dot, round, circular (and all else in between!) stuff for homemade birthday card ideas which will be in keeping with the theme (just so you know, I live for themed parties!).

• White cardstock
• Polka-dot patterned paper
• Ribbon (polka-dot as well, why not?)
• Embossing Machine and Texture Plate (I chose Sizzix Circle Circus for my card, but there are other several circle-themed texture plates out there)
• Stamps (for the border and the sentiment)
• Corner rounder

Steps:

1. Cut a letter sized cardstock vertically in half. That will leave you with a 4.25 x 11 in sheet. Score this paper in half. This is your base cardstock.
   
   
   
   
2. From your stash of paper, like what I did, use a patterned paper to cover the front of the card. (Here’s a tip for you, guys: If you don’t have patterned papers that will coordinate with your theme, you can simply make your own patterned papers by stamping on a paper using watermark or light ink pads. If you don’t have round stamps (don’t forget that the dots on your letter ‘i’ from your alphabet stamp set counts as a round stamp!), you can easily and lightly daub your pinky onto the ink, then stamp your finger away!
   
   
   
   
3. Emboss the texture plate on a smaller white card stock. You can emboss on any size of paper you like, as long as it will be smaller than the base card for the patterned paper to still be visible.
   
   
   
   
4. Adhere the embossed paper on the patterned paper. You may choose to paste it anywhere. I adhered mine on the right, center side.
   
   
   
   
5. Now, adhere a ribbon at the lower portion of the card. (Again, or anywhere you’d want, actually. :)
   
   
   
   
6. Stamp a round border (still with polka dots, of course!) on a leftover white cardstock.
   
   
   
   
7. Stamp your sentiment inside the round border.
8. Cut along the border. (This will be easier if you have a circle cutter/puncher with just the right size, which I don’t, sadly.)
9. Place the white border on the patterned paper and cut along, making sure that the circle is slightly bigger than the white one.
   
   
   
   
10. Adhere the sentiment on the ribbon. Again, you may adhere it anywhere on the ribbon.
    
    
    
    

11. For a finishing look, round the right corners of the card – the easiest, yet the most sophisticated look you can give your card ;)
    
    
    
    

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