Handmade Watercolor Birthday Cards (Even If You Can't Paint)
Loose watercolor washes and simple hand lettering: how to make birthday cards people actually keep, no art skills required.
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Time
- 30 minutes
- Cost
- Under $15
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Everything I used, in one place
Amazon
Watercolor Paint Set for Beginners
Rich, buttery pigments with a water brush pen. Great for cards and journals.
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Sandra's pickAmazon
Cardstock Variety Pack, 100 Sheets
Sturdy 65 lb paper in soft colors, perfect for cards, tags and paper flowers.
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Sandra's pickAmazon
Self-Healing Cutting Mat (18" x 24")
Protects your table and keeps every cut crisp. The one tool I use on every paper project.
Shop nowA handmade card says I thought about you in a way nothing from the drugstore can. The secret to these cards is that they’re supposed to look loose and imperfect, which means they’re perfect for beginners.
Supplies
- A beginner watercolor set with a water brush
- Watercolor paper, cut to 5” x 7”
- Cardstock for the card base
- Fine-tip black pen and a pencil
- Double-sided tape
Three easy techniques
The confetti card
Dip your brush in two or three colors and dot circles of different sizes all over the paper. Let it dry, then letter “happy birthday” in the middle with your pen.
The ombré wash
Wet the whole paper with clean water. Drop color at the top and tilt it so the color bleeds down and fades out. Magical every time.
The simple bloom
Paint five loose teardrop petals around a center dot. Add two green leaves. Repeat in a cluster of three flowers. Done!
Assembling the card
Fold your cardstock in half, then use double-sided tape to mount the watercolor panel on the front. Leaving a thin border of cardstock showing makes the card look professionally finished.
Tip: Paint a whole sheet of watercolor paper at once, then cut it into panels. You’ll have a stash of cards ready for the whole year.
