Did you know that September is the busiest month for birthdays in the UK? And with the average UK adult receiving just 7 birthday cards each year, you want to make sure that the card you give them is a good one.
While it may be tempting to just pick up a cheap and cheerful bargain card with your next food shopping trip, that's not always the best solution. Sure, it's easy and cheap, but choosing the perfect card can be a fun experience for you and it can show your recipient how much they mean to you.
Buying birthday cards online can be scary if you aren't sure exactly what you're getting. When you can't actually see what you're buying beforehand, how do you know that it's going to measure up? Take a look at the reviews- that should give you a good idea. We've had over 13k five star reviews over on our Etsy shop, just saying...
I'm on a one-woman crusade to get people excited about sending cards. When you have fun choosing and sending cards, your recipients enjoy receiving them, cards stop feeling like a chore, or a boring thing that goes with a gift. Instead, cards can be the main event, a thing to treasure forever, or even something to frame.
What makes a good birthday card?
Well, this is very much a 'how long is a piece of string' question as the word 'good' is subjective. But, in general, a good birthday card is one that has been chosen with the recipient in mind. It should reflect their personality, their sense of humour and your relationship with them.
Here's how to pick the perfect birthday card-
Firstly, ask yourself, who are you buying the birthday card for?
This is probably the main thing to consider. Are you buying a birthday card for your partner, child, parent, grandparent or friend? Of course, buying a birthday card for your bestie will not have the same outcome as buying a card for your uncle Colin. You could begin your search by looking for birthday cards for best friends, or uncles. It's probably worth diving a little deeper, but you should probably bear in mind what sort of relationship you have with the recipient as a starting point.
Is it a big birthday? Are they likely to appreciate a card with their age on it?
For example, if your best friend is turning 30 and super proud of it, then by all means go for a card with their age on it. However, if your mum is turning 60 and not so happy about it, then perhaps it's best to steer clear of age cards. We have a whole plethora of age-free special birthday cards here.
What do they like? Do they have any special interests?
This one can be a big help when choosing a birthday card. For example, my son loves cameras and photography, my daughter loves frogs- they are quite possibly the easiest people to buy birthday cards for! If your recipient has a special interest or hobby, this can help you find a relevant birthday card.
So what do you do if your recipient doesn't have any obvious hobbies, or their hobby is something super-niche, like drain cover spotting, and you can't find a relevant card?
You could get them a personalised birthday card with their name on. This shows that you have thought of them and gone to the trouble of sourcing a card especially for them.
What sort of message do you want to send?
Again, this depends on your relationship with the recipient. Do you want to make them laugh out loud? Or are they more a sweet-and-sentimental sort? Perhaps you share a mutual appreciation for profanity, and a birthday card with a swear word is the answer (if so, check out our range here).
And when it comes to what to write inside your birthday card, we've got a list of birthday message ideas here to get you feeling inspired. If you're buying a birthday card from us, we'll print your chosen message inside the card for no extra charge, simply let us know what you'd like when you place your order.
Colour is key
With up to 17 different paper colours in our offering, it can sometimes be tricky to choose the perfect colour to go with your birthday card. We try to keep our range broad so that there's something for everyone. The good news? there's almost definitely something for everyone. The bad news? You have to choose.
We suggest breaking them down into groups, like pastels, bright colours and metallic colours. It's much easier to narrow things down that way.
For example, you might know that your recipient is much more a pastel person than a bright colour person, so you can narrow your choice down to just the pastels, and pick the one you think they'll like best. Or perhaps you know they adore green- well we offer a light green, bright green or a sage, so you just have to pick the shade that you think they'll like the most. If they are big into their neutrals and their house is a mecca for magnolia, try the gold leaf, the silver or the urban grey.
And if you're still not sure, then you can rest assured that all of our colours are carefully chosen and they all look fab, so you can't really go too far wrong.
