I’ve been making DIY cards for family birthdays and such pretty much ever since I was a child. I post my designs annually on this blog, if you want to check them out! I use a variety of techniques, from quilling to watercolours, acrylic paints and scrapbooking. I love coming up with card designs, but girly, floral designs are by far the easiest for me. And when it comes to making cards for my Dad, I sometimes struggle! Not that there’s anything wrong in handing flowers – or a floral card – to a man, but I do prefer to make more fitting designs. So, if you’re like me and struggle with ideas for handmade cards for him, I put together a list of all cards I made for my Dad in recent years. Hopefully, this gives you some inspiration!
Quilling – floral cards with a twist
One of my favourite techniques for cardmaking is quilling. The thing is, I sort of… invented this technique myself. One day, probably over a decade ago, I thought: ‘what if I cut a piece of paper into narrow strips, role them up, and create flowers for the card?’. I did that, and I loved how the card turned out, but cutting sheets of paper into thin strips was just a bit too much work. So, I decided to Google search paper strips online. I mainly thought about the paper shreds often used as fillers for packing fragile items, but I accidentally discovered that quilling had a name and it was a popular type of art.
Anyway, I got sidetracked.
When it comes to quilling cards, I find it easiest to make flowers. That’s not particularly ‘manly’! So, I made some floral cards with a twist.
Once, I made abstract flowers in a non-traditional colour scheme, to take away from the cuteness. A green floral card was a good alternative! Another time, I made a card with a four-leaf clover, a popular symbol of good fortune. I’m still really proud of that design, and you can easily make a four-leaf clover card in other techniques too – you don’t need to use quilling!
Origami shirt
For a different occasion, I found an origami pattern for a shirt, and made it with chequered paper. I glued some small buttons to the finished shirt, and added a few balloons made with quilling paper strips. I think this design just screams ‘Dad’! The card was really easy to make and didn’t require special skills.
Stormtrooper with flowers
My Dad likes films and series from the Star Wars universum, and I decided to use it as inspiration for one of my handmade cards. I cut out a silhouette of a Stormtrooper, and drew the details with coloured pencils and a liner pen. I also made some tiny quilled flowers for the Stormtrooper to hold. Honestly, it might be one of my favourite cards I’ve made! I was super happy with how it came out.
Cat with quilling details
Animals can be a great, neutral theme for handmade cards, as long as you don’t make a dog card for a cat person and vice versa! My parents have a cat, and for my Dad’s 60th birthday card I made a cat in a party hat. I cut out the main elements from thick coloured paper and added quilled details.
Car with balloons – acrylic paints
Last year, my Dad got a new car around his birthday, and I decided to paint that fact on his birthday card. I actually used acrylic paints for that card, and acrylic paper as the card base. I painted the exact car that my Dad got, reflected his birthday on the licence plate, and added balloons to make the picture more birthday-appropriate.
Watercolours – cupcake, cake with summer fruit
My Dad – or my whole family, really – has a sweet tooth. And baked goods make great birthday card subjects – especially if you include a candle in the design! This year, I painted a cupcake with watercolours for my Dad’s birthday card. Also this year, I painted a slice of cake on my Mum’s birthday card. Both designs are perfectly suitable for anyone with a sweet tooth, regardless of gender.
Watercolours – beer bottles as flower vases
One of my favourite cards from previous years, beside the Stormtrooper I already mentioned, was this watercolour painting of beer bottles serving as flower vases. I’m not great at watercolours, but I really like how this card came out! My Dad enjoys tasting craft beer, so this design was a good match for him.
Watercolour gecko with balloons
I mentioned a cat-themed card before. Another watercolour card that I’ve made was a cute gecko holding a bunch of balloons. I actually made it for my sister who, like I do, likes reptiles. But I’m sure this design would work for a boyfriend too, if they’re into exotic animals.
Funny cat card
Another card that I made for my sister but would work for a man is this funny card with with a cat caught… doing its cat things. My sister and I love teasing our family cat during his yoga sessions, and I still find this card design hilarious. Great for any cat lover with a sense of humour!
Watercolour camera with flowers
I’m not particularly proud of my watercolour skills on this card, but I’m sharing it to prove a point: you can turn any everyday object into a card design, if you add some flowers. My Dad is interested in photography, so I painted a camera surrounded by flowers. Making a card for a musician? Paint a guitar covered in flowers. A coffee lover? How about a cup of coffee with a rose next to it? Get creative!
Watercolour trophy
Sometimes, inspiration can be found in current events. For this year’s Father’s Day, celebrated during the football World Cup, I made a card inspired by the tournament. I painted a trophy filled with flowers, and added the date of Father’s Day to make it more unique. Not an elaborate design, but I’m happy with how this card turned out!
Pint of beer – quick and easy card
One of the last cards I want to share is this basic glass of beer. It’s not my proudest creation, but I needed to make a last minute card with limited tools and supplies a few years ago, and came up with this simple design. I’m sure it could be improved and turned into a really great card!
Cake and whisky
And finally, the card I made a few years ago, with a birthday cake and some whisky. I cut the elements out of coloured paper and assembled them into a party-worthy design. Simple, and could be recreated in different techniques too.
Happy crafting!
So there you have it – 15 ideas for DIY cards for him. Whether you need inspiration for a handmade Father’s Day card or want to create a DIY card for your partner’s birthday, I hope I helped you get some ideas. Happy cardmaking!
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