Design ideas for birthday message boards for seniors: easy DIY
How about celebrating a special birthday with a heartfelt handmade message board?
Birthday boards for seniors are warmly received as gifts that convey genuine care.
With handmade touches, you can create a one-of-a-kind, truly special present.
In this article, we’ll share easy-to-make ideas and key design tips.
You can get started with familiar materials, making it perfect for beginners.
Let’s create a birthday full of smiles for your loved one with a lovingly crafted message board!
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[For Seniors] Birthday Message Board Design Ideas: Easy DIY (1–10)
100-yen shop stickers
When making crafts in activity sessions for seniors, you may sometimes use items from 100-yen shops.
These days, many 100-yen shop items offer quality beyond their price, and the large number of locations makes them easy to visit.
Let’s make lovely message boards for seniors by using 100-yen shop supplies.
For example, you can combine round stickers from a 100-yen shop to create balloons or a birthday cake and stick them on.
Some sticker sets are already designed as flower bouquets, or feature illustrations of houses and animals.
By combining them well, you can create a message board with a unique, original touch.
Sticker-based projects also seem like an enjoyable activity for seniors’ craft-making.
100-yen pastels and a brush pen
Let’s make a birthday shikishi board featuring soft, gentle pastel smudge art.
Grate pastel with a tea strainer and let the powder fall onto the shikishi.
Rub the fallen pastel powder with a tissue to create a soft, blended look.
Unlike watercolor paints, pastels don’t require water, palettes, or brushes, so preparation is easy.
You can even find them at 100-yen shops.
It’s perfect for staff who don’t have much time to work on projects.
Add a message with a brush pen over the smudge art, and you’ll have a shikishi that’s sure to bring a smile to older adults.
Candle made with masking tape
Here’s a simple but super cute birthday card with candles.
Prepare a white card and cut five pieces of your favorite washi tape to stick on.
Try mixing wide and narrow tapes, and vary the lengths and angles.
Draw the candle flames with color pens.
I used pink and yellow here, but it would be fun to customize with any colors or colored pencils you like.
Write “Happy Birthday” or a message in the empty space.
Using the video as a reference, try thickening the vertical lines, changing the lettering style, and adding your own personal touches!
[For Seniors] Birthday Message Board Design Ideas. Easy DIY (11–20)
Bouquet with a dot pen
No matter the occasion, receiving a handmade, heartfelt message board is delightful.
After writing your message with a brush pen, why not add a lovely bouquet made of dots? Use a dot pen—designed specifically for drawing dots—to create a bouquet with dots of various sizes.
It’s an easy way to make the board look more festive.
Of course, you can use a regular pen to draw the dots, too.
Pens with square tips, not just round ones, can also produce interesting results.
A message board decorated with illustrations made from round or square dots is truly unique—no two are the same.
It’s sure to bring joy to older adults celebrating their birthdays as well.
Message board on a bouquet
When it comes to bouquets, they’re one of those gifts that make anyone happy to receive.
How about making a birthday message board inspired by a bouquet? Prepare some thick paper and colored construction paper.
Choosing soft, pastel colors for the construction paper is recommended, as it gives a gentle look.
You can make the base from colored paper or simply use a store-bought shikishi board for convenience.
Use a compass to cut out a semicircle, then fold it into thirds.
Use a flower-shaped craft punch to make lots of flowers.
Mixing various colors will make it look more vibrant! Create a character in your favorite motif with construction paper, and decorate the base together with the bouquet to finish.
Let’s celebrate by making a heartfelt message board!
a bouquet of tulips
Here’s an introduction to tulip illustrations recommended for seniors who have birthdays in spring.
Some staff members may be thinking of adding a seasonal touch to a birthday message board.
Including flowers that are in peak bloom around the birthday might help seniors feel the season.
It may also help some seniors—who find it difficult to keep track of time—recall their birthdays when they see seasonal flowers.
Let’s try drawing tulip illustrations using water-based marker pens.
Markers are easy to prepare and draw with, and many 100-yen shops carry them, so getting ready is simple.
Please use this idea as a reference to draw flowers that match a senior’s birthday.
It’s cute even in all black.
How about a birthday message board with a monochrome feel that highlights black? Boards that emphasize black have a sophisticated image, making them a great choice for seniors who prefer a more mature vibe.
Try using trendy, muted shades for the board itself—like blue-gray or greige, colors with a touch of gray.
A design built around pure black will really come alive.
By paying attention to the font, the black lettering will stand out even more.
This idea also works well for small message cards you might give to seniors, not just for the message board.