Let's celebrate turning 100 with handmade gifts! Introducing colored paper boards and message cards.
A 100th birthday is a major milestone in life.
How about celebrating someone who has walked a long life’s path by giving them a colorful shikishi board or a message card?
On the board or card, you can include congratulatory words and convey your gratitude for all they’ve done.
Here are some ideas for shikishi boards and message cards that are perfect for a 100th birthday celebration.
Even simply writing a message on paper is enough to convey your feelings, but adding a touch of simple crafts—like origami or paper-cut art—can make it even more festive.
We hope you find these suggestions helpful.
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Celebrate turning 100 with handmade gifts! Introducing message boards and cards (21–30)
Simple Mechanism Card
This card is packed with three-dimensional mechanisms: even before you open it, a 3D bouquet motif is set up, and when you fully open it, the message also pops up in three dimensions.
You layer origami on the base and build the mechanisms from there, and small touches—like intentionally leaving a bit of slack at the folds or arranging decorations to overlap—enhance the sense of depth.
A key point is assembling the whole piece while being mindful of how thickly you layer the messages and decorations.
By designing it so you flip through it multiple times before reaching the final message, you can give the recipient the excitement of wondering what surprise awaits next.
Cards made from 100-yen shop materials
These days, many 100-yen shops offer good quality and a wide variety of products.
You might also have chances to visit a 100-yen shop during shopping outings with seniors, right? It seems they also carry lots of craft and sewing supplies.
Some facilities even use 100-yen shops to prepare items for recreational activities.
Here are some birthday card ideas made with items sold at 100-yen shops.
On the card cover, draw lines using a heart-shaped template.
Stick stickers or rhinestones along the lines.
Depending on the materials you use, you can create all kinds of hearts.
Use message cards from the 100-yen shop for the inside of the card as well.
With a bit of creativity, you can easily make lovely pieces.
popping cracker
We sometimes set off party poppers for celebrations and events, don’t we? So let’s make a birthday card for an older adult using a party popper as the theme.
Cut origami paper into a triangle to make the popper shape, and place a piece of twine between the origami popper and the card base.
This twine will act as the popper’s string.
Attach a round piece of construction paper to the twine and tuck it inside the origami popper.
When you pull the twine, it will look as if the popper has burst.
The recipient will likely feel excited, wondering, “What will happen when I pull the string?”
Pop-up card with letters popping out
A pop-up card with raised letters might make even older adults let out a delighted cheer.
Attach the lettered template to the card base.
Use the back of a pencil or a craft knife to trace along the lines and create fold creases.
Between the letters, trace along the dotted lines.
Also make small cuts along the solid lines within the template.
Another tip is to arrange the letters with a rounded, cake-like curve, as if they were on a birthday cake.
It’s a fairly challenging design to make, but that level of craftsmanship is likely to delight older adults.
Brush-lettered birthday card
Let us introduce a simple yet very cute, hand-drawn birthday card.
No matter how old you are, receiving a handmade birthday card is always such a joy.
Pop-up cards made with origami or construction paper are lovely too, but this idea is appealing because you only need water brush pens to draw it, so there’s very little to prepare.
Use water brush pens in various colors to draw circles and turn them into balloons.
The key is to draw them so they overlap, without leaving spaces in between.
Finish by writing your message with a black water brush pen, and you’re done.
Create a colorful, warm, and delightful birthday card!
A beautiful card with flowers popping out
We’d like to introduce a card that reveals an unexpectedly large flower when you open it.
Prepare four sheets of origami or construction paper in different colors and patterns.
Draw a circle that fits on the paper and cut it out.
You can use a plate or similar object as a template.
Fold each circle and cut it so it becomes a heart shape.
Use glue to attach the four cut pieces together to form a flower.
Glue the flower onto the card to finish.
You can also make a butterfly and attach it alongside the flower.
Some older adults might feel their hearts lift at the sight of this large, beautiful, and striking flower card.
Pop-up cake and presents
At some senior care facilities, they may prepare birthday cakes as part of the celebration event.
Many seniors would surely feel happy if a delicious-looking cake appeared on their own birthday.
Here is a pop-up card featuring a cake and presents, filled with lots of happy feelings.
Let’s make the cake and present boxes out of construction paper.
Fold the cake in half and set it in the center of the card to create a pop-up mechanism.
Attach pieces of construction paper cut with scissors or punches to the card.
Opening the card to reveal the cake is sure to fill seniors with excitement.