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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Let’s celebrate turning 100 with handmade gifts! Introducing colored paper boards and message cards (31–40)
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!
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.
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.
Bouquet illustration
Handmade birthday cards cut and pasted from construction paper or origami are lovely, but this idea is very simple and can be completed with just paper and a pen.
It’s perfect for seniors who enjoy drawing illustrations.
Draw triangles with a pen, then use a dot pen to add lots of tiny dots.
Mixing different sizes and colors makes it even cuter.
The key is to aim for a rounded overall shape.
Draw a ribbon and write your message with a brush pen.
The softly colored, cute bouquet illustration really makes the brush-pen message stand out.
Celebrate turning 100 with handmade love! Introducing message boards and cards (41–50)
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.
Pop-out tulips and ribbon
Elderly people might also appreciate a birthday card with a festive feel.
So, here’s a tulip card that will brighten their mood the moment they open it.
When the card is opened, a bouquet of many tulips pops up.
The pop-up mechanism is made by folding and cutting the card’s base.
It’s a simple construction, but that alone completes the pop-up bouquet.
Use construction paper in various colors to make lots of tulips and arrange them into a bouquet.
This kind of card is sure to bring even more joy to elderly recipients when they open it.