Simple yet amazing! Handmade New Year’s card ideas that will delight
Have you given up, thinking “I want to make New Year’s cards by hand, but it seems difficult…”?The truth is, you can create surprisingly beautiful New Year’s cards just by using familiar materials like washi tape, stamps, and origami!In this article, we introduce ideas for New Year’s cards that will make people exclaim, “Amazing!” when they see them.Each one can be finished with simple steps, so even first-timers can try making handmade New Year’s cards with ease.This coming year, why not send a heartfelt, handmade New Year’s greeting to someone special?
Simple yet impressive! Handmade New Year’s card ideas that everyone will love (1–10)
Three cute horse designs
Here are three horse illustration ideas that are easy even for beginners to draw.
First, a design that features only the horse’s face.
Since it’s a stylized horse, if you can neatly draw the rectangular outline, you’ve practically succeeded.
Second, an idea where you draw a running horse behind text.
You’ll imagine the whole body, but the torso gets hidden by the letters, so you can draw the head, legs, and tail separately, making it easier to balance.
Lastly, a design that incorporates only the distinctive shape of the horse’s hoof.
This one is recommended if you want a pop look.
New Year’s greeting card for the Year of the Horse that can be easily drawn with a brush pen
Let’s try drawing a cute, rounded horse illustration reminiscent of a papier-mâché tiger.
It’s perfect as a small accent for New Year’s cards.
Since we won’t draw the legs, start by sketching the body as if it were a bowl with a square bottom.
Then add a rectangular head and upright, pointy ears, and connect them with curves to form the neck line.
From there, add the mane, eyes and nose, and body patterns to complete the horse.
Black, light blue, and red brush pens are used here, but feel free to use any colors you like.
Stylish New Year’s cards made with dot pens
https://www.tiktok.com/@rimi.ouka/video/7312395107645295880This idea involves drawing spirals with a fine pen and then adding patterns on top using a dot pen.
By varying the color and size of the dots, you can create a festive look reminiscent of Christmas lights.
Write a New Year’s greeting in the center of the design.
In this idea, the characters “あ,” “お,” “め,” “ま,” and “す” are emphasized.
The “あ” even has a little face, which is cute.
Using rounded lettering helps bring a cohesive feel to the design.
A New Year’s card that draws a horse using the character for “horse.”
Some of you might have thought, “Huh?” when you saw the title.
In fact, this idea uses the kanji for “horse” to draw a horse illustration! The upper left of the character becomes the head, below that the neck and body, and the four dots are seen as the legs and tail.
The key point in this design is how much of the original kanji you leave intact.
The balance is tricky, but for now, try copying it using the idea as a reference.
Once you can draw this illustration, you can base an entire New Year’s card design on it!
New Year’s card with plums drawn using a dot pen
https://www.tiktok.com/@yukarin_fudeart/video/7317584256815992066Here are some ideas for drawing plum blossoms easily with a dot pen.
Combine five dots to form a plum blossom, and use small dots to represent buds.
Draw rice ears and flower centers with a gold ballpoint pen.
Just the flowers will look simple, while adding rice ears will create a more festive finish.
Since the illustration has a rounded feel, using a similarly rounded typeface when adding greetings or other text will create a unified look.
Try writing with a brush pen or using stamps.
New Year’s card painted with a fork
https://www.tiktok.com/@happymoji_ayuayu/video/7033377714497228033Did you know you can create mizuhiki designs using a fork? Dip a fork in red ink and glide it across your New Year’s card to draw.
It may seem difficult, but if you draw the central knot in four steps, then sketch a half-circle on each side imagining hearts, and finally add two curved lines to suggest the dangling cords, you’re done.
Just note that once you draw, you can’t erase it, so it might be safer to make a draft first.
Draw the mizuhiki large and centered, and write your New Year’s greetings or message in the blank space.
New Year’s card painted with a toothbrush
https://www.tiktok.com/@mayufuku_fuku/video/7453083797530234130You wouldn’t believe this was written with a toothbrush! Here’s a stylish New Year’s card idea.
First, use gold to draw a wavy line in the center of the card.
On top of that, write the kanji for the zodiac animal.
You might think, “Is that it?” but using a toothbrush gives the letters a charming, brush-like texture.
Skip the sketching—be bold and expressive! For hygiene reasons, be sure to use a new toothbrush.
This is a perfect idea for those who don’t want to spend much time making New Year’s cards.
A New Year’s card featuring osechi dishes drawn with eraser stamps
https://www.tiktok.com/@happyzlrakg/video/7304261674159049992This design represents classic osechi dishes in a tiered jubako box using stamps.
You can carve your own stamps from erasers or use store-bought ones.
After stamping, adding colors with pens or drawing patterns will make it look even nicer.
Even though they’re stamps, the process of “packing” the jubako is fun, and it seems interesting to change the contents depending on the recipient.
If you’re looking for a memorable New Year’s card design that can be used regardless of the zodiac year, please feel free to use this as inspiration.
New Year’s cards made with hanko (personal stamps)
Writing New Year’s cards can be a lot of work, right? Many people probably buy pre-designed cards and just add a short message because there’s not enough time.
But that can get expensive, especially if you’re sending a lot of cards.
So here’s an idea: simply stamp a hanko and the design side is done! Even with just one stamp, you can make a great-looking card by using a larger stamp or adding effects like gradients.
Try looking for stamps at 100-yen shops or online stores.
Scratch-off New Year’s card
You can make your own scratch-off cards! Here’s how to create scratch-off New Year’s postcards.
You’ll need a postcard, dish soap, acrylic paint, and wax.
First, mix the dish soap with the acrylic paint.
Next, on the area you want to scratch on the postcard, write a message in pencil and circle it or add shapes.
Apply wax over the message, then paint over it.
Let it dry thoroughly, and you’re done! It’s fun to write words of thanks or turn it into a fortune slip, so it’s highly recommended.
If you want to make New Year’s cards that are a bit different, give it a try!
