Hi guys! 🙂
Sooo, one of you actually came up with this idea, and I thought it would be a nice thing to work on: birthday drawing ideas! If you’re staring at a blank birthday card, wondering how to make it actually special… or maybe you’re tired of giving the same old store-bought gifts that everyone else picks up last minute? You’ve come to the right place!
Drawing might seem intimidating if you’re not the “artsy type,” but birthday doodles don’t need to be museum-worthy masterpieces. They just need to come from the heart. These easy drawing ideas and DIY projects are perfect for beginners who want to add that personal touch without spending hours or breaking the bank.
In this guide, we’re diving into super simple birthday drawing ideas that anyone can master – from basic hearts and birthday hats to adorable party cats wearing tiny celebration hats. Plus, we’ll share 20 DIY gift ideas that are so easy and affordable, you’ll wonder why you ever stressed about gift-giving in the first place.
Birthday Banner
Starting up with something simple: the famous “happy birthday”! If your card is blank, starting with that seems like a good idea. You know that “Happy Birthday” song everyone sings? It’s literally one of the most famous songs ever written in English. We’ve all been part of music history without even knowing it!
Some birthday banners! You can draw birthday banners in the corners / on the edges of your card. It makes it super cute and special, and it’s really easy to draw!
To draw birthday banners, make triangle flag shapes and connect them with a simple line across the top. Each triangle can have a letter (like H-A-P-P-Y), polka dots, stripes, or whatever design you’re feeling. Make the whole banner slightly droopy and wavy because that’s how real banners hang – perfectly straight ones look fake and boring. It’s like instant party vibes on paper!
This one isn’t written in triangles, but still a simple shape that you can try drawing! I prefer this shape, personally.
Birthday People
If you’re comfortable drawing people, maybe you can draw the person you’re offering your card to. Here, you can see a happy boy similing with a birthday hat on his head.
And here’s a very easy party girl drawing idea that you can try!
This one is quite more complex, and you’ll have to change the balloons according to the person’s age. For this, I strongly suggest to make a draft first.
I also have a bunch of friendship drawing ideas in my other article that you can check out if you want to have more “people drawing” ideas! There are duos, trios and even more, so check it out. 🙂
Animals & Birthdays
Birthday Cat
If you’re not too good at drawing people but still want to add some personality to your card, you can try drawing animals! A cat, for example? Start with a circle head, pop two triangle ears on top, and add simple dot eyes with a tiny triangle nose. Draw some straight whisker lines coming out from the sides and don’t forget the most important part – a tiny party hat sitting on its head! Cats in party hats are basically the cutest thing ever.
This one is more of a silly take on the party cat: it looks a little grumpy, but still extra cute. I think it can be a nice idea for someone you’re really close to.
And if you really want to take it to the next level, why not trying some fancy positions for your cat? Like this one, hanging from a floating balloon~
Or this one, about to eat a piece of the birthday cake!
This one is super easy while bringing a bunch of personality to your card. Draw a rectangular gift box with an open top, add the classic ribbon and bow on the top, then have an adorable cat head popping out of the opening. Maybe add a speech bubble with “Surprise!” – it’s like the best gift ever unwrapping itself!
Draw a cat with its paws up in the air like it’s cheering, and you can add a party hat or just let the pure joy speak for itself. Add some motion lines to show the cat is literally jumping for joy!
Big round eyes with little shine dots, upturned smile, party hat sitting perfectly straight, and maybe add some little heart shapes floating around the head. This kitty is genuinely excited about birthdays and it shows!
Birthday Dog
Classic dog face with a cone-shaped party hat sitting between its ears. Add a collar around the neck, a big tongue hanging out in excitement, and maybe some motion lines around the tail area to show it’s wagging like crazy. This pup is clearly thrilled about the party!
Draw a dog’s head (circle with floppy ear shapes – this one is a cute poodle!), but instead of a regular hat, draw a whole cupcake sitting on top of its head like the world’s most delicious hat! Don’t forget a big doggy smile and tinny tongue~
Birthday Frog
Draw a simple frog face (circle with two bump eyes on top), add a triangular party hat, and here’s the fun part – draw a small party popper in its mouth. This frog knows how to party!
Birthday Avocado
Start with that classic avocado shape, add two dot eyes and a smile, draw a tiny party hat on top, and a balloon string coming from one hand with a small balloon circle. One thing for sure: birthday avocados are the happiest avocados!
Birthday Cakes
Draw your cake like you’re looking at it from a slight angle – make it more of a 3D rectangle where you can see the top and front. Add frosting layers that follow the same angle, and stick some candles on top. It’s fancier looking but still totally doable!
This one is a bit more stylized. The frosting is just represented by little curls, super easy and cute! No extra details needed – sometimes less really is more, and this style looks super modern and cool!
Another cute cake, but way more simple!
Another simple and cute one. Draw a simple rectangular cake, add one tall candle in the center with a flame, then place three small hearts across the front of the cake like decorations. You can make the hearts different sizes and maybe add a few dots around them for extra cuteness. It’s minimal but super sweet!
One Line Cake
This is a fun challenge! Without lifting your pen (or at least, not many times), draw a rectangle base, add a wavy frosting line across the top, continue the line to make the number “1” and then “8” on top of the cake, and finish with a small flame. The whole thing should be one continuous squiggly line – it’s trickier than it sounds but so satisfying when you nail it!
Same one-line technique but for the big 3-0! Start with your cake rectangle, add the wavy frosting top, then continue your line to create a “3” and “0” as candles. The numbers can be a bit wobbly since you can’t lift your pen – that’s what makes it charming and obviously handmade!
Heart Boxes
Drawing a gift box with hearts coming out of it is also a cute idea to draw on your birthday card, in my opinion. Make them look like they’re flying out of the box!
Here is another one that is much easier, because of the difference in perspective. If you’re not really good at drawing boxes in perspective, I think this one will give you less of a challenge to draw!
Birthday Balloons
Draw some oval or circle shapes (they don’t have to be perfect circles – real balloons aren’t either!) and connect them with curvy string lines. Make them all different sizes because that looks way more natural. Add a tiny triangle highlight on each balloon to make them look shiny and new. Three to five balloons clustered together always looks amazing, and you can make the strings all tangled up for that realistic party vibe.
If you’re feeling ambitious, you can even shape the balloons to the age of the birthday person! It’s a little more complicated, but so cool.
You can also draw your balloons with various shapes! My favorites are the star shapes ones. Or the heart shapes ones!
Birthday Frames
Draw a rectangular frame, then decorate the border with tiny party hats pointing in different directions and mini banner flags all around the edges. Leave the center empty so you can draw a portrait inside later – even a simple stick figure with a big smile works perfectly! The frame itself becomes part of the party decoration.
Same rectangle frame idea, but this time cluster balloon circles along the top and sides of the frame, with their strings draping down. Add small triangle banner flags strung along the bottom edge. When you draw someone’s face in the middle, it’ll look like they’re peeking through party decorations – absolutely adorable!
Birthday Doodles
A little birthday bundle for more inspiration!
And another one.
This is where you can go totally wild! Draw confetti by making tiny rectangles, circles, and triangles floating everywhere. Add streaming party ribbons as wavy, curvy lines. Make some star shapes and draw little lines shooting out from them like they’re sparkling.
A cute & easy party hat, which is a basic when you think of birthday drawings!
Start with a trapezoid shape (like a cup) for the cupcake base, then add a big fluffy cloud shape on top for the frosting. Don’t make it too perfect – real frosting is always a bit messy! Stick a single candle right in the middle and two little star sticks around it.
Draw your basic candle rectangles with oval flames, but here’s where it gets magical – add tiny star shapes all around the flames and little sparkle dots floating nearby. Draw some small radiating lines coming out from the flames like they’re crackling with birthday magic. Scatter different sized stars around the whole area to make it look like the candles are creating their own little light show!
Draw a simple envelope shape (just a rectangle with a triangle flap), then add a folded paper peeking out from inside. On the visible part of the letter, write “HB”. You can add some little heart doodles or stars around the “HB” and maybe draw some motion lines to show the letter is being pulled out. So sweet and personal!
Bonus: 20 Easy DIY Birthday Gift Ideas
Super Quick & Cheap
- Friendship Bracelets Grab some colorful embroidery thread (like $2 at any craft store) and braid away! You can make simple three-strand braids or get fancy with chevron patterns. Takes maybe 30 minutes and your friend gets something they can wear every day.
- Custom Bookmarks Cut cardstock into rectangles, decorate with markers, stickers, or doodles, then laminate with clear tape. Add a ribbon through a hole punch at the top. Costs under $5 and perfect for any book lover!
- Memory Jar Fill a mason jar with tiny folded papers, each with a fun memory you share, inside jokes, or reasons why they’re awesome. Decorate the jar with ribbon and cute labels. They can read one whenever they need a smile!
- Homemade Bath Bombs Mix baking soda, citric acid, and essential oils (recipes are all over Pinterest). Mold them in ice cube trays or silicone molds. Super satisfying to make and way cheaper than store-bought ones!
- Painted Plant Pots with Succulents Buy plain terracotta pots for like $1 each, paint them with acrylics, and add a small succulent. It’s a gift that keeps growing and reminds them of you every day!
More Involved But Still Easy
- Photo Collage or Scrapbook Pages Print out your favorite pics together (or use phone printouts) and arrange them creatively on poster board or in a small scrapbook. Add cute captions, stickers, and doodles around them.
- Homemade Lip Balm Melt coconut oil, beeswax, and add essential oils, then pour into small containers. You can make like 10 tubes for under $10, and everyone loves smooth lips!
- Decorated Phone Case Buy a clear phone case and customize it with stickers, dried flowers, glitter, or even photos. It’s something they’ll use every single day and think of you.
- Cookie or Brownie Mix in a Jar Layer all the dry ingredients for cookies or brownies in a mason jar, then attach a cute tag with baking instructions. They get the fun of baking plus delicious treats!
- Custom Playlist on CD or Vinyl-Style Art Burn a CD with songs that remind you of them, or create album artwork for a “playlist” even if you just share it digitally. Design it like a real album cover with inside jokes and memories.
Creative & Personal
- Embroidery Hoop Art Stretch fabric in an embroidery hoop and stitch simple words, their initials, or cute designs. Even basic stitches look amazing, and it’s surprisingly relaxing to make!
- Homemade Candles Melt old candles or buy wax flakes, add essential oils and food coloring, then pour into cute containers like teacups or small jars. Way cheaper than fancy store candles!
- Decorated Tote Bags Buy plain canvas bags (super cheap online) and decorate with fabric paint, iron-on patches, or even permanent markers. They’re practical and totally customizable.
- Recipe Book of Your Favorites Write down recipes for treats you always make, family recipes, or even just your go-to ramen hacks. Bind it with ribbon or put it in a cute binder with dividers.
- Customized Mug Buy a plain white mug and use oil-based Sharpies to draw designs, then bake it in the oven to set the design. Every morning coffee will remind them of you!
For the Crafty Friend
- Friendship Coupon Book Make a little booklet with “coupons” they can redeem – things like “Good for one movie night,” “Free homework help,” or “One genuine compliment when you’re feeling down.”
- Painted Canvas Art Buy a small canvas and paint something simple but meaningful – maybe an inside joke, their favorite quote, or just pretty colors that match their room vibe.
- Homemade Sugar Scrub Mix sugar with coconut oil and essential oils, put it in a cute jar with a label. It’s like spa treatment in a jar and costs maybe $3 to make!
- Decorated Picture Frame Buy a plain wooden frame and go wild with decorations – paint, washi tape, shells, buttons, whatever matches their style. Include a favorite photo of you two!
- Herb Garden Starter Kit Plant herbs like basil or mint in small decorated pots, add cute plant markers, and maybe include a little care instruction card. Perfect for anyone who likes cooking or just wants something green in their space!
Tips
- Hit up dollar stores for containers, basic supplies, and decorating materials
- Thrift stores are gold mines for unique containers and materials to repurpose
- Most of these take 1-3 hours max and cost under $10
- The imperfect, handmade look is what makes them special – don’t stress about making everything Pinterest-perfect!
The best part about DIY gifts is that even if they’re simple, the time and thought you put in makes them way more meaningful than anything you could buy. Plus, you usually end up having fun making them!
Wrap Up
There you have it – your complete toolkit for creating birthday magic that doesn’t require a fine arts degree or a huge budget! From simple heart doodles that take 30 seconds to draw, to DIY gifts that’ll have your friends asking “wait, you made this yourself?!” – you’re now armed with everything you need to make birthdays way more personal and meaningful.
Remember, the best birthday gifts and cards aren’t the ones that look perfect; they’re the ones that show you cared enough to put in the time and effort. Your wobbly cake drawing or slightly lopsided friendship bracelet carries more emotional weight than any expensive store-bought alternative because it’s uniquely, authentically you.
Happy creating, and even happier birthdays ahead!
