Birthdays

• Birthdays are ubiquitous with gift and card giving. Gifts are not complete without the inclusion of a birthday card and creating your own card is more meaningful than simply choosing a store-bought card. Customize your birthday card with the birthday person's favorite colors. Paint or glue photographs of the individual over the front of the card. Create origami flowers and place them on the inside of the card so that when the birthday person opens it, they'll be pleasantly surprised.
  
  

New Babies

• Baby shower, baptism and new baby congratulations cards often feature symbols of pregnancy and infants on the cover. You can play around with these images to create unique card layouts. Customize the card with the new baby's name. Glue on colored ribbons and tiny flowers. You can also use alphabet blocks and dip them in paint to create personalized prints on the card's cover. For an especially meaningful keepsake, find baby photographs of the new parents and place them on the front of the card or use your own baby photograph to create a humorous card.
  
  

Weddings

• Wedding cards can accompany a gift or even be used as a gift card or money holder. Vary your card in size and open yourself to many creative card layouts. Focus on the popular wedding tradition of including "something old, something new, something borrowed and something blue" by finding images that represent each one and placing them on your card's cover. Create an all white card and add paper cutouts of flowers, a bridal dress and a champagne glass to it. Celebrate the couple's honeymoon by including images of the place the newlyweds are staying and the city, state or country they're visiting on the card. If they're heading to a tropical destination with a beach, you can even glue on real sand as well as a miniature umbrella that's typically served in a tropical drink.
  
  

Thank Yous

• Use a postcard format to create original handmade thank you cards. These work well after your wedding when you'll be sending out a large quantity of thank yous to friends and relatives. Go with a humorous touch by gluing a photograph of you and your new spouse wearing thank you T-shirts on the front. You can also use leftover yarn and fabric scraps to create patterns of images such as flowers and leaves for a thank you card that will be recycled as well as unique. Emboss your initials on plain cards for a simple thank you card or glue on pressed flowers from your garden.