First Birthday Card Messages: What to Write for a 1st Birthday
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What to write in a first birthday card
A first birthday card is really two cards in one. The baby cannot read it, so half the message is for the parents who got through the year, and half is a keepsake for the child to find in a box when they are twenty.
Write both. A short wish on the left, an honest line to mum and dad on the right.
1st birthday cards
Cards for a one year old, printed and posted from the UK.
Short and sweet
- Happy 1st birthday! One whole year of you.
- One today! Hope it is full of cake, cuddles and chaos.
- Happy birthday, little one. You have made everyone around you very happy this year.
- 1 today - and already the best thing that happened to this family.
- Happy first birthday. Eat the cake with your hands, it is the law.
Messages for the parents
- Happy 1st birthday to your girl - and well done to you two, that was a big year.
- One year of parenting done. You have both been brilliant at it.
- Congratulations on keeping a human alive for twelve months. He looks delighted about it.
- Happy birthday to him, and a very well earned glass of something for you.
Keepsake messages to read later
- You will not remember today, but we will. You spent it laughing at a balloon.
- On your first birthday you loved: books you could chew, the dog, and being upside down.
- One day you will read this. We loved you completely from the very first day.
- Happy 1st birthday. Whatever you grow up to be, we are already proud of you.
From a grandparent, aunt, uncle or godparent
- Happy 1st birthday to our favourite little person. Nanny and Grandad love you very much.
- One today! Being your auntie has been the best part of this year.
- Happy first birthday, godson. Here is to many more.
- One down, a lifetime of birthdays to go. Love from your uncle, who will teach you all the bad habits.
Never miss the birthday again
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How to write it so it lands
- Add the date in the corner - it turns the card into a proper keepsake.
- Leave the printed verse alone and write two lines of your own underneath.
Where to shop next
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- How to make a balloon arch
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- Birthday pin badges
- All guides
Frequently asked questions
What do you write in a 1st birthday card?
A short wish for the baby and a line for the parents. Something like: 'Happy 1st birthday! One whole year of you. Well done mum and dad, that was a big one.'
Should you sign a first birthday card from the pet or the family?
From the family reads better in a keepsake box years later. Save the dog's signature for the cards nobody keeps.