16th Birthday Card Messages

16th birthday card messages: what to write

Sixteen is the birthday where a card from an adult can go badly wrong. Too soppy and it gets folded away; too jokey and it misses. These 16th birthday card messages hit the middle ground, sorted by tone so you can pick the one that suits them rather than the one the shop verse decided on.

The trick at sixteen is to treat them like the adult they're becoming. One line acknowledging something they've actually done this year beats a page of generic good wishes.

Funny 16th birthday messages

  • Sixteen. Old enough to know better, young enough to get away with it anyway. Shop this card
  • Happy 16th. You can now legally do about four new things, none of them as exciting as you'd hoped. Shop this card
  • Sweet sixteen and already better at everything than the rest of us. Rude, frankly. Shop this card
  • 16 today. Enjoy the last year before anyone starts asking about your plans. Shop this card

Heartfelt 16th birthday messages

  • Sixteen years of watching you turn into someone properly worth knowing. Happy birthday. Shop this card
  • You've grown up brilliantly, and the best part is you're only getting started. Shop this card
  • Happy 16th. Whatever this year throws at you, you've got this — and you've got us. Shop this card

Gifts to send with the card

Add a candle or a pin badge and the card and present arrive together.

Funny Birthday Gift Soy Wax Candle Another Year Older Still Crushing It Funny Birthday Gift Soy Wax Candle Another Year Older Still Crushing It £15.49 Funny Birthday Gift Soy Wax Candle Another Year of Being the Main Character Funny Birthday Gift Soy Wax Candle Another Year of Being the Main Character £15.49 A funny birthday card featuring an illustration of a pint of Guinness with three burning birthday candles on top. Guinness Happy Birthday Card (I Thought You Might Appreciate This More Than Cake) £3.87 Funny Birthday Gift Soy Wax Candle Aging Like a Fine Meme Funny Birthday Gift Soy Wax Candle Aging Like a Fine Meme £15.49 Funny Birthday Gift Soy Wax Candle Smells Like Your Fading Youth Funny Birthday Gift Soy Wax Candle Smells Like Your Fading Youth £15.49 Funny Birthday Gift Fuck Another Year Older Funny Candle Funny Birthday Gift Fuck Another Year Older Funny Candle £15.49 Lá Breithe Shona Duit Irish Guinness Happy Birthday Card Lá Breithe Shona Duit Irish Guinness Happy Birthday Card £3.87 Funny 21st Birthday Gift Funny Candle Fuck You're Twenty One Funny 21st Birthday Gift Funny Candle Fuck You're Twenty One £15.49 Scorpio Birthday Gift Funny Zodiac Candle Scorpio Baby Scorpio Birthday Gift Funny Zodiac Candle Scorpio Baby £15.49 Capricorn Birthday Gift Funny Zodiac Candle Capricorn Baby Capricorn Birthday Gift Funny Zodiac Candle Capricorn Baby £15.49 A funny birthday card showing a cute dog hugging a pint of dark Guinness stout with three lit birthday candles. Mmmm Guinness Happy Birthday Card (Even Dogs Love Guinness) £3.87 Funny 18th Birthday Gift Funny Candle Fuck You're Eighteen Funny 18th Birthday Gift Funny Candle Fuck You're Eighteen £15.49

Where to shop next

Frequently asked questions

What do you write in a 16th birthday card?

Keep it short, treat them as an adult, and reference something specific from their year — exams, a team, a new job. Two or three lines is plenty.

Is money an acceptable 16th birthday gift?

Usually yes, but it lands far better with a card that says something. Pair cash with a card and a small keepsake so there's something to open.