Guides

Feel Good Times guides

Every guide we have written, in one browsable index. There are 259 of them, covering what to write in a card, jokes and puns to steal, party planning, celebration etiquette and how much to spend in the UK.

Pick a topic below, or scroll through the full list. Each guide is written for a specific moment rather than in general, so use the contents to jump to the one you actually need.

Browse by topic

Best of: cards and gifts (8)
What to write in a card (18)
Messages by recipient (8)
Sorry, etiquette and awkward moments (12)
How much to spend (9)
Jokes and humour (12)
Puns and wordplay (7)
Rhymes, poems and quotes (12)
Riddles and quizzes (6)
Games and activities (16)
Party planning (12)
Decorations and how-to (6)
Fancy dress and themes (8)
Celebrations (11)
Work and colleagues (12)
Speeches and toasts (7)
Cheering someone up (14)
Feel-good reading (8)
Christmas and seasonal (17)
Secret Santa (4)
Festivals and world celebrations (4)
Christenings and faith milestones (28)
Charity and fundraising (5)
Badges and pins (4)
Card design and how cards work (11)

Best of: cards and gifts

Our picks for the best cards and gifts by recipient, milestone and occasion.

The best birthday cards for mum
Our pick of the best birthday cards for mum, plus how to choose one she'll actually keep and what to write inside.
The best birthday cards for dad
Our pick of the best birthday cards for dad, from the properly funny to the quietly heartfelt.
The best 60th birthday gifts
Our pick of 60th birthday gifts by budget, plus what to avoid and how much people actually spend.
The best 50th birthday gifts
50th birthday gift picks by budget, plus what to skip and how much to spend.
The best funny birthday cards
Our pick of the funniest birthday cards, from mild puns to properly rude, and how to choose the right level.
The best retirement gifts
Retirement gift picks for colleagues and family, plus how much to collect and what to write.
The best teacher thank you gifts
End of term gift picks for teachers and TAs, with budgets and what teachers say they actually want.
The best anniversary cards
Anniversary card picks for partners and couples, including milestone years, and what to write.

What to write in a card

Message ideas by occasion, from milestone birthdays to sympathy and thank yous.

Anniversary card messages and wishes
Funny, romantic and short anniversary wishes you can copy straight into a card, plus anniversary cards posted from the UK.
Sympathy card messages and what to write
Gentle, short condolence messages for a bereavement card, grouped by who has died, plus what to avoid writing.
Retirement card messages and wishes
Funny, heartfelt and short retirement wishes for colleagues, teachers and family, plus retirement cards posted from the UK.
New baby card messages and wishes
Funny, warm and short new baby wishes for a boy, girl, twins or second baby, plus new baby cards posted from the UK.
Thank you card messages for teachers
End of term and end of year thank you messages for teachers, teaching assistants and nursery staff, from parents and from children.
What to write in a sorry card
Fifty apology messages, from short to serious.
Good luck messages
Sixty good luck messages, grouped by occasion.
Exam results messages
Results day wording for good results and disappointing ones.
Passed your driving test messages
Wording for before the test, after a pass and after a fail.
New home messages
Sixty new home messages for every kind of move.
Moving away messages
Fifty farewell messages for someone moving away.
First day at school messages
Starting school wording for reception through to secondary.
Pet sympathy messages
Condolence wording for the loss of a pet.
Thank you for a gift messages
Sixty thank you messages for gifts of every kind.
Thinking of you messages
Thinking of you wording for hard weeks and quiet ones.
Hospital stay messages
Wording for surgery, recovery and long hospital stays.
Divorce and breakup support messages
Support wording for a divorce or breakup.
Just because messages
Fifty five messages for a card with no occasion attached.

Messages by recipient

What to write for a neighbour, boss, in-laws, godparent, carer, midwife or vet.

What to write to a neighbour
Forty-five neighbour messages, from thank yous to apologies.
What to write to your boss
Forty-five boss messages that stay the right side of professional.
What to write to your in-laws
Forty-five in-law messages, warm without overreaching.
What to write to a stepdad
Forty stepdad messages, heartfelt, funny and short.
What to write to a godparent
Forty godparent messages, from the ask to the thank you.
What to write to a carer
Forty carer thank you messages, for paid and family carers alike.
What to write to a midwife
Thirty-five midwife thank you messages, including difficult births.
What to write to a vet
Thirty-five messages for vets and veterinary nurses.

Sorry, etiquette and awkward moments

Apologies, accepting one, returning gifts, RSVP wording and group gift etiquette.

Apology messages for a partner
Forty sorry messages for a partner, from short notes to serious apologies.
Sorry I forgot your birthday
What to say when you forgot a birthday, funny and sincere versions.
Belated birthday messages
Forty belated birthday messages, funny through to formal.
Late thank you messages
Wording for overdue thank yous, from wedding gifts to hospitality.
Sorry messages for a friend
Apology messages for friends, including reaching out after a long silence.
Apology messages for work
Professional apology wording for colleagues, managers and clients.
How to accept an apology
Thirty replies for accepting an apology, from warm to work-appropriate.
How to return a gift politely
Wording and UK etiquette for returning, exchanging or re-homing a gift.
RSVP wording
How to accept or decline an invitation, with wording for every occasion.
Group gift etiquette
How to organise a group gift or collection without awkwardness.
No gifts please wording
Polite wording for asking guests not to bring presents.
Asking for money instead of gifts
Polite wording for asking guests for money rather than presents.

How much to spend

UK amounts for weddings, christenings, Secret Santa, teachers and work collections.

How much to give as a wedding gift
Typical UK wedding gift amounts by relationship, plus what to write with the money.
How much to spend on a christening gift
Typical christening gift budgets by who you are, plus money etiquette.
Secret Santa spending limits
How to pick a Secret Santa limit and make it stick.
Teacher gift etiquette
What to spend on a teacher gift, and the rules schools actually have.
How much to spend on a birthday gift
Typical birthday gift amounts by relationship, including milestones.
How much to spend on a new baby gift
Typical UK baby gift budgets by relationship, plus baby shower and group gift amounts.
How much to give for a funeral collection or flowers
UK amounts for funeral collections, donations in lieu of flowers and sympathy flowers.
How much to spend on a leaving gift
What to put into an office leaving or retirement collection, and how to run one well.
How much to spend on an engagement gift
UK engagement gift budgets, and how they relate to the wedding gift later.

Jokes and humour

Knock knock jokes, dad jokes, one-liners and milestone birthday humour.

Top 50 knock knock jokes
Fifty clean knock knock jokes, sorted from classic to genuinely new.
Top 50 dad jokes
Fifty dad jokes, ranked by how loudly the room will groan.
Top 50 funny one-liners
Fifty short jokes that fit on one line of a card.
Top 50 jokes for kids
Fifty clean jokes children can retell without help.
Top 40 office jokes
Forty work jokes clean enough to put in a colleague's card.
Top 50 Christmas cracker jokes
Fifty cracker jokes, deliberately terrible, table-tested.
60th birthday jokes and one-liners
Clean and cheeky 60th birthday jokes, one-liners and puns you can use in a card, a speech or a toast.
60th birthday poems and verses
Short 60th birthday poems and verses, funny and heartfelt, written to be copied into a card by hand.
65th birthday sayings and quotes
Sayings, quotes and short greetings for a 65th, including the retirement crossover most 65th cards need.
70th birthday jokes, poems and verses
Jokes, one-liners, poems and verses for a 70th, split by whether you're writing a card or standing up to speak.
75th birthday sayings and verses
Short sayings, verses and greetings for a 75th, from the gently funny to the genuinely warm.
80th birthday jokes, quotes and verses
Jokes, quotes and verses for an 80th, including greetings for a woman or a man and lines for a family toast.

Puns and wordplay

Birthday, Christmas, food, dog, cat and name puns for card captions.

Birthday puns
Ninety birthday puns, sorted by theme.
Christmas puns
Ninety Christmas puns, grouped by theme.
Food puns
One hundred food puns, grouped by ingredient.
Dog puns
Eighty dog puns for cards and captions.
Cat puns
Eighty cat puns for cards and captions.
Pun card captions
Seventy short pun captions, sorted by occasion.
Name puns
Name puns for first names, surnames and full names, plus how to build your own.

Rhymes, poems and quotes

Funny rhymes, limericks, short poems and quotes for every occasion.

Funny birthday rhymes
Forty short, funny birthday rhymes, sorted by who they're for.
Funny limericks
Thirty clean limericks, plus the rhythm rule for writing your own.
Funny rhymes for kids
Thirty-five short, silly rhymes children can memorise and perform.
Short funny poems for cards
Thirty four-line poems covering the occasions you actually buy cards for.
Funny Christmas rhymes
Thirty funny Christmas rhymes for cards, crackers and the table.
Funny leaving rhymes
Twenty-five leaving-card rhymes that are funny without being risky.
Funny quotes
Eighty short funny quotes, sorted by subject.
Birthday quotes
Seventy birthday quotes, funny through to heartfelt.
Friendship quotes
Sixty friendship quotes, funny to sincere.
Retirement quotes
Fifty five retirement quotes for cards and speeches.
Get well soon quotes
Fifty get well quotes, including wording for serious illness.
Motivational quotes
Seventy motivational quotes, grouped by the moment they suit.

Riddles and quizzes

Riddles with answers, quiz questions and pub quiz round ideas.

Riddles with answers
One hundred riddles with answers, sorted by difficulty.
Riddles for kids
Sixty child friendly riddles with answers, split by age.
Hard riddles with answers
Forty genuinely difficult riddles, answers included.
Funny riddles with answers
Fifty daft riddles with answers, all clean.
Quiz questions and answers
One hundred questions with answers, sorted into ten ready rounds.
Pub quiz round ideas
Twenty five round formats with example questions and how to run them.

Games and activities

Party games, car journey games, playground classics and nostalgic pastimes.

Car journey games
No-equipment games for the motorway, sorted by energy level.
Waiting room games
Quiet, no-equipment games for hospitals, surgeries and airports.
Games for a pub table
Twenty games needing nothing but a table and company.
Kids' party games by age
What actually works at each age, plus timings that hold up.
Games for older relatives
Sociable games that work on a visit, in a home or round a table.
Best board games for families
Sorted by age and length, with honest notes on which drag.
Charades word lists
Ready-to-cut lists by category, easy through to fiendish.
Pictionary word lists
Lists sorted by difficulty, plus kids and Christmas rounds.
Old fashioned party games
Thirty traditional games with rules, sorted by age group.
Playground games we all played
Twenty-five school playground games and the rules, properly written down.
Classic British pub games
Twenty traditional pub games with rules and where they're still played.
Classic family card games
Twenty card games for one deck, with ages and quick rules.
Rainy day activities for families
Thirty indoor activities using things already in the house.
Garden games for a party
Twenty outdoor games with rules, for kids, adults and mixed ages.
Growing up in the 80s and 90s
Forty British childhood memories, and how to use them at a milestone party.
Nostalgic quiz questions
Six ready-made rounds of ten questions with answers.

Party planning

Milestone party guides, costs, checklists and how-to guides for the day.

How to plan an 18th birthday party
A practical UK guide to planning an 18th: venue options, licensing rules, realistic budgets and a countdown that starts three months out.
21st birthday party ideas
Themes, venues and realistic costs for a 21st, plus a countdown that works whether the plan is a big night or a quiet dinner.
30th birthday party ideas
Themes, venue options and realistic UK costs for a 30th, including how to plan one when half the guest list has young children.
40th birthday party ideas
Themes, venues and UK costs for a 40th, plus how to run a surprise party without it collapsing in the last fortnight.
How to plan a 50th birthday party
A step-by-step UK guide to planning a 50th: venue and catering costs, guest list balance, speeches and a twelve-week countdown.
How to plan a 60th birthday party
A step-by-step UK guide to planning a 60th: choosing a venue that suits every generation, realistic costs, speeches and a countdown.
How to plan a 70th birthday party
A UK guide to planning a 70th: daytime venues, accessibility, catering costs and a countdown built around a family guest list.
How to plan an 80th birthday party
How to plan an 80th that suits the guest of honour: short, seated, daytime, accessible, and built around family.
How to make a balloon arch
A step-by-step guide to building a balloon garland arch at home, including how many balloons you need per metre and how to hang it so it lasts the party.
How much helium do you need for balloons?
How many balloons each helium tank size fills, how long they float, what it costs in the UK, and when not to bother with helium at all.
Party bag ideas for adults
Over 40 adult party bag ideas by budget and occasion, plus what to spend per guest and how to fill a bag that doesn't get left on the table.
Photo booth prop ideas
Prop ideas by occasion, DIY versions you can make in an evening, backdrop options and how to set up a photo corner that people actually use.

Decorations and how-to

Balloon arches, bunting, banners and cake toppers, step by step.

Balloon arch ideas
Forty balloon arch ideas grouped by colour scheme, shape and occasion, with a rough cost for each and links to the build guide.
How to use a balloon arch kit
What is in a balloon arch kit, which parts are useful, which are filler, and how to build the arch with one.
How to make bunting
Three ways to make bunting — sewn fabric, no-sew and paper — with template measurements, material quantities and timings.
How to hang bunting
Where to fix it, how much slack to leave, and how to hang bunting indoors, outdoors and in a marquee without damaging anything.
Party bag ideas for kids
What to put in a children's party bag by age, what to spend, plastic-free options and the one-good-thing alternative.
What to put in a party bag
Party bag filler lists by budget and age, what to leave out, and how many bags to make.

Fancy dress and themes

Theme ideas, last-minute costumes and party themes on a budget.

Fancy dress ideas for any party
Sixty fancy dress ideas grouped by effort and group size, from cupboard raids to full group themes.
Fancy dress party themes everyone can actually do
Twenty-five fancy dress party themes with the decorations, food and music that go with each.
How to throw a fancy dress party
A one-evening plan for a fancy dress party, from theme and invitations to games, timings and prizes.
Last-minute fancy dress ideas you can do tonight
Thirty last-minute fancy dress ideas from a wardrobe, a kitchen drawer and a charity shop.
Hen party fancy dress themes and outfit ideas
Hen party fancy dress themes that a whole group can manage, with decorations, games and prizes.
Fancy dress prize ideas for best and worst costume
Award categories and prize ideas for a fancy dress party, plus a simple way to judge them.
DIY fancy dress on a budget
Thirty homemade fancy dress costumes under £10, sorted by what you'll need to buy.
80s and 90s party ideas
Everything for an 80s or 90s themed party: outfits, playlist, food, decorations and games.

Celebrations

Baby showers, engagements, graduations, retirements and anniversaries.

Baby shower ideas
Themes, games, food, decorations and a running order for a baby shower that doesn't drag.
Celebration cake ideas and toppers
Cake ideas by occasion, how to choose a topper, and how big a cake you actually need.
Celebration of life ideas
What a celebration of life is, and thoughtful ideas for planning one in the UK.
Engagement celebration ideas
Ways to celebrate an engagement, from a full party to a dinner for eight, plus wording for the card.
Graduation celebration ideas
How to celebrate a graduation, from the day itself to the party afterwards.
Retirement celebration ideas
How to send someone off properly: office do, family party, gifts, speeches and card wording.
50th wedding anniversary ideas
Golden anniversary party plans, gift ideas, the King's card, and card wording.
Anniversary celebration ideas
Ideas for each anniversary year, the traditional materials, and how to mark it without a party.
Celebration quotes
Short, funny and heartfelt celebration quotes for cards, toasts and speeches.
Christening celebration ideas
How the day runs, party and food ideas, decorations, gifts and card wording.
Housewarming celebration ideas
How to throw a housewarming in a half-unpacked house, plus gifts and card wording.

Work and colleagues

Office parties, leaving dos, promotions and messages for colleagues.

Work Christmas party ideas
Over 40 work Christmas party ideas, from a £5-a-head office afternoon to a full venue night out, with UK costs.
The work Christmas party: planning it, running it, surviving it
A planning timeline, per-head budgets, the UK tax rules and the etiquette everyone pretends they already know.
Office Christmas party games
Thirty office Christmas party games, sorted by how long they take and how brave your team is.
What to write in a leaving card for a colleague
Over 60 leaving card messages for a colleague, sorted by short, funny, heartfelt, formal and barely-knew-them.
Work colleague leaving gift ideas
Leaving gift ideas by budget, plus how to run the collection without chasing people for a week.
Office party ideas
Office party ideas beyond December: summer parties, leaving dos, milestones and low-effort Friday afternoons.
Work party games
Thirty work party games sorted by group size, from two-minute icebreakers to a full hour.
Team building ideas
Over 40 team building ideas sorted by budget and time, from a ten-minute Monday round to a full away day.
Work party invite wording
Ready-to-send invite wording for work parties, plus the six details every office invitation should carry.
Office party themes and decorations
Office party themes people will actually join in with, plus a decoration setup you can do in ten minutes.
Leaving do ideas
Leaving do ideas by budget and mood, with the running order, speech rules and collection etiquette.
Office birthday ideas
Office birthday ideas, card etiquette and a fair policy so the same person isn't always buying the cake.

Speeches and toasts

Best man jokes, birthday toasts, retirement speeches and eulogies.

Best man speech jokes
Openers, groom jokes and closers, plus what never to say.
Wedding speech one-liners
Short lines for every speaker, ready to drop in.
Birthday toast wording
Short toasts by tone and by milestone age.
Retirement speech ideas
A five-part structure plus lines for each role.
How to write a eulogy
A gentle, practical structure with wording you can adapt.
How to give a toast
The three-line structure, timing and etiquette in one page.
Maid of honour speech ideas
Structure, openers, funny and heartfelt lines, and the toast.

Cheering someone up

How to cheer up a friend, partner or colleague, plus care package ideas.

How to cheer someone up over text
Forty texts that actually help, and the ones that do not.
How to cheer up a friend
Thirty practical ways to help a friend having a hard time.
How to cheer up your partner
What helps a partner having a bad day, week or stretch.
How to cheer up a colleague
Supporting a colleague without crossing a line.
How to cheer up someone who is ill
What to say and send to someone who is unwell.
How to comfort someone who is grieving
What genuinely helps someone who is grieving.
How to cheer someone up after failing an exam
What to say after a failed exam, test or interview.
How to cheer someone up long distance
Cheering someone up from another city or country.
Care package ideas
What to put in a care package, by situation.
Thinking of you gestures
Twenty five small gestures that land harder than gifts.
Random acts of kindness ideas
Fifty kindness ideas, most of them free.
Self care ideas for a bad week
Thirty realistic self-care ideas for low-energy weeks.
Gifts to make someone smile
Small, thoughtful gifts to make someone smile when they're ill, grieving, homesick or just having a rough run — plus what to write with them.
Pet memorial gift ideas
What to send when someone's pet dies — candle, print and card sets, the words that help, and the ones that don't.

Feel-good reading

Why laughter matters, British comedy, world smile days and happiness.

Why laughter matters
What laughter is actually for, and why it is mostly social.
The science of smiling
What is known, what is disputed and what smiling really does.
A short history of British comedy
Music hall to modern sitcom, in one readable run.
Best British sitcom one-liners
The lines the whole country can still finish.
Feel good days of the year
Every feel-good day worth marking, in date order.
World Smile Day
First Friday in October - where it came from and what to do.
International Day of Happiness
20 March - the UN day, the research and what to do with it.
April Fools' Day
1 April - the history, the midday rule and the great hoaxes.

Christmas and seasonal

Christmas, Easter, Valentine's, Mother's and Father's Day and the autumn run-in.

Christmas jumper ideas: 45 outfits for Jumper Day and the office party
Forty-five Christmas jumper ideas grouped by effort and audience, from DIY jumpers made in an evening to office-safe and family matching sets.
Christmas card messages: what to write in a Christmas card
Funny, heartfelt and short Christmas card messages you can copy straight in, plus Christmas cards designed and posted from the UK.
Valentine's card messages: what to write in a Valentine's card
Romantic, funny and rude Valentine's card messages you can copy straight in, plus Valentine's cards posted from the UK.
Mother's Day card messages: what to write for mum
Funny, heartfelt and short Mother's Day messages for mum, nan and stepmums, plus Mother's Day cards posted from the UK.
Halloween card messages: what to write in a Halloween card
Funny, spooky and short Halloween card messages and puns you can copy straight in, plus Halloween cards posted from the UK.
What is Grandparents' Day? The UK date, where it came from and what to send
Grandparents' Day explained: the UK date, how it differs from the American version, and what to write or send on the day.
Elf on the Shelf ideas
A hundred Elf on the Shelf ideas sorted by effort, from thirty-second moves to the big set pieces, plus arrival and farewell letters.
Christmas Eve box ideas
What actually goes in a Christmas Eve box, by age, plus budget fillers and the things that get thrown away by Boxing Day.
World Book Day ideas
Easy World Book Day costume ideas made from what's already in the wardrobe, plus ten-minute rescues and no-costume alternatives.
Christmas quiz questions and answers
A hundred Christmas quiz questions with answers, split into rounds you can read straight out at a family or office party.
Advent calendar ideas
Fillers by age and budget, non-chocolate options, easy DIY calendars and a 24-day kindness advent.
Christmas traditions in the UK
The origins of British Christmas customs, from crackers and cards to Boxing Day, pantomime and the King's speech.
Eid card messages
Eid Mubarak wording for family, friends, colleagues and neighbours, plus the difference between Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha.
Diwali card messages
Happy Diwali wording for family, friends, colleagues and neighbours, plus a short explanation of the festival.
Chinese New Year card messages
Chinese New Year greetings and wording for family, friends and colleagues, plus red envelope etiquette and what the zodiac year means.
Halloween costume ideas: 50 outfits you can actually pull off
Fifty Halloween costume ideas grouped by how much time you've got, from last-minute cupboard raids to couples and group outfits.
Halloween party ideas and what to write in a Halloween card
A one-evening Halloween party plan with themes, games and food, plus funny and spooky lines to write in a Halloween card.

Secret Santa

Rules, how it works, budget limits and funny office gift ideas.

Secret Santa rules
Every Secret Santa rule worth having, from budget and deadline to what happens when someone draws their own name.
How does Secret Santa work?
A step-by-step guide to running Secret Santa, from drawing names to opening day, for offices, friends and families.
Secret Santa gifts under £10
Forty Secret Santa gifts under a tenner, grouped by who you drew, plus what to write in the card.
Funny Secret Santa gifts for the office
Funny office Secret Santa gifts that get the laugh and stay on the right side of the line, plus what to avoid.

Festivals and world celebrations

Eid, Diwali, Lunar New Year, Burns Night and St Patrick's Day.

Boxing Day
The date, the origin of the name, the traditions, and how to spend the day without it dragging.
Diwali
What the festival of lights celebrates, the five days, and how Diwali is marked in the UK.
Chinese New Year
When it falls, the zodiac cycle, the traditions and the fifteen days of Lunar New Year.
Eid
The difference between the two Eids, when they fall, and how they're marked in the UK.

Christenings and faith milestones

Christening, baptism, communion, confirmation and naming ceremonies.

Christening gifts
What to give, what to spend, and the difference between a godparent gift and a guest gift.
Baptism gifts
Gift ideas for infant, child and adult baptisms, plus what a baptism gift should actually do.
Godparent gifts
Thank you gifts for godparents, gifts from godparents to godchildren, and how to ask someone in the first place.
What is a christening?
What happens in the service, who does what, and what to expect if you've been invited.
Holy Communion
What Holy Communion is, what happens at a First Holy Communion, and what's expected of guests.
First Holy Communion gifts
Gift ideas for boys and girls, what to spend, and 20 lines you can write in the card.
Confirmation gifts
Gifts for a confirmation at any age, what to spend, and card wording that doesn't talk down to a teenager.
Naming ceremony
What a naming ceremony is, what it costs in the UK, how to plan one and what to say.
Christening gift ideas for a godson
What to give your godson, what to spend, and the one gift godparents never regret.
What to write in a communion card
Religious, short, funny and family wording for a First Holy Communion card.
Christening party ideas
How to run the bit after the church: timings, food, decorations and costs.
Godparent proposal ideas
How to ask, what to say, and gift-box ideas that don't feel like a wedding trend.
Confirmation card messages
Wording for a confirmation card, from blessings to short lines for teenagers.
Communion gift ideas
Gift ideas and UK budgets for a First Holy Communion, by who you are.
Christening cake ideas
Designs, sizes, wording and costs - plus how to dress a plain cake yourself.
Baptism card messages
Wording for a baptism card, for babies, adults, parents and godparents.
Bar mitzvah gift ideas
Traditional and modern gift ideas, UK budgets and the multiples-of-18 rule.
Religious milestones explained: christening, communion, confirmation and naming ceremonies
What happens at each milestone, at what age, what UK families spend, and what to write in the card.
Communion quiz questions for the party afterwards
Fifty quiz questions for the room after the service, pitched so seven-year-olds can win.
Naming ceremony themes and decoration ideas
Ten themes for a secular naming day, with the decorations and running order for each.
Christening timing, costs and what to write
The full UK timeline, real costs from church donation to party, and wording you can copy into the card.
Baptism timing, costs and what to write
Infant and adult baptism timelines, UK costs, and card wording for both.
First Holy Communion timing, costs and what to write
The preparation year, real UK costs, gift budgets and wording written for a child who can read it.
Confirmation timing, costs and what to write
The preparation timeline, costs, gift budgets and wording pitched at eleven to fifteen year olds.
Naming ceremony timing, costs and what to write
The secular alternative to a christening: when to hold it, what it costs, and wording with nothing to cross out.
Christening gift ideas, by who you are and what you want to spend
Gift ideas split by guest, family, grandparent and godparent, with honest UK budgets.
First Holy Communion gift ideas, by who you are
What to give a seven or eight year old on their communion day, with real UK budgets.
Naming ceremony gift ideas, from guests to guide parents
Secular naming day gifts split by giver, with budgets and nothing to cross out.

Charity and fundraising

Macmillan Coffee Morning, Red Nose Day, Children in Need and fundraising ideas.

Macmillan Coffee Morning ideas
What to bake, what to charge, games that raise the most, and how to run a Macmillan Coffee Morning at work, school or home.
Bake sale ideas
What to bake, what to charge, how to set the stall up and how to clear the table before lunchtime.
Red Nose Day ideas
Dress-up days, sponsored challenges, games and bake sales for Red Nose Day at school or work.
Children in Need ideas
Spotty days, sponsored challenges, stalls and bake sales for BBC Children in Need in November.
Charity fundraising ideas
Sixty fundraising ideas by effort, from a £1 dress-down day to a full fundraising evening, plus how to raise more from each.

Badges and pins

Enamel pins, button badges, how to display them and gift ideas.

What's the difference between enamel pins and button badges?
What the difference between enamel pins and button badges actually is, and how to pick the right one for a gift, a coat or a team order.
Pin badge gift ideas: what to buy, and who for
Pin badges are the small gift that still gets unwrapped. Here's who they suit, when they work, and what to pair them with.
How to display enamel pins
Nine ways to display an enamel pin collection, from pin banners and cork boards to framed sets, and how to keep them secure.
Enamel pin badges: the UK buying guide
Everything worth knowing before you buy an enamel pin badge: how they're made, hard vs soft enamel, sizes, fastenings, what to pay and how to spot a cheap one.

Card design and how cards work

How to design a card, printing, sizes and the craft behind the range.

How to design a greetings card
The full guide to designing a greetings card: sizes and bleed, layout, type and photography, from a UK studio that prints its own range.
Greetings card layout: composition, grids and white space
Grids, margins, focal points and white space: how to lay out a greetings card so the idea lands in the first second.
Greetings card typography: fonts, sizes and pairings
Font pairing, sizes, spacing and hand-lettering: how to set type on a card so it reads from a metre away.
Photo greetings cards: choosing and preparing images
Resolution, cropping, colour and print-safe editing: how to pick a photo that survives being printed on card.
New Year explained: the date, the traditions and what to send
What New Year is, how it's marked across the UK including Hogmanay, and what to write in a New Year card.
What is Father's Day? The UK date, where it came from and what to send
Father's Day explained: the UK date, its American origins, and what to write in a card for dad, grandad or step-dad.
What is Bonfire Night? The story behind 5 November
Bonfire Night explained: the Gunpowder Plot, why we burn a guy, and how the night is marked across the UK.
What is Thanksgiving? The date, the meal and sending a card from the UK
Thanksgiving explained for a UK audience: the date, the traditions, and how to get a card to America in time.
What is Burns Night? The date, the supper and the poetry
Burns Night explained: the date, the supper, the address to a haggis, and how the night runs.
What is St Patrick's Day? The date, the saint and how it's marked
St Patrick's Day explained: the date, who St Patrick was, and how the day is marked in Ireland and the UK.
What is Easter? Why the date moves and what to send
Easter explained: how the moving date is calculated, the bank holidays, the traditions and what to write in an Easter card.

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Frequently asked questions

How many guides are there?

There are 259 guides in this directory, grouped into 25 topics. New ones are added most weeks.

Are the guides free to use?

Yes. Every message, joke, quiz and checklist on the site is free to copy into a card or use at a party. You do not need to buy anything.

Where do I find the printables?

The printable etiquette slips are on the printable etiquette slips page; the quiz sheets, charades lists and party games packs are linked from the games and quiz guides.

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