How to Make a Thank You Card

Choosing a Design

Form a pretty border on your card using washi tape. Take your washi tape of choice and cut off pieces that are long enough to create a border across the length and width of the card. Carefully line them up so they’re even with the edges of the card, press them down firmly, and trim off any excess tape. There are tons of different colors and patterns of washi tape available. From solid colors to glittery ones to printed patterns—check out your local craft store to pick out a few options to use on your next homemade thank you card.

Create a collage from magazine cut-outs to make a unique design. This is a great way to make a really personalized card for someone. Gear the card toward the person’s personality and cut out images that remind you of them, or make the card “thank you” centric by cutting out words and images that remind you of gratitude. You could cover an entire card with cut-outs of the words “thank you” from different magazine articles for a neat effect.

Design a colorful balloon or rainbow card for a young child. Use colored cardstock to cut out shapes for balloons or arches for a rainbow, or use markers or colored pencils to draw them onto the card. Make the image large enough to cover the entire front of the card for the most stunning visual effect. Write a special thank you message inside a ballon or across an arch of the rainbow to make the card even more personalized.

Cut out shapes to adorn the front of the card for a pretty design. Hearts, stars, flowers, circles, or squares can make a nice visual effect on the front of a card. Use colored cardstock to cut out multiples of a single image and then glue them to the front of the card. For example, you could cut out 2 dozen small stars and then paste them to the card, putting the bulk of them near the top so that it looks like it’s raining down stars.

Make an elegant card by using thick, creamy paper and a simple design. Sometimes you might want a classier card when you send out a thank you note, like if you’re sending one to your boss or a relative you’re not very close to, or maybe you just like the look better. Choose a thicker paper in a cream or beige color. Use stamps or calligraphy to write “thank you” on the front of the card. You can: Use a simple design, like a paint chip with a flower stamped or drawn on it, to decorate the card; Use gold or silver markers to make your message a little more sparkly; Stamp the card with homemade stamps, like from cut pieces of fruits or vegetables, or store-bought ones.

Use paints or watercolors to create a vibrant, unique card. You could paint the person’s name on top of a stunning multi-colored background, or make a dreamy sky-scape with clouds, a sun, and birds. The options are endless. This is a great way to use a skill of yours to show someone gratitude. If you’re going to mail the card, make sure the paper is completely dry before you put it into an envelope.

Craft a rustic card with twine and brown craft paper. This kind of card is simple to make. All you need is some brown craft paper, some twine, and a white or black marker. Fold the paper in half, and write “thank you” across the front with the white or black marker (white works well on dark-brown paper, whereas black will look better on light-brown paper). Make a small bow out of 4 to 5 inches (10 to 13 cm) of twine, and use a glue gun to secure it to the top corner of the card. You can, of course, get even more creative with rustic cards. For example, include the person’s name on the front of the card, add a cut-out flower or some other design, or create lines across the top half of the card by gluing down strands of twine.

Decorating the Card

Cut paper with scalloped shears to make decorative edges. Cut all the edges of the actual card itself to make its edges into a different shape, or use them to make other parts of the card look more unique. For example, if you have a square of white paper to glue to the card to write your message in, cut it out with the scalloped shears—it’ll look a little fancier than straight edges would. There are lots of differently-patterned scissors you can use. Browse the options at your local craft store to find a pair to add to your crafting supplies.

Decorate with stamps to add an extra design element to your card. You can buy stamps from your local craft store or from an online store, and there are tons of different styles available. Look for ones that say “thank you,” or pick your favorite designs, like leaves, flowers, or other objects you can use to decorate your card. Experiment with different colors of ink. For example, white ink would really look great on black or dark blue paper, whereas dark green ink could look really classy on a cream-colored card.

Add dimension to your card with paper cutouts. Layering paper is a great way to create visual depth. Cut out several different sizes of colored paper, like a large square, a medium-sized square, and a small circle, then paste them on top of each other on the front of the card so that they create multiple borders. You can get really creative and use different colors, sizes, and types of paper.

Glue on buttons or gems for a whimsical touch. You can create a pattern or border out of buttons or gems, or use them to accent a design already on the card. Use liquid-glue or non-liquid adhesive to secure the objects to your card. just make sure you give them enough time to dry so they stay securely in place. For example, if your card has flowers on it, you could glue a button to the center of each flower.

Use leftover scraps of ribbon to make a textured card. Use one color of ribbon, or use multiple colors and patterns depending on what you have available. Tie a bow and glue it to the top of the card, or use strips of ribbon to make a colorful background across the entire body of the card. This is a nice way to repurpose ribbon leftover from other crafts or even from gifts you’ve received.

Writing a Thank You Note

Use your best handwriting or calligraphy. If you have a hard time writing legibly, try to slow down and take care when writing out your thank you message. Use a pen or marker that won’t smudge or smear across the page. Permanent markers work well, and gel pens dry faster and are less likely to smudge than ballpoint pens. If your card is made with dark paper, cut out a lighter-colored piece of paper to glue to the inside of the card. That way, you can write your message without worrying if it will be visible or not.

Include a salutation and the person’s name on the inside of the card. Regardless of what you designed or wrote on the front of the card, the inside message should still include some kind of greeting, as well as the recipient’s name. Double-check that you’re spelling the person’s name correctly. For the greeting, you could write: “Dear John,” “Kelly, thank you,” “Hello, Mrs. Smith,” “Greetings, Susan,” Or, just write the person’s name if that feels more natural to you.

Thank the person for what they did or gave specifically. You don’t need to exaggerate, ramble, or overly thank someone. Just a simple line or two will do. And don’t hesitate to thank people for small things, too, like a homemade meal or someone attending an event or performance you were in. Everyone likes being appreciated! For example, write something like, “Thank you so much for inviting me and Jason over for a meal. It was so nice to relax and connect with you and Kate.” Or write something like, “Thank you so much for the new set of bath towels. They look great in our cupboard and we were excited to replace our mismatched and worn-out set.” Thank someone who supported you by attending an event by saying something like, “Thank you so much for coming to my concert last Friday evening. It was so nice to look out and see a friendly face, and I really appreciate you taking the time to support me.”

Compliment the person or express good wishes for them. Whether you compliment their thoughtfulness or generosity or tell them you hope to see them soon, it’s nice to end the note on an emotional upswing. This doesn’t have to be a long, drawn-out sentiment. One line should be enough. For example, write something like, “Your gift was so thoughtful. I look forward to seeing you at the next family reunion!” Or, “I hope this next season is good to you and your family.”

Sign your name to end the letter. If the gift was given to you and your family, have everyone sign their names to the bottom of the card. Whether you write “love,” or some other kind of sign-off note is up to you. You can try out different endings, like: “Warmly,” “All the best,” “Kind regards,” “With appreciation,” “Thanks again.”

Mail or deliver the card with 1 to 2 weeks of the occasion. If you’re mailing the card, make sure to seal it in an envelope, put enough postage on it, and write the address legibly across the front. For a hand-delivered card, either drop it into the person’s mailbox or give it to them the next time you see them. If you can’t get your thank you card out in the mail quickly, late is always better than never. You could even put in a note saying something like, “I know this is a few weeks late, but I just wanted to send my appreciation.”