New parents get a lot of cards. Most of them say "congratulations on your little one" in loopy pastel script. Within three weeks, all of those cards are in a box in the loft. If you want yours to be the one on the windowsill in a year's time, you need to write something the parents will actually remember reading.
Why most new baby cards blend together
Generic baby cards talk to a generic baby. They say "welcome to the world, little one" as if the baby is going to read it. The card is really for the parents - exhausted, disoriented, not yet sure which way is up. What they need is someone who sounds like themselves, writing something true.
Messages that land
For new parents you know well
"I know this week is not as photogenic as Instagram suggests. You're doing the hardest thing you'll ever do. He's already lucky."
For a friend's first baby
"There's no handbook, which is the good news. You're already more qualified than most. Welcome, [baby's name]."
For a second or third baby
"Second babies are the quiet heroes. They arrive into a house that already knows what it's doing. She's going to love it."
For someone who had a hard road
"We know what it took to get here. She's even more wanted than she knows. Much love."
For parents adopting
"Every family starts with a decision. Yours started with a brave one. Welcome home, [baby's name]."
For distant friends
"I can't wait to meet him. Until then, consider this card a stand-in hug from Manchester."
What to avoid
- "Sleep now" jokes. They've had forty of them.
- "Enjoy every moment". They won't. No one does. Don't ask them to.
- Advice. Unless asked.
- Religious phrasing, unless you know the family.
New baby card ideas that aren't a supermarket rack
1. The baby's-name-in-the-scene card
Take a cosy nursery or woodland scene and put the baby's name subtly into it - a sign on a tiny door, a letter on a wall. "Storybook nursery at golden hour, 'Noah' on a wooden sign above the cot." Feels made-for-them.
2. The welcome-home video card
Short animated AI video card with a soft score. For grandparents and distant family, this is the card that gets watched ten times. Play-once, share-forever.
3. The "first day of..." card
Instead of a newborn photo, imagine their first day at school, first bike, first everything. "[Baby photo] aged 5 on a first day of school, rain, blazer too big, cinematic." Funny and moving.
4. The family portrait card
Take a photo the parents already have and turn it into an oil painting that includes the new baby. Feels finished. Looks framed.
5. The siblings card
If there's an older sibling, put them at the centre of the card holding the baby - in a watercolour garden, a storybook illustration, anything that doesn't look like a stock photo. The older sibling gets to feel celebrated too.
6. The long-message card
Not every new baby card has to be short. If you're a close friend or family member, use the long message field - tell the baby who they are, where they are, what kind of family they've joined. They'll read it at 21.
When to send it
New parents often don't open cards for a week. That's fine. The one they read on day nine, when they've finally slept, is often the one that sticks. Don't rush to be first. Rush to be specific.
How to make a personalised one
Upload a photo, describe a scene, pick a style. The Card Genie handles the image in under two minutes. Share the link by text or email - it works on any phone without an account. From £0.99 for an image, from £2.49 for video.