Birthday Card for Dad SVG

Smart, not fussy

Cards for dads often fall back on golf or fishing. This one goes for tailoring instead. A bow tie sits near the top edge, two rounded wings around a small square knot, with a short row of dots to either side like buttons on a collar. DAD fills the middle of the card in big, high-contrast serif capitals. Under it, HAPPY BIRTHDAY is cut in neat spaced capitals.

The bottom of the card borrows from a sweater: seven argyle diamonds in a row, framed above and below by dashed lines that look like stitching.

Pieces and weeding

The front is a single piece with 54 cut-outs. The dashed stitch lines are many short slots, so give the blade a moment at each one; a fresh blade keeps the ends square. The open counters of letters such as the D are held by small stencil bridges. It passes our cut checks from about 6.5 inches on its longest side, which for this portrait front is its height: about 4.6 inches wide.

Color layers

• Base and lines in dark espresso brown: the card base behind everything
• Dusty blue in soft gray-blue: the insert, which shows in the tie, letters, diamonds and stitching
• Kraft in warm tan brown: the front with all the cuts

Building it

1. Size the front to 5 inches wide for a 5 by 7 card, then measure.
2. Cut the kraft front, the blue insert and the dark base.
3. Glue the insert to the base, then the front over both, lining up the outer edges.
4. Mount it on a folded card in white, cream or kraft.

A heavier 100 lb kraft card gives the front a satisfying stiffness, which suits the plain, tailored look.

Sizes

Do not go under 6.5 inches tall (about 4.6 wide), where the stitch slots get too short to cut. For a smaller tag, print the color file and cut around it with Print Then Cut.

Matching his style

• Navy front over a red insert for a classic tie
• Black front over a plaid paper insert, so the tartan shows through the diamonds and letters
• Gray front over yellow for something bright and modern

Our changing SVG colors guide shows how to try a combination before you cut.

Inside the card

DAD is all the front needs to say. Inside, a few lines about something you have done together, or a plan for the year ahead, mean more than a printed joke. Sign from the whole family, and let small children add a drawing of a bow tie of their own.

A gift-wrap touch

The front is too detailed to shrink into a gift tag, so tie the theme together another way: wrap the present in kraft paper and finish it with a dusty blue ribbon that matches the insert.

Pairs well with

The Birthday Card for Grandpa is its natural partner, and the Birthday Money Holder Card is good for a cash gift.