What to Write in a Gift Card: 70 Short Messages for Every Occasion

You have chosen the gift. Now there is a small blank card and you cannot think of a single thing to write. This happens to everyone.

Below are seventy short messages, sorted by occasion. All of them fit on a small card. Copy one as it is, or change a word or two so it sounds like you.

How to write your own in three lines

• Line one: name the moment. Happy birthday. Congratulations. Thank you.
• Line two: say one true, specific thing. Not "you are amazing", but "you made my first month here bearable".
• Line three: look ahead. Here's to the next one. See you soon. Go and enjoy it.

That is all a good note is. The specific line in the middle is what people keep the card for.

Birthday messages

For a friend

• Happy birthday to the person who knows too much about me.
• Another year of you. Lucky us.
• Happy birthday. You get better; the rest of us just get older.
• For every time you answered the phone at 1 am. Happy birthday.
• Happy birthday. Cake first, everything else later.

For a partner

• Happy birthday to my favourite person to do nothing with.
• Every year with you is my favourite one so far.
• Happy birthday. I would choose you again.
• You make ordinary days feel like occasions. Happy birthday.
• Happy birthday, love. Home is wherever you are.

For a parent

• Happy birthday, Mumma. Everything good in me started with you.
• Happy birthday, Papa. Thank you for always showing up.
• You spent years making our birthdays special. Today is yours.
• Happy birthday to the one who taught me everything that matters.
• Wishing you rest, good food and no chores today.

For a brother or sister

• Happy birthday to my first friend and oldest rival.
• You are still annoying. I still would not trade you.
• Happy birthday. Mum loves me more, but you are a close second.
• Grown up, and still my little one. Happy birthday.
• Happy birthday to the keeper of all my secrets.

Anniversary messages

• Still my favourite hello and my hardest goodbye.
• Happy anniversary. Same team, always.
• One more year, and I would still pick you.
• Thank you for the life we are building. Happy anniversary.
• Here's to us, and to all the chai still to come.
• To the two of you: proof that it can last. Happy anniversary.
• Happy anniversary, Mumma and Papa. You are still our favourite love story.

Thank-you messages

• Thank you. You did not have to, and you did anyway.
• For your time, your patience and your kindness. Thank you.
• I noticed, and I am grateful.
• You made a hard week easier. Thank you.
• A small thing, for a big help.
• Thank you for having us. We ate too much and loved every minute.
• Thank you, teacher. I still use what you taught me.

Congratulations

• You worked for this. Enjoy every bit of it.
• Congratulations on the new job. They are lucky to have you.
• New home, same wonderful people. Congratulations.
• You did it. I never doubted it for a second.
• Congratulations, graduate. The world is not ready.
• To new beginnings, and to you.

Farewell messages for a colleague

• The office will be quieter, and worse, without you.
• Thank you for making Mondays bearable. Go and be brilliant.
• You taught me more than any training ever did.
• Their gain, our loss. Stay in touch.
• From all of us: thank you, good luck, and do not forget us.
• Not goodbye. Just a longer coffee break.

Festive messages

• Happy Diwali. May your home be full of light and your plate full of sweets.
• Wishing you and your family a bright and peaceful Diwali.
• Shubh Deepavali. Here's to a year of good news.
• Happy Rakhi to the one who always has my back.
• Merry Christmas. Eat well, rest well.
• Happy New Year. May it be kinder than the last.

Get well and thinking of you

• Rest. Everything else can wait.
• Get well soon. The group chat is boring without you.
• Thinking of you, and here whenever you need.
• One day at a time. I am right beside you.
• Sending you strength, and soup if you want it.
• Take all the time you need. We have got things covered here.

Sorry

• I was wrong, and I am sorry.
• I should have listened. Forgive me?
• No excuses. I am sorry, and I will do better.
• I miss us. Can we talk?
• Sorry I forgot. You deserved better from me.
• I said it badly. What I meant was that I care.

Just because

• Saw this and thought of you.
• No reason. You have just been on my mind.
• For an ordinary Tuesday, because you make them better.
• A small thing, to say I am glad you exist.
• You have been working hard. This is for you.
• Because I can, and because you are worth it.

What not to write

• Their age, unless you are sure they find it funny.
• An inside joke on a card others will read. Office cards get passed around.
• A long paragraph on a small card. Three lines is plenty.
• The price or where you bought it.
• Nothing at all. A gift with a blank card feels unfinished. Even your name and one line is enough.

Adding a message to a Felofey gift

When you build your own crochet bouquet, you can add a personalised message card for ₹50. You type up to 200 characters, and we handwrite it and tuck it into the wrap. Every message on this page is well within that limit.

If you are still choosing the gift itself, the Gift Finder asks who it is for and what the occasion is, then shows a shortlist.

Common questions

What do you write in a gift card?

Three short lines: name the occasion, say one specific thing you appreciate about the person, and end with a wish for what comes next.

How long should a gift message be?

Two or three lines, or roughly 20 to 40 words. A small card holds about 200 characters comfortably.

What is a short message for a birthday gift?

"Another year of you. Lucky us." or "Happy birthday. I would choose you again." Short, warm and specific to how you feel about them.

What do you write in a farewell card for a colleague?

Thank them for something real, wish them well, and ask them to stay in touch. For example: "You taught me more than any training ever did. Go and be brilliant."

Should I sign a gift card with my full name?

Use the name they call you. For a group gift, write "From all of us" and list first names if there is room.

Sending flowers with it? Read what flower colours mean so the bouquet says the same thing as the card.