Personalized Greeting Cards
Hand-make birthday, holiday and thank-you cards, including custom orders with a customer’s name.
- Ages
- 7–12
- Startup budget
- $77–$177
- Time per week
- About 2 hours
- Parent involvement
- Light
- Preparation
- Easy start
- Type
- Product
- Where to sell
- In person
- Time to start
- One weekend
About this idea
Everyone needs cards, and a handmade, personalized one feels far more special than a store-bought card. That makes it an easy product to sell to people you know.
Cards also teach seasonal planning: holidays like Valentine’s Day, Mother’s Day and the winter holidays are big sales moments.
A great fit for
- Kids who love making cards for family
- Neat handwriting or lettering fans
- Families who want a seasonal project
What you’ll need
| Item | Estimated cost |
|---|---|
| Blank cards with envelopes (pack of 50) | $14 |
| Stickers, stamps and decorations | $8 |
| Subtotal | $22 |
Assumes: Enough for about 50 cards. Assumes you have basic markers and glue at home.
| Item | Estimated cost |
|---|---|
| Market table feePer event. Kids’ markets typically charge $10–50; some are free | $25 |
| TableclothA bright color makes the table stand out | $10 |
| Display stand or risersGives products height so customers notice them | $15 |
| Sign and price cards | $5 |
| Pop-up tentOptionalOnly for outdoor markets without shade. Borrowing one works too | $100 |
| Subtotal (without optional) | $55 |
Bring about $20 in small bills and coins for change. You get it back, so it isn’t counted as a cost. Selling to family and friends first? You can skip these until your first market.
Total to start selling at a market
$77$177 with optional extras
What parents do
Parent involvement: LightMostly buying supplies and getting to markets
- Buy card packs and decorations
- Collect custom orders from people you know
Your child: about 2 hours a week making, selling and planning once it’s up and running.
Step by step
Choose 3 card types
Start with birthday, thank-you and one seasonal card. That covers most of what people buy.
Create a sample set
Make one great example of each. These become your display samples and order examples.
Offer personalization
Let customers choose a name or message to add. Write orders down carefully and double-check spelling.
Plan for holidays
Look at the calendar and start making seasonal cards 3–4 weeks before each holiday.
Package neatly
Put each card in a clear sleeve with its envelope so it stays clean.
Costs & pricing example
Cost to make one card
$0.58
Example price
$4
Profit per card
$3.42
How we worked out the cost of one card
- Card and envelope$0.28
- Decorations$0.20
- Clear sleeve$0.10
If your child sells 30 cards at $4, that’s $120 in sales and about $102.60 profit after materials. The $77 startup cost, including a first market table, is earned back after about 23 cards.
Personalized cards can be $5–6. Packs of 5 thank-you cards make a good bundle.
These numbers are illustrative examples, not guaranteed earnings. Prices vary by supplier and location.
Where to sell
Family, friends and neighbors
Take custom orders before birthdays and holidays.
Holiday markets
Seasonal cards sell best in the weeks before a holiday.
Local shops (with a parent)
Some gift shops sell local makers’ cards on consignment.
Skills your child will build
- Lettering and design
- Taking custom orders
- Planning ahead
- Attention to detail
Common challenges
- Spelling mistakes on custom orders
- Try this: Have the customer write the name themselves on the order form.
- Selling only around holidays
- Try this: Thank-you and birthday cards sell all year; keep a small stock of each.
Safety & parent notes
- When taking custom orders, an adult should collect any customer contact details.
A note for parents
Custom orders are a gentle introduction to customer service: listening carefully, confirming details and delivering on time.
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