How To Sign Off A Birthday Card

So you’ve written a lovely birthday message and you’re looking for a unique and creative way to sign off your note. We have some ideas that you and your card recipient will love! 

How To Bring Your Note To A Close

Whether you’ve written a lengthy letter or just a couple of brief lines with some simple birthday wishes, you want to end your birthday message on the right note with a thoughtful closing. Here are some guidelines to refocus your note and tie it up with a nice neat proverbial bow. 

Look Ahead To The Future

A great way to wrap your card up on a positive note is to look forward to the future. For example, mention an upcoming event where you will see your card recipient or plans that you have made together and let them know that you’re excited to see them. If you haven’t seen each other in a while and don’t have upcoming plans, you may like to suggest a time to get together or catch up over the phone.

Get Back To Your Main Point

When your message has gotten a little lengthy, bring it to a nice close by remembering what the point of your card was in the first place: to wish your recipient a happy birthday. Reiterate that you’re thinking of them on their birthday. 

Wish Them Well

Finish up with a final line telling your card recipient that you wish them well. Tell them you hope they have a great time on their birthday and that the upcoming year is filled with things as wonderful as they are!

Who Is Your Audience?

The way you choose to end your message will depend on your personality and style, the person you’re writing to, and the relationship you have with your card recipient. If you’re stuck on how to determine what the right tone is for your card, think about how you communicate in person. Do you talk in a way that’s formal and professional? Or are you silly and make jokes together? Try to match your writing style to that. 

Casual Acquaintance

For someone you don’t know well, try to keep your tone friendly and light, but a little more serious. You don’t want to say anything that they could misinterpret or potentially take the wrong way. It may be best to stick to tried and true wordings and phrases.

Professional Colleague  

For someone you know professionally, keep your wording and tone more formal and polite. You don’t have to sound stiff, but keep it a little more serious and professional, especially if you’re writing a message to a client or a supervisor. 

Distant Relatives 

Distant relatives are family members that you might not know super well and probably see infrequently. It may be best to keep these notes a little more formal and polite, especially if you’re writing to an older family member. 

Close Friend

When you’re writing a letter to a close friend, you can really let your relationship guide how you end your birthday message. Use an inside joke or say something silly that you know they’ll appreciate. Or sign off in a way that allows you to gush a little bit about how much they mean to you. 

Family And Friends Who Are Like Family

These are the people you know best – so let your personality shine when signing off these cards. Do you have nicknames you use for each other? A joke you share that’s just for the two of you? Using these is a great way to make the end of your note highly personal and sentimental. Make your tone very warm and affectionate. 

Significant Other

Like with family and your closest friends, your significant other is someone you probably know inside and out, and you can sign off your birthday message accordingly. You may also want to throw in some hugs and kisses. 

The Correct Way To Sign Off A Note 

If you’re working on formatting the perfectly structured birthday letter, you’ll want to get the format of your closing correct as well. If you’re writing a long message, you might want to begin your closing with a final separate paragraph that signifies your message is coming to an end. 

Where To Sign?

When you sign a birthday card, make sure you leave plenty of space at the bottom of the card for your final sign off and signature. The words you write before your signature (e.g. “sincerely yours”) are called the complimentary close. Typically you should indent your complimentary close and signature to the right side of the page. Your complimentary close should be all on one line with your signature on the line beneath.

Closing Capitalization 

To be grammatically correct, capitalize the first letter of the first word of your complimentary close. So, for example, you would capitalize “Sincerely,” since it’s only one word, or capitalize only the y in “Yours truly” since it is two words. 

Ways To Sign Off Your Birthday Note

When you’re ready to wrap up your message, try one of the following to sign off your birthday card (from generally more formal to more familiar): 

• Cordially, 
• Regards,
• Warm regards,
• Best,
• All the best,
• Warmly,
• Cheers,
• Take care, 
• Sincerely,
• Sincerely yours,
• Peace,
• Missing you,
• Your friend,
• Yours,
• Yours always,
• Affectionately, 
• Yours lovingly,
• Missing you dearly,
• Xoxo,
• Love,
• Lots of love,
• With love, 
• Hugs and kisses,
• All my love, 

Find Watercolor Birthday Cards

If you still need a card for that perfect birthday message you’re ready to write, check out our selection of handmade watercolor birthday cards! We have cards that are perfect for every person and relationship. All of our cards are made in the U.S. and nearly all are printed on 100% recycled paper. Plus, get free shipping on all orders.