If you can draw a really simple cartoon or doodle then you could make Mandala style birthday cards in a theme to suit the birthday person.

This post has been a long time in the making. Way back in January I shared how to draw mandala designs for greeting cards and then a rare thing happened, I got all organised and ahead of myself and made cards for our kids for their 2016 birthdays.

This time I picked a theme from something they like and used that for the basis of the design.

I've had to wait all year until all their birthdays passed before I can share the idea with you!

First was this Star Wars themed card for our Star Wars super fan son. He has many other fandoms too but I really wanted to do a mandala with loads of little Yoda heads so that was that!

If you look closely, the doodles are VERY simple versions of the iconic Star Wars symbols, space ships and characters. I am a doodler not a great artist.

The words are basically all my favourite Star Wars quotes (and quotes from his favourite bits too of course!) 

• Help me Obi-Wan Kenobi, you're my only hope
• When 900 years old you reach, look as good you will not
• These aren't the droids you are looking for
• I love you. I know
• I find your lack of faith disturbing
• You were the chosen one (oh the feels!!!)
• He's holding a thermal detonator
• That's no moon
• No, I am your father

I also wanted to include "Not if anything to say about it I have" but there just wasn't space in the end :-(

Next in the year was our oldest son's birthday and for him I did an Superhero themed card. He is also into all sorts of other things that I know nothing about so I thought it was best to pick a theme that I am at least a bit familiar with. Initially I thought it would be an Avengers theme but when I ran out of ideas that were simple enough* I extended it out to a more general superhero theme.

Again for the words I just picked out my (and his hopefully) favourite quotes:

• I think our first move should be calling the Avengers
• With great power comes great responsibility
• I'm always angry
• The price of freedom is high
• Like the old man says - together
• Baskin-Robbins always finds out
• Hulk smash?
• By Odin's beard
• Genius Billionaire Playboy Philanthropist
• I'm multitasking
• I am burdened with glorious purpose
• Is the sun come up?
• We're just like Kevin Bacon

Last in the year, but actually the first I made, was this Harry Potter themed card for our daughter. She is a massive HP fan so picking this theme was a no brainer.

The words are "always" (again, the feels!!) and the rest are spells and of course no unforgivable ones.

To make one you just need to research your theme and start doodling.

Practice the elements first on scrap paper and simplify everything*

Check out the X wings and Yodas on the Star wars card to see what I mean by simplifying.

You really don't need to be super artistic (just see my lion in the Hogwarts shield above!) It's much more about creating a recognisable nod to each item rather than a work of art. 

The mandala is built up in the same way as I set out in my How to draw Mandala Cards tutorial.

You'll need a square shaped card blank, a compass to draw circles, a soft pencil and a decent eraser and then whatever pens you want to draw with. I used a black fine liner and just regular kids colouring felt pens. These cards were a bigger size than the other mandala cards I'd made, they are about 20cm(8") square. 

This whole thing was totally inspired by a fellow member of Dawn Nicole Designs Art & Hand-lettering Class Facebook Group. Dawn does a daily challenge which I have dabbled in now and again. She give a word prompt for hand-lettering or doodling and everyone shares their attempts. On Jan 1st 2016 the prompt was Mandala. I started drawing them and just couldn't stop - hence turning them into cards - and one talented member shared a Harry Potter themed mandala they had created. I took her brilliant idea and ran with it! After asking the group for help I've been able to find that is was a talented Photographer called Robyn, you can find her facebook page here to check out her photography and digital scrapbooks. 

If you like hand-lettering and art then this is a fabulous group to join. There are members from all over the world and they are so talented, friendly and supportive. As well as the daily prompts there are discussions about equipment, hints and tips etc. 

Have I sparked your imagination? What themed mandala card you could make for someone special?

Julie