Create a Fun Rainbow Brite Birthday Card Fast | Easy Handmade Card for Any Celebration | Video Tutorial

Have you ever needed a birthday card right now—but still wanted it to feel personal, handmade, and a little magical? That was exactly the situation I found myself in this week. A good friend had a last-minute birthday gathering, and I didn’t want to grab a store-bought card. I wanted something cheerful, colorful, and full of personality... but it also had to come together fast.

So I challenged myself: what could I create that felt bright, happy, and finished—but wouldn’t take all afternoon? Spoiler alert: this little Rainbow Brite card checked every box. I pulled out the Colorful Day Stamp Set from C. C. Designs, and from there, it came together in a flash.

Create a Fun Rainbow Brite Birthday Card Fast | Easy Handmade Card for Any Celebration:

The Star of the Show: Rainbow Brite

I love using character stamps when I want the card to do the heavy lifting. That’s where this sweet Rainbow Brite image came in. She’s bold, fun to color, and brings instant energy to a card front. I stamped her using Memento Tuxedo Black Ink onto a scrap of OLO Premium Blending Card (because yes, I save every scrap that’s big enough for a small image—don’t we all?).

She was colored up with OLO Markers in bright, happy hues (I'll list those in the supply section below), and then I fussy cut her using my Mini Recoil Snips. If you’ve never tried those snips for fussy cutting—game changer. They’re small enough to handle curves but strong enough to cleanly cut shimmer or textured cardstock too.

Pro Tip: When coloring small images like this, don’t stress over shading every section. Pick just a couple key areas (like hair and clothing) and add your dimension there. The eye fills in the rest, especially when the overall look is colorful.

Easy Layers That Pop Without the Fuss

Once I had my image ready, I focused on creating a layered background that would frame her but still let her shine. I reached for a cloud-shaped flower die from my stash and cut it from Frost White A5 Shimmer Cardstock by Paper Rose Studio. That shimmer cardstock always gives just the right amount of wow factor—no extra effort needed.

Then came the main panel. I cut a piece of Carnation Cardstock from Concord & 9th to 2 ¾" x 4" and created a subtle background using the little character “Twink” from the same stamp set. I stamped him repeatedly using Ballet Ink from the Simon Says Stamp Rainbow Splash collection for a tone-on-tone pattern that adds texture without overpowering the focal point.

The sentiment is also from the Colorful Day set—simple and classic: “Happy Birthday.” I stamped it right in the lower corner with Black Ink from the Rainbow Splash line to ground the design.

To mat that piece, I cut another panel of the shimmer cardstock just a quarter inch larger, giving the whole panel a clean, polished look.

Just a Touch of Rainbow

I knew I wanted to bring in some actual rainbow color, so I reached for a strip of rainbow striped pattern paper from Lawn Fawn’s Rainbow Ever After 6x6 Petite Paper Pad. This pad is one of my favorites because the scale of the patterns works beautifully for A2 cards and small panels.

I cut a 2" x 5 ¼" strip and adhered it to the left-hand side of a top-folding A2 card base made from Brilliant White 110 lb Smooth Cardstock. I layered my matted focal panel over top, leaving just enough space for the rainbow to peek out and balance the card.

Bringing It All Together

With the base and layers set, I used foam adhesive to pop up the shimmer cloud die cut in the center of the card. It gave the perfect stage for Rainbow Brite to stand out, and I love how that added dimension catches the light.

But something was still missing. That’s when I remembered my Nested Stars Dies. I die cut a few tiny stars from Starfruit Cardstock by Concord & 9th and sprinkled them across the background. They add just enough visual movement without cluttering the design.

To finish it off, I added some white gel pen highlights (especially on the hair and cheeks) and a little sparkle with Stardust Stickles—because let’s be honest, birthday cards need at least a hint of shimmer.

Final Thoughts

This card came together quickly but doesn’t feel rushed or simple—and that’s what I love about it. Using just one stamp set, a few cardstock scraps, and a bit of pattern paper, I created something colorful, joyful, and ready to celebrate.

If you’ve got a birthday coming up and want something that’s fast but still fabulous, this design is an easy one to recreate. You can swap out the colors, try a different patterned paper, or even use a different focal character from your stash. The framework stays the same.

Let me know if you give this one a try—or better yet, tag me on social so I can see your version. I love seeing how you all make these ideas your own.

Until next time, happy crafting.

Create a Fun Rainbow Brite Birthday Card Fast | Easy Handmade Card for Any Celebration Video Tutorial:

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(Wondering what I used in this video? Everything is linked to multiple sources in the thumbnails at the end of this post, or in the text below. Compensated affiliate links used when possible). As always I appreciate your support of my videos!

Materials Used:

Here you will find the list of supplies that I used to create today's card. All supplies are linked to supply sources below. Compensated affiliate links may be used at no cost to you.

Happy Stampin'

Rick Adkins

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