Birthday gifts from children’s artwork: drawings made to display
A family portrait in felt tip, a handwritten message or the drawing that says exactly who they are. Make a birthday present from something the children have already made.
A drawing of Dad with enormous hands. A page of carefully written birthday wishes. A family portrait with the dog taking up most of the paper. Birthday gifts from children’s artwork work because the details belong to your family, rather than to a ready-made design.
The choice is less about finding the most accomplished drawing and more about finding the one the recipient will recognise. Here is how to choose the artwork and display it without losing its character.
In this guide
Start with something they will recognise
Look beyond the neatest page. A drawing of Grandma’s garden might mean more to her than a carefully copied picture of flowers. For Mum, it might be their first portrait together. For Dad, a picture of Saturday football might say more than a general birthday message.
Three directions usually give you a useful starting point:
- A person: a portrait, a family group or a drawing of the recipient with the children.
- A shared place: the allotment, a favourite beach, the kitchen where they bake together or the house where everyone gathers.
- The child’s own words: a birthday note, a short explanation of why they love someone, or a list of favourite things they do together.
A vivid drawing can make a cheerful focal point; a handwritten note may suit a quieter place beside their desk.
Choose a canvas or a poster for the way they live
For a finished piece for the wall, turn the drawing into a canvas print. Our canvas prints start at £14.99 and use matte 230gsm poly-cotton, hand-stretched over solid pine. The wrap gives a simple drawing a physical presence without needing a separate picture frame.
Photo poster printing is a good choice when the recipient has a frame ready, likes changing their displays or would prefer a smaller print. Posters start at £5.99 and are printed on 230gsm matte paper. They are supplied unframed, so allow for a suitable frame if that is part of the gift.
| If you want to give… | Consider… |
|---|---|
| One bold drawing as the main birthday present | A canvas print with the whole artwork visible |
| A handwritten message for a desk or existing frame | A smaller matte poster |
| Contributions from several children | A deliberately arranged artwork or collage |
| A milestone age with names and favourite sayings | A personalised Word Art print |
Measure the intended space. Small lettering needs room to read; enlarging a tiny drawing also makes its paper texture and pencil marks more noticeable.
Keep the handwriting that makes it theirs
Uneven spacing, a backwards letter or an extravagant signature can be the reason you choose the piece. Replacing the writing with a font may make it tidier, but it changes the gift.
Keep the original writing within the photographed or scanned artwork. A page saying “I love you because…” followed by three things the child enjoys doing with the recipient can work well. Leave some space around the writing so nothing important sits close to the print’s edge.
If the drawing is on lined or coloured paper, think about whether that paper belongs in the finished image. A recognisable page from a notebook can be part of the story; unwanted objects around it are usually just distractions.
Bring several children into one birthday gift
Give each child the same small brief: draw Grandad, draw something you do together, or finish the sentence “My favourite thing about you is…”. The results can feel connected even when the ages and drawing styles are different.
You could arrange the original contributions on a clean sheet and photograph the whole composition. Alternatively, photograph each piece separately and consider a collage canvas print. Give each contribution enough space: too many tiny pictures can hide their details.
One family photograph alongside two or three drawings can connect the artwork to the people who made it. For contributions from a wider family, our guide to collecting photos for a surprise birthday collage helps organise the files before you start.
Use their words for a special birthday number
If the children would rather talk than draw, write down their own descriptions. “Makes the best pancakes”, “always has dog treats” and the name they use for their grandparent give you more personal material than a list of general compliments.
With personalised Word Art, you can customise a milestone number or age alongside a name and meaningful words. It is a different approach from reproducing handwriting: the children supply the wording, and you arrange it as a designed print.
For a 60th birthday, include memories from different generations rather than filling the design with repeated age references. Our milestone birthday photo gift guide offers more ways to choose the right focus.
Prepare the artwork without overworking it
Keep the original safe and use a clear photograph or scan for printing. Even light, a flat page and a camera held square to the artwork help preserve its shape and colour. Send the original file rather than a screenshot or a copy forwarded through several messages.
Our guide to photographing children’s artwork explains the preparation in more detail. When you preview your print, check that names, signatures and small drawings remain inside the visible front, especially around the wrapped sides of a canvas.
A print will show what is in the file. If a name is blurred or a pale pencil line has disappeared in the photograph, taking the photograph again is more useful than simply choosing a bigger print.
When the story needs a different starting point
There does not have to be a drawing behind every personal gift. A personalised star map can mark a birth date, time and place, with the children helping choose the message. Confirm those details before ordering rather than guessing an unknown birth time.
If the recipient would enjoy choosing the photograph, design and size themselves, an email gift voucher gives them that choice. You can still give it alongside the children’s original birthday card. It is a digital voucher, rather than a printed voucher sent in the post.
For more help comparing those routes, see our birthday photo gifts guide.
3 for 2 on all canvas prints and posters. Mix & match. Automatically applied in your basket. Choose each person’s artwork before building a set for the family.
Free UK next working day delivery* is available under our delivery terms. Check the order cut-off and exclusions when planning around a birthday.
Questions before you choose
Can you print a child’s drawing on canvas?
Yes. Use a clear digital photograph or scan of the drawing, then upload it for your canvas print. Preview the crop carefully so the whole drawing, message and signature remain where you want them.
Will the handwriting stay the same?
Handwriting within your uploaded image remains part of that image. For its shape to reproduce clearly, photograph or scan it sharply. Word Art uses your chosen wording in a designed layout; it does not reproduce the original handwriting.
Can I put drawings from several grandchildren on one print?
Yes. You can photograph a carefully arranged group of drawings as one image, or use separate photographs of the drawings in a collage. Avoid making each contribution so small that the writing becomes difficult to read.
Is canvas or a poster better for children’s artwork?
Choose canvas for a hand-stretched print without a separate frame. Choose a matte poster when the recipient has a frame, wants to change their display or prefers a lower starting price. The artwork and intended space should guide the choice.
Will pale pencil marks show clearly on the finished print?
They need to be visible in the uploaded file. Inspect the photograph or scan closely before ordering. If the pencil looks faint or disappears against the paper, try a clearer scan or photograph in even light. Choosing a larger print will not restore marks that the file has failed to capture.
What if I cannot choose the right artwork in time?
An email gift voucher lets the recipient choose their own print later. For a physical print, check the delivery conditions before ordering; do not assume that an order placed after the cut-off will arrive the following day.
Make something they made into a birthday gift
Choose the drawing or message, upload a clear image and preview your canvas. Keep the small details that make it theirs. Your print is made with care in our West Yorkshire workshop.
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