Personalised Birthday Ideas – What to Put on a Badge, Rosette or Sash
A personalised birthday badge, rosette or sash doesn't need a complicated message to make it special. Often, a name, age and a few carefully chosen words are all you need.
But deciding exactly what to write isn't always quite so easy.
Should you use the person's full name or nickname? Should the message be funny or traditional? Do you need to include their age? And what works for an 18th birthday might not be quite right for someone celebrating their 80th!
At PartyWearUK, we've been making personalised birthday badges, rosettes and sashes in the UK for more than 25 years. Here are some ideas to help you create something that suits both the birthday and the person celebrating it.
What should I put on a personalised birthday badge?
The most useful rule is keep it reasonably short.
A badge has limited space, particularly if you also want to include a photograph or colourful design.
Simple wording such as:
Happy 50th Birthday Sarah
will usually have more impact than trying to fit a complete birthday greeting onto the badge.
Other ideas include:
Sarah is 50!
Fabulous at 50
50 & Fabulous
Birthday Queen
Birthday Boy
The Birthday Girl
Officially 21
Cheers to 40 Years
60 Years Young
Still Fabulous at 70
Adding the person's name makes even familiar birthday wording feel much more personal.
Should I put the person's age on their birthday badge or rosette?
Usually — but not always!
For milestone birthdays such as an 18th, 21st, 30th, 40th or 50th, the age is often the main point of the design.
For example:
Happy 40th Birthday Claire
Paul's Fabulous 50th
John is 60 Today
However, not everybody wants their age advertised.
If you're ordering for somebody else and aren't sure how they'll feel about it, wording such as:
Happy Birthday Sarah
Birthday Queen
or
It's My Birthday!
may be a safer choice.
The best personalised birthday item reflects the personality of the person who is actually going to wear it.
18th birthday badge, rosette and sash ideas
An 18th birthday is an obvious occasion for making the age prominent.
Popular wording ideas include:
18 Today!
Happy 18th Birthday Sophie
Officially 18
Finally 18!
Birthday Girl – 18 Today
Birthday Boy – 18 Today
Hello 18
Sophie is 18!
A personalised 18th birthday sash works particularly well because the name and age can be seen clearly in photographs.
For something with more colour, a personalised 18th birthday rosette can combine the person's favourite colours with their name and age.
21st birthday badge, rosette and sash ideas
A 21st birthday remains one of the most popular milestone celebrations.
Traditional wording works perfectly well:
Happy 21st Birthday Emma
21 Today!
Officially 21
Or you could make it a little more personal:
Emma's Big 21
Cheers to 21 Years
Birthday Queen – 21 Today
Jack is 21!
If you're arranging a larger party, the person celebrating could wear a personalised 21st birthday sash or rosette while friends and family wear smaller matching badges.
30th birthday wording ideas
A 30th birthday gives you plenty of opportunities for wording that is either celebratory or gently humorous.
Ideas include:
Fabulous at 30
Cheers to 30 Years
Thirty & Thriving
Hello 30
Happy 30th Birthday Laura
Laura's Fabulous 30th
30 Years of Awesome
A name and age are often enough on their own, particularly if the design itself is colourful or incorporates a photograph.
40th birthday wording ideas
The 40th is another birthday where humorous wording is popular — although it's worth knowing your audience!
Some relatively safe ideas are:
Fabulous at 40
40 & Fabulous
Cheers to 40 Years
Life Begins at 40
Hello 40
Happy 40th Birthday Helen
Helen's Fabulous 40th
If the recipient enjoys a joke, you can be more adventurous, but remember that they'll be the one wearing it.
Sometimes Happy 40th Birthday Helen in their favourite colours will be appreciated considerably more than a joke about getting old!
50th birthday badge, rosette and sash ideas
A 50th birthday is ideal for something a little more special.
Possible wording includes:
Fabulous at 50
50 & Fabulous
Cheers to 50 Years
Happy 50th Birthday David
David is 50 Today!
Celebrating 50 Fabulous Years
Half a Century of Fabulous
A multi-layer personalised birthday rosette works particularly well for a 50th because the additional ribbon makes it feel more like a special presentation item.
Alternatively, a personalised 50th birthday sash creates a very visible message and looks great in birthday photographs.
60th birthday wording ideas
For a 60th birthday you might choose something traditional:
Happy 60th Birthday Margaret
or slightly more playful:
60 Years Young
Fabulous at 60
Cheers to 60 Years
60 & Fabulous
Margaret's Fabulous 60th
Celebrating 60 Amazing Years
Photographs can work particularly well for a 60th birthday badge or rosette. An older photograph from the person's younger years can add a lovely nostalgic — or amusing — element to the design.
70th birthday wording ideas
There is no reason for a 70th birthday badge or rosette to be overly formal.
Bright colours and cheerful wording can work just as well at 70 as they do at 30.
Ideas include:
Happy 70th Birthday Barbara
Fabulous at 70
70 Years Young
Cheers to 70 Years
Barbara is 70!
Celebrating 70 Fabulous Years
A personalised rosette is particularly useful if you want something special without asking the recipient to wear a full sash throughout the party.
80th and 90th birthday wording ideas
An 80th or 90th birthday is a wonderful milestone and often brings together several generations of family and friends.
Simple, celebratory wording usually works particularly well:
Happy 80th Birthday Joan
Joan's Fabulous 80th
Celebrating 80 Wonderful Years
80 Years Young
or:
Happy 90th Birthday George
George is 90 Today!
Celebrating 90 Wonderful Years
90 Years Young
A personalised photo rosette can be especially effective for these birthdays. A favourite photograph, or even a good-quality image from many years ago, can make the rosette much more personal.
What about birthdays over 90?
Absolutely.
Personalised birthday products aren't restricted to the ages normally found in party shops.
Whether someone is celebrating their 91st, 95th, 99th or 100th birthday, their actual age can be incorporated into the design.
For a 100th birthday, simple wording such as:
Happy 100th Birthday Mary
Mary's Amazing 100th
Celebrating 100 Wonderful Years
can make a very special keepsake as well as something to wear during the celebration.
Do I have to use milestone birthday wording?
No.
One of the advantages of ordering a personalised birthday item is that you don't have to wait for an age ending in zero.
A 37th, 46th, 63rd or 82nd birthday can be personalised just as easily.
You can also leave the age off completely.
For example:
Happy Birthday Louise
Birthday Queen
Birthday Girl
It's My Birthday!
Louise's Big Day
Personalisation is about the individual, not about fitting them into a standard range of birthday products.
Should I choose funny birthday wording?
Funny wording can make a birthday badge, rosette or sash memorable, but there's one important consideration:
Will the person wearing it find it funny too?
Jokes about age, drinking, relationships or getting older can be perfect for one person and completely wrong for another.
If you're uncertain, gentle humour is usually safest.
Phrases such as:
Still Fabulous at 50
60 Years Young
Vintage 1976
Aged to Perfection
can create a light-hearted design without being too personal.
For someone who enjoys being the centre of attention, you can of course be considerably more adventurous with your own wording.
Can I use a nickname or family name?
Yes.
In fact, using the name that friends and family actually call the person can make the design feel much more personal.
Instead of:
Happy 60th Birthday Margaret
you might choose:
Happy 60th Mags!
Likewise, family wording can work beautifully:
Happy 70th Birthday Mum
World's Best Grandad – 80 Today
Happy Birthday Nanna
Our Fabulous Mum is 60
The important thing is that the wording means something to the recipient.
Can I put a photograph on a birthday badge or rosette?
Yes. A photograph can be incorporated into many personalised birthday badges and rosettes.
There are several approaches you can take.
A current photograph gives the design a contemporary look.
A childhood photograph can be great fun for a milestone birthday.
An older family photograph can create something more nostalgic.
For the best printed result, choose an image where the person's face is reasonably large, clear and in focus.
Remember that the finished badge centre is much smaller than a phone or computer screen. A photograph containing several people or lots of background detail may become difficult to see when reduced.
What colours should I choose for a birthday rosette?
You don't have to choose colours traditionally associated with a particular age or gender.
The recipient's favourite colours are often the best starting point.
You could also match the rosette to:
- the party colour scheme
- birthday decorations
- a favourite football or sports team
- colours in the centre design
- colours within a photograph
With a multi-layer rosette, contrasting colours can make each layer stand out.
Alternatively, several shades from the same colour family can create a more coordinated appearance.
Should I choose a badge, rosette or sash for a birthday?
Think about the person and how noticeable you want the item to be.
A personalised birthday badge is compact and easy to wear. It's a good choice for someone who wants something special without too much attention.
A personalised birthday rosette is larger, more colourful and particularly suitable for milestone birthdays.
A personalised birthday sash is the most immediately visible option and makes it obvious who is celebrating.
You can also combine them. The birthday person might wear a personalised sash and rosette while family or friends wear matching badges.
For a more detailed comparison, see our guide to choosing between personalised badges, rosettes and sashes. If you are still uncertain which to choose then view our comparison page
Can I order just one personalised birthday item?
Yes.
PartyWearUK has no minimum order on personalised badges, rosettes and sashes.
That means you can order one personalised birthday rosette, badge or sash without having to purchase a pack of identical items.
You can also order several items with different wording — useful if friends or family are joining in with the celebration.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best wording for a birthday badge?
Usually the simplest wording works best. The person's name, age and a short birthday message are often all that's required.
For example, Happy 50th Birthday Sarah is clear, personal and easy to read.
Should I include the year of birth?
You can, particularly if you're using wording such as Vintage 1976 or creating a nostalgic design.
For most birthday badges and rosettes, however, the person's age is easier to understand immediately.
Can I put a long message on a birthday rosette?
It may be possible, but shorter messages generally produce a clearer design.
If you have several lines of wording, consider which part really needs to be visible. A name, age and short greeting will usually have more impact than trying to reproduce an entire birthday-card message.
What if I don't know the person's exact age?
Leave it off!
A personalised item doesn't need an age to feel personal. Their name, nickname, photograph or a message such as Birthday Queen can work perfectly well.
Are personalised birthday rosettes just for milestone birthdays?
No. A rosette can be personalised for virtually any birthday and any age.
Can men wear birthday sashes and rosettes?
Of course. Colours, wording and design can all be chosen to suit the individual rather than relying on traditional male or female birthday designs.
Can you make something different from the examples on the website?
In many cases, yes. PartyWearUK manufactures its personalised products in-house, so there is considerably more flexibility than with mass-produced party accessories.
If you have an unusual idea, contact us before ordering and we can advise whether it will work.
Make the birthday personal
There is no perfect phrase that suits every birthday.
For some people, Happy 50th Birthday Sarah is exactly right. Someone else might prefer Fabulous at 50, a childhood photograph, an embarrassing nickname or a family joke.
That's the point of personalisation.
Rather than choosing a standard birthday item simply because it happens to have the correct age printed on it, you can create something around the person who will actually be wearing it.
Whether you choose a personalised birthday badge, a colourful multi-layer rosette, a birthday sash or a combination of all three, a name, age, photograph and a few carefully chosen words can turn a simple party accessory into part of the celebration.